Could you live on a cruise ship?

BN: aren't the fees about the same?!!

For some reason those who run that ship called The World, that people do live on, thought my husband and I might like a tour so we went to look round it while it was in Falmouth. The year's travel itinerary is decided by owners' ballot but you get more say if you've got one of the most expensive apartments. We had a look at a couple of them, decorated by the owners. One was hideous, the other rather lovely and contained some serious art. Hardly anyone was in residence as they'd apparently gone off to see some golf in France and were being picked up later in the week by the ship in Paris.

I'm with those who couldn't ever think of it (though the library was a delight..). I am scared of the sea and couldn't even do a cross-channel ferry but the ship was OK, if a tad beige in the public areas. I think I'd get horribly fat! Luckily I idon'thave the required minimum of £250,000 per year to find out..

The big ships actually have hospitals on board but you do need medical insurance because it can be very expensive otherwise. I spent a day in one once and they were really good, I had a heart monitor on and a drip ( no heart attack, thank goodness just a seasick reaction to being in a cyclone!) Some go for medicines etc , it is usually at the bottom of the ship near the gangplank area presumably so they can send you to hospitals in really bad situations. Oh, if we were all poseurs then there are a hell of a lot of us ! What a snobby comment , never heard that one before, Not that many from the UK though but we cruise mostly the pacific region so it is probably too far.

i have never been on a cruise but i did read about a very rich lady who decided cruising was better than a care home, she does not stay on the same ship, she transfers to different ships, she had been doing this for about 2 years, she has care on board if she needs it and gets reduced packages as she is a valued customer, i suppose it is better than a care home or being on your own at home.

JenniferEccles

Those of you who say an emphatic no, have you ever been on a cruise? Of all types of holidays, cruises I think have to be experienced before we can say with any certainty whether we would enjoy it or not.

Even though we have been on quite a number of cruises over the years, and have thoroughly enjoyed every one, living on one would be a no from me too.

Even a world cruise which typically lasts three months would be far too long.

I know some people will disagree with me as they have already been mentioned but the fact that there are no dogs on cruises is a big plus factor for me!
We can actually eat our meals in the restaurants on board without some dog slobbering nearby.
How many places ashore these days are truly dog free!

Yes I have. That is the reason my "no" is emphatic. Cruises are, quite emphatically for poseurs.

Tra-la!

I always said I would never cruise unti abt 8 years ago when we went for 16 nights round the Med and were instantly smitten! Since then we have been on several cruises including three World C'ruises of abt 100 days and were heartbroken when they ended. There is as much or as little as you wish to do or eat, plenty of company if you want it but also quiet spots if not, entertainment is rich and varied and there are tons of groups and classes you can join. Or you can just sit and read. On the last world cruise I read 57 books which I never get time for at home.

As we live in a house too big for us it is bliss to be in one room (plus balcony) with no housework to do except tidy up a bit.

Then there are the port stops where you can explore far and wide or just potter round the nearby town and sample the local cuisine and markets.

It's not as expensive as you might imagine considering you have no food to buy or cook, no heating bills, no water rates and most activities completly free of charge unless you choose pricey shore trips (not all are priceu at all).

Sadly DH is now disabled and so we are unlikely to go again.

Oh, and we've made some wonderful friends over the years whom we are still in touch with in the UK and beyond.

I haven’t been on a cruise and not likely to either. Which means I don't know much about them, which leads me to this question.

If a person was to live permanently on a cruise ship, having sold their home, and the ship was now their home, what happens if they develop a condition that requires daily medication on prescription? Are there doctors on board who can diagnose the problem, issue a repeat prescription, and a pharmacy stocked with those medications?

Living in a house may not be as glamorous and exciting but one's medical needs are easier to deal with on dry land.

Crumbly159

Nope. Because if you only come across just one person you can't stand then you can bet the Crown Jewels that you will bump into them at least 500 times a day........

Just how I feel!

I wouldn't be at all interested in getting dressed up, and all that malarky.
A definite no in that case, either as a holiday or longer arrangent.
(And no Jane Macdonald appearing, singing)

I’ve been thinking about this on and off all day.

I suppose if you lived on the ship it would be quite different from a permanent holiday.

You’d customise your cabin and development everyday routines similar to those you gave on dry land. Going to meals would be a version of food shopping, you’d do your laundry, go for a walk either round the deck or at a port, join a club like bridge or choir, go to the library.

