Living on a Cruise Ship

[Loyal]

You've never been on a cruise ship and are even considering dropping $175K for a year??? Maybe take a 1 week or 2 week cruise in the exact cabin you are thinking about and see how that goes. I'm with most of the rest. I would fucking hate it from day 1. But I don't like most people and really don't like them in crowds.

The Caribbean is amazing. But you will get super tired of the tourist spots very quickly. Maybe try lodging on one of the small islands for a week or month.

Accommodations | Compass Cay Marina

compasscaymarina.com

You misunderstand me. This was a "what if.." question. Even if some financial investments work out, responsibilities won't allow me to take a year long cruise. I have stayed on St Thomas for a while, but have never been on a Cruise ship. I HAVE been on a Naval warship for months at sea, and it's from that basis that I considered a year at sea.

 

[Selassie I]

@Loyal

You should buy a sailboat Loyal. I don't like em... but I have friends who love them. Hearing you describe your love of the open water sounds a lot like what my sailing friends enjoy when they are sailing.

One of them lived on their sailboat with his wife for 2 years. They sailed around Florida for most of that time. Another friend sails down to the British Virgin Islands every year and that trip takes him about 3 months... he's not hurrying.

 

[Loyal]

@Loyal

You should buy a sailboat Loyal. I don't like em... but I have friends who love them. Hearing you describe your love of the open water sounds a lot like what my sailing friends enjoy when they are sailing.

One of them lived on their sailboat with his wife for 2 years. They sailed around Florida for most of that time. Another friend sails down to the British Virgin Islands every year and that trip takes him about 3 months... he's not hurrying.

It sounds wonderful.

 

[Loyal]

@Loyal

You should buy a sailboat Loyal. I don't like em... but I have friends who love them. Hearing you describe your love of the open water sounds a lot like what my sailing friends enjoy when they are sailing.

One of them lived on their sailboat with his wife for 2 years. They sailed around Florida for most of that time. Another friend sails down to the British Virgin Islands every year and that trip takes him about 3 months... he's not hurrying.

My great Uncle had a sail boat that he used to float from the Miami area to Havana before Castro ruined everything. I'm sure my Uncle, whom I loved, was bringing back rum and cigars in the secret hold of the boat....lol. I actually was aboard her about 1970, just before he sold it.
Uncle Lou fractured a few prohibition laws back in the 20's and 30's in upstate New York. He suddenly had the financial wherewithal to open a bar right after the end of Prohibition, and we were not a rich family....

 

[Selassie I]

My great Uncle had a sail boat that he used to float from the Miami area to Havana before Castro ruined everything. I'm sure my Uncle, whom I loved, was bringing back rum and cigars in the secret hold of the boat....lol. I actually was aboard her about 1970, just before he sold it.
Uncle Lou fractured a few prohibition laws back in the 20's and 30's in upstate New York. He suddenly had the financial wherewithal to open a bar right after the end of Prohibition, and we were not a rich family....

Years ago... me and a friend made several runs down to Cuba and smuggled back cigars. We made some nice money and it was a thrill. I still can't believe we did it thinking back on it now. We did it 3 or 4 different times.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Ok then @Selassie I and @Elmgrovegnome , how about being a passenger on commercial ship? The berthing isn't fancy and there are no buffets and few children (probably none). There are few if any fancy ports but the lodging is clean and the food is ok. I mentioned Cruise ships in the original post because I've never been on one and it sounds more palatable for one's wife. If I was single and I wanted to cruise around the world on a commercial ship, I would try to work as a Merchant Marine. If I was independently comfortable (not wealthy), I would enjoy this experience as a passenger more than a the Cruise experience that you both loathe. I don't care about cocktail parties, shopping in ship stores or Selassie's piss pools...lol (love that). I love the clarity of being in the open sea and I miss that greatly. I know if I ever get on a Cruise and my cabin has a balcony, I'll be spending a lot of time there.

That sounds like it would satisfy your longing.

I’m fortunate that my wife is a land lubber and also likes the forests. She isn’t quesy about dirt or insects. She eats the wild plants that I forage and the wild mushrooms that I bring home.

Couldn’t you achieve the same thing by buying a boat and living near the ocean? My cousins live in Niceville FLA and they are always on the water. The cost of living isn’t too bad. They are practically in Alabama. The Gulf down there is beautiful.

Did you retire from the Navy?

 

[RhodyRams]

I have several friends who have done "The Great Loop" and are planning on doing it again since they missed a lot of ports due to covid

 

[Loyal]

That sounds like it would satisfy your longing.

I’m fortunate that my wife is a land lubber and also likes the forests. She isn’t quesy about dirt or insects. She eats the wild plants that I forage and the wild mushrooms that I bring home.

Couldn’t you achieve the same thing by buying a boat and living near the ocean? My cousins live in Niceville FLA and they are always on the water. The cost of living isn’t too bad. They are practically in Alabama. The Gulf down there is beautiful.

Did you retire from the Navy?

No, I m still little too young to retire. I was in the Navy for about 6 years...

 

[Merlin]

Reading while the ocean goes by fo a week or two sounds like “you can never go wrong learning something”

Reading while the ocean goes by for a year sounds like “a wasted year”

but thats just me.

unless you put out the extra $79,000 for the unlimited drink package.

