Living on a cruise ship? Is it possible? You don’t need to be a member of the crew (like I was for eight-plus years) in order to live the cruise life year-round. You can live on a cruise ship, full time, for likely less than you might think.
In fact, numerous news stories have popped up in recent years about retirees that have decided to live on cruise ships full time, some saying it actually costs less to live on a cruise ship than in some retirement facilities! Does this lifestyle appeal to you? Here’s what you need to know.
In This Article:
How Much Does It Cost to Live on a Cruise Ship?
First things first: How much does it cost to live on a cruise ship? While you can live on a cruise ship for as little as $28,000 per year to start (before extra expenses), the definite answer largely depends on a variety of factors.
The main factors that influence the cost of living on a cruise ship include your cruise line of choice, your vessel of choice, your lifestyle while cruising, and your cabin preferences.
Let’s look at some of the specific costs.
The Cost of Room and Board on a Cruise Ship
Room and board will be the most significant expense on any cruise, especially if you choose to live on a cruise ship for an extended amount of time.
Unfortunately, cruise ships don’t offer any special deals or savings because you’re living on the cruise ship full time. You’ll pay the same nightly rate that all the other cruisers are paying.
As alluded, that nightly rate will depend on factors such as your staterooms, the ship and cruise line, the itinerary and time of year, as well as whether or not you get any special deals or promotions.
As a few examples, you can find Carnival Cruise Line specials that work out to a cruise fare of $79 per person per day.
You can additionally find Royal Caribbean cruises that work out to about $100 per person per day, such as if you’re sailing seven-night Canada cruises that start at $693 per cruiser, or four-night Bahamian cruises that start at $405 per cruiser.
At those rates, you could sail for a full year, paying as little as $28,000 per year for just your room and board. (In a real-life example, one full-time cruiser told Business Insider in 2023 that he cruises for the majority of the year, 300 days, with Royal Caribbean, for a base fare of $30,000 per year.)
While that sounds somewhat affordable at first glance, though, think that this rate for room and board is comparable to if you were paying $2,333 a month for rent.
That’s quite a bit more than the average cost of rent in the United States, which is $1,748 a month for a 901-square-foot apartment (in contrast, you might only get 100–200 square feet in an interior cabin on a Royal Caribbean or Carnival Cruise Line cruise).
Again, prices will vary significantly based on the cruise line, cruise ship, itinerary and even the time of the year. Cruise fares do not stay reliably consistent, all the time, year-round.
Port Fees and Taxes
Beyond your base cruise fare, you’ll also need to pay port fees and taxes while living on the cruise ship.
Every cruise line will tack on port fees to the total cost of your cruise. Cruise ships don’t get to dock at their destinations for free. Port fees are fees charged by the port of call to the cruise line, which the cruise line then passes onto the passengers.
Port fees are charged based on the passengers, and every passenger pays the same fees.
Not all ports charge the same amount for port fees. These fees vary based on your cruise line and where your cruise ship stops in different countries.
On a seven-day cruise, you can expect your port fees to range from $100 to $250. If you spend a year on a cruise ship, you can expect to pay an additional $5,000 to cover port fees. You’ll be able to see the cost of port fees in your total cruise cost before you’re asked to pay your deposit.
Gratuities
While gratuities are not a mandatory fee, I always advise that you pay the cruise line’s requested gratuities unless you have truly very bad service.
Some cruise ships tack on automatic gratuity that ranges from 15% to 20% of whatever service you paid for, whether it be dinner or the spa. Depending on how much you plan on using amenities on the ship, this cost can quickly add up.
Everyday Onboard Spending
Finally, you’ll want to consider what you’ll spend onboard the ship as you just go about your daily life. There are a lot of additional places where you’ll spend money on a cruise ship.
You’ll pay extra for WiFi; at specialty restaurants; when shopping onboard or at the port; and for drinks, clothes, toiletries, gym classes, alcohol and salon visits.
It’s worth considering that the price of these items is a lot more on a cruise ship than they are on land. While you may not be interested in shore excursions if you’re living on your cruise long-term, you should consider the cost of these as well.
How to Save Money Living on a Cruise Ship
There are ways to save on your everyday spending while on the cruise — just prioritize free experiences, entertainment and dining.
Most cruise ships will give you enough free dining options that you’ll hardly be wanting for variety, even while living on the cruise ship full time. For example, throughout the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, you’ll find more than two dozen free dining options.
Maybe one day you go to the buffet (which offers tons of options all by itself). Maybe the next you go to the main dining room. Then, you head over to Guy’s Burger Joint, then Big Chicken, then BlueIguana Cantina.
Additionally, whatever cruise line you opt to cruise with full-time, make sure you’re in the loyalty program. The more you cruise, the more those benefits add up and, before you know it, you’ll have access to free or discounted perks.
