Ship n Shore: Retiring on a Cruise Ship

By Jan Cullinane

Let’s start with a few statistics: most (84%) people want to retire close to water; most (71%) people over 40 like to take cruises, and many (40%) of those surveyed cite climate as the most important consideration in choosing a retirement location. Is there a place where we can turn these statistics into one tidy and affordable package?  How about living on a converted cruise ship?

I once had the opportunity to tour the “Alegria” (the working name of the ship meaning joy or happiness), which was undergoing its final transformation to a floating community before being docked in its permanent home, Cape Canaveral, Florida. This is the concept: when you purchase one of the 100 staterooms (160 to 340 square feet), you also become a 1/100 owner of the ship. Prices range from $159,000 to $399,000 and there is also a monthly maintenance fee that entitles you to all meals on the ship, weekly housekeeping, local country club membership (golf and tennis), port fees and bus shuttles. Residents will determine the itinerary of the ship (monthly trips to the Bahamas, annual Central American and/or Caribbean cruises). The ship also offers 12 guest rooms (the staterooms that lack windows) for visitors – for free! – meals included. There will be a full-time nurse on board.  Editor’s Note: Don’t Miss our Similar Article, “What It’s Like to Live Aboard the Luxurious Ship ‘The World“.

References:
Retiring on a Cruise Ship Combines Adventure and Convenience (includes exclusive report of our visit to the luxurious residential cruise ship – The World.

About the Author: Jan Cullinane is the co-author of The New Retirement: The Ultimate Guide to the Rest of Your Life (second edition, Rodale, 2007), and a regular contributor to Ocean Breeze, Living Southern Style, BoomJ.com, and LetLifeIn.com. She is also the Retirement Expert for the National Association of Baby Boomer Women (NABBW). Her website is www.thenewretirement.net. Jan conducts retirement seminars, along with co-author Cathy Fitzgerald, through their company, Retirement Living from A to Z.