If there are several of you I guess you develop a community, maybe make friends with some of the crew and staff too.

I think I’d acclimatise ok, as long as it stopped going up and down🤮

Nope. Because if you only come across just one person you can't stand then you can bet the Crown Jewels that you will bump into them at least 500 times a day........

At any given time there are hundreds of cruise ships dotted around the world taking passengers on the most amazing holidays.
Whenever there is an outbreak of norovirus on one, inevitably it’s in the news, but I can honestly say that in the many cruises we have had over the past twenty odd years, I have never been on a ship where there has been an outbreak.

Gastroenteritis viruses can be caught anywhere on land if we inadvertently cross paths with an infected person.
What’s the solution? Staying at home all the time is the only truly safe way but that’s no way to live.

With regard to the excellent food on board - yes it is delicious and plentiful and is there to be enjoyed but most folk I imagine would only gain a pound or two at most, over the course of a cruise.

I would say to anyone thinking about trying one, book the best type of cabin you can afford, ideally a balcony cabin, or if funds permit, a suite.

I can see the appeal but I imagine you would have to rent a large cabin with a balcony, have never been on a cruise but some cabins I believe are really small.
Having all your meals made and days planned could be ok if you prefer to be looked after and don’t like doing your own thing.
I couldn’t do it though because I don’t like being at sea. A bit of a deal breaker.

I've read about a few people who do now. It costs them less than paying a mortgage and at least some of them work from the ship.

I've also read about people (Americans) who live in hotels. Some of the chains have apartments that are kept for visiting staff and if you ask you can apparently rent them out long term. Again people have found it cheaper than paying a mortgage. The hotels do the cleaning too. I don't think you can decorate or furnish the apartments, but you do get the use of the hotel amenities like pools.

I’m currently in the South of France on a cruise for 2 weeks. It’s so relaxing and so much to do or not do. I can’t imagine living on a ship as I love my home and garden, family and friends.
I see that the usual “petri dish” comment has been made. I have been on at least 20 cruises over the years and have only been unwell once and this was not an infectious illness.
As for the food, yes there’s a lot on offer but you’re not obliged to eat it all! Lots of healthy options too. I would normally only gain 1-2 pounds in 2 weeks and soon lose it when I get home.

I suppose if you actually lived on a cruise ship you might be a bit more careful about food intake. I know on longer cruises we start walking up all the stairs rather than use lifts and we walk round the perimeter a couple of times a day which is a couple of miles or so - we only go on huge ships because I get seasick on small ones. Typically over 3,000 passengers plus a lot of paid staff. I don’t think I could cope long term,though.

Luckygirl3

grandMattie

Never. My worst nightmare!
Imagine never being under a tree, hearing the babble of the proverbial brook, children’s happy shouting when playing or coming out of school, dawn chorus…
Never seeing a field of corn, a wood full of bluebells. Oh no, not for me.
Terracotta for me, as 2Jags John Prescott famously said. 😂

Well exactly. And all that wretched food, food, food - making me feel sick just thinking about it ....

Re the food, a colleague who went on more than one cruise out of Miami, said that a lot of the passengers were hugely fat Americans who spent much of the day going from one food outlet to the other, all included in the price.
I’d heard of booze cruises, but these were evidently food cruises.

JenniferEccles I agree with you too about dogs. Being terrified of dogs has made most other holiday options a no no for me. Being able to eat without dogs in pubs, cafés etc is not really a possibility anymore. And renting a cottage that doesn't allow dogs is virtually impossible.

MissAdventure

I watch all the tiny house ones, too MT62
I like the A frame houses, the yurts, and the cob ones.
Basically, I'm just a nosy mare.

😂

Yes easily. We went on our first cruise in 2023 after many friends had said it was the best type of holiday and once you have been on a cruise you will never consider any other kind of holiday. How right they were. I instantly fell in love with cruising and will never consider any other type of holiday. And yes I could easily live on a cruise ship. Everything is to hand, food, entertainment, laundry, exercise, social activities, classes to name a few things. I have never felt as relaxed as I do on a cruise ship.

Yes!

You would have to roll me off!
I have never seen so much food as on a cruise.
Unfortunately it gives you the opportunity to eat from morning to night and as I have little willpower it was a struggle!
It’s put me off trying another one though.

Could the government rent some older ones to expand the prison estate?

No thanks. Cruise ships always strike me as a bit of a Petri dish for bugs. One person goes down with something and it spreads like wildfire.