If you’re cruising with Royal Caribbean, for instance, and are a member of the Crown & Anchor Society, you’ll earn 1 cruise point for every night you cruise with the line. That means that, after just a month of sailing, you’ll receive discounts on drinks packages, dining, internet, laundry services and more.
You may also save money by not staying on the same ship year-round, and by jumping from ship to ship in busy ports, based on the cheapest itineraries available (of course, this comes with cons, too, as you’re not able to stay in one place as long).
You may also consider living on a cruise ship that sails only or a majority of cruises in more affordable cruising regions, such as the Caribbean (versus, say, Alaska).
Cruise Ships Designed for Year-Round Living
While you can choose to cruise on any ol’ ship long-term, there are certain ships designed specifically for those who want to live on the cruise ship, not average cruisers.
One of these is The World, a ship that dubs itself the “largest private residential yacht on Earth.” There are 165 residences on this ship and each one does actually feel like a studio apartment or small home.
Because the ship caters to those traveling full-time, the ship’s itineraries don’t just go back and forth between the same islands.
Instead, they travel the globe, taking you to dozens of countries and ports. In 2024, fares started at $60,000 — comparable to what you might pay with a major cruise line.
Storylines
Storylines is another year-round cruise provider, branded as a “luxury residential community at sea.” The brand, though, charges an all-inclusive annual fee, and then will sell you the actual on-board residence, with residences on the ship MV Narrative starting at $600,000.
You can also buy a residence in a kind of timeshare format, for 25–50% of the cost. Still, you’ll pay a pretty penny more on this ship, than you might elsewhere.
Villa Vie Residences
There’s also the Villa Vie Residences cruise line that made the headlines a lot over its delayed Villa Vie Odyssey ship. The ship’s upgrade during a dry dock in Belfast did not go as planned, but the ship eventually set off on a 3.5-year world cruise in October 2024.
On Odyssey, you can fully own a carbon or suite, have seasonal ownership, or even pay as you go. In janury 2025, the cruise line announced that you can even try before you buy!
Victoria Cruises Line
Victoria Cruises Line, meanwhile, brands itself as the “world’s first affordable residential ship.” Just how affordable is it? With a 37-month rental contract, you’ll pay a monthly per-person fee starting at $2,399.
That means you’re paying just under $29,000 per person per year. While this is certainly more affordable than what you’d get on one of these other residential ships, you may be able to get a more affordable experience by cruising long-term on traditional cruise ships.
While not specifically geared toward full-time residences, Virgin Voyages also offers an annual pass so you can take back-to-back cruises for an entire year for $120,000.
How to Live on a Cruise Ship Year-Round
If you think that living on a cruise ship year-round is a good fit for you, do note that this isn’t just a one-time booking-and-done process. It may take some tactical planning to ensure that you can book the same cabin repeatedly and at the most affordable rate.
If you want to live on ships from major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean or Carnival, you must book your cruise and cabin months in advance. It’s also a good idea to book longer cruises that span weeks or months to minimize the amount of planning you must do.
Additionally, think about other logistics as well, before you book. You’ll still need a home base and mailing address, and you’ll want to think about insurance and health care. There are no nurses or dentists on a cruise ship.
Is Living on a Cruise Ship Worth It?
I loved living on a cruise ship as a crew member — but I’d say it’s probably not worth it for the average person to live on a cruise ship long-term, year-round.
While it can certainly be fun, the cost is typically significantly higher than what you’d pay for your normal life back home, even with costs like a mortgage.
Worth Reading: Living on a Cruise Ship – What You Need to Know
If you’re interested in long-term cruising, I’d advise simply trying out a longer cruise to start. If you’ve only been on week-long cruises, for example, maybe try a month-long cruise to see if you like it.
And if, during that time period, you begin to get bored or wish you were back home, that’s a clear indication that living on a cruise ship isn’t right for you.
How much can you expect to pay for a month-long cruise?
As with everything, it varies significantly. However, you can take a 30-night Western Caribbean Explorer and Panama Canal cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver on Holland America Line for just under $3,000.
You can also take a 30-night Hawaii and South Pacific Crossing, Los Angeles to Auckland, cruise on Princess Cruises for just over $5,000. On the higher end of things, a 30-night, Miami to Rio cruise on Regent Seven Seas is around $17,000.
Read Also: When Is the Best Time to Go on a Cruise?
Additionally consider this: As a former crew member, I do know that some of the crew may frown upon long-term cruisers — especially those who are demanding, require extra assistance, or simply aren’t cut out for the lifestyle (for example, if they’re elderly and have a lot of medical needs that the cruise ship can’t accommodate).
You’ll need to weigh all the pros and cons before deciding whether or not this is a lifestyle you’d enjoy. Again, though, I recommend taking a longer cruise first, to test the waters.