Then its sounds more like…..”I waz drunk last year, wtf happened?”

Well I suppose if Loyal is gonna be staring at a blank page in his typewriter he might as well do that with interesting surroundings. I'm sure that will help with his writer's block.

 

[Loyal]

Well I suppose if Loyal is gonna be staring at a blank page in his typewriter he might as well do that with interesting surroundings. I'm sure that will help with his writer's block.

YOUSONOFA

 

[RhodyRams]

 

[AvengerRam]

Yeah... not for me. A cruise is fine for a long weekend, or longer if the destination is interesting (i.e. Alaska), but a year... no thanks.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

No, I m still little too young to retire. I was in the Navy for about 6 years...

It sounds like you should have stayed in. Either that or become a pirate.


Every one of my friends that was in the service couldn’t wait to get out. A few years later they wished they had stayed in. My uncle retired from the Air Force at 45. Unfortunately he has had it rough from all of the asbestos he used to use a plumber installing barracks.

 

[Ramhusker]

I just got off the Horizon in Sept on a 6 day cruise. We had a blast because I had free drinks and they gave my wife $1000 to play with. Also had free parking, free spa treatment, and they left us a couple of bottles of rum in our cabin. I have 6 more cruises booked between now and December 2022. The Horizon is no longer Carnival’s newest ship. That is now the Mardi Gras and next year it will be the Celebration, a sister ship of the Mardi Gras. If I were you, I’d book a transatlantic cruise. It’ll last about 14 days and carry you to somewhere in Europe. You’d have to more than likely fly back unless you happen to catch a cruise back. Transatlantic cruises are one way and are used to relocate a ship to a new home port. But, if you could catch a Med cruise while there which usually lasts 9 to 14 days and them fly back might satisfy your yearning for the sea. I love cruising, have it down to a science, but would not stay on the same ship for a year. There are people that retire on them and love it but I’m not going to be one of them. But if you did decide to cruise for a year, it would be cheaper than $175k. As you stack cruising days up, you get better deals and if you are a gambler, you can get many free cruise offers. You’d still have to pay port taxes and gratuities but those are around $500 a week for two. All 7 cruises I’ve booked are like this because my wife and I like the casino a little too much.

 

[Loyal]

I just got off the Horizon in Sept on a 6 day cruise. We had a blast because I had free drinks and they gave my wife $1000 to play with. Also had free parking, free spa treatment, and they left us a couple of bottles of rum in our cabin. I have 6 more cruises booked between now and December 2022. The Horizon is no longer Carnival’s newest ship. That is now the Mardi Gras and next year it will be the Celebration, a sister ship of the Mardi Gras. If I were you, I’d book a transatlantic cruise. It’ll last about 14 days and carry you to somewhere in Europe. You’d have to more than likely fly back unless you happen to catch a cruise back. Transatlantic cruises are one way and are used to relocate a ship to a new home port. But, if you could catch a Med cruise while there which usually lasts 9 to 14 days and them fly back might satisfy your yearning for the sea. I love cruising, have it down to a science, but would not stay on the same ship for a year. There are people that retire on them and love it but I’m not going to be one of them. But if you did decide to cruise for a year, it would be cheaper than $175k. As you stack cruising days up, you get better deals and if you are a gambler, you can get many free cruise offers. You’d still have to pay port taxes and gratuities but those are around $500 a week for two. All 7 cruises I’ve booked are like this because my wife and I like the casino a little too much.

What cabin did you get? The Havana Cabana Stateroom?

 

[Ramhusker]

What cabin did you get? The Havana Cabana Stateroom?

No, we haven’t tried those yet. That looks to be a really cool area of the ship though. We were mid ship, deck 6, balcony.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Ok you rich bastids, time to go on a year long cruise!
Mt wife and I discussed this and wondered what it might cost to do it and it's not cheap. The example used was the Carnival Horizon, which I believe is the newest Carnival cruise ship with the most amenities. The cost of a double occupancy stay onboard per the average cost (per cruise), would work out to be about $175,000. This takes care of everything: passage, port fees & taxes, tipping, and average amounts spent for extra things. for the year The cabin is a open balcony cabin, which the YouTuber thought would be a livable space for that length of time. I watched a separate video of the ship and it's a lively time, 24 hours a day it seems (if you want that). The ship would reach every tourist spot in the Caribbean.

For me, this would be fine for me in patches, but it's a bit like having an apartment inside a mall. The part that attracts me the most is watching the ocean go by, which is a pleasure I miss from my time at sea. I would spend hours reading and being near the water, watching the dolphins race the ship.

Does this sound fun if you had the disposable income to do it, like our boy @Merlin ?

I saw an advertisement for a 9 month / world-wide Royal Caribbean cruise. It's still a long time but world-wide is enticing.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I'd rather be on that boat alone for a year than with 2,000 other people. No bullshit. That's just my wiring though.

 

[Loyal]

I saw an advertisement for a 9 month / world-wide Royal Caribbean cruise. It's still a long time but world-wide is enticing.

I would like that better myself. I believe the ship would be like a floating apartment house with servants and food provided. You would actually have neighbors…