Lately, I've been contemplating retirement, uncertain whether my 401(k) and IRA will ensure a secure future. I've also invested $800K in the stock market, experiencing fluctuations without substantial gains.
Using a 401(k) or IRA is a valuable strategy for retirement planning, providing potential savings growth and tax advantages. While the stock market is promising, expert guidance is essential for effective portfOlio management
Opting for an invest-ment advisr is currently the optimal approach for navigating the stock market, particularly for those nearing retirement. I've been consulting with a coach for a while, and my portfOlio has surged by 45% since Q2.
Go with Sonya Lee Mitchell. She is the licensed manager I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.
Sounds like heaven to me. I have no spouse, no children, no parents, no pets, only one sibling who I see a couple of times a year, don't care about tv and I don't like to cook!
@@elizagal7451 No, but not because I wouldn't like to....the annual living expense onboard a cruise ship is about double what my income is so I'm going to stay put where I am, which is fine, also as I have no debt here (house/car/loans/credit cards are all paid off) and I'm able to save money every month, but ty for your interest.
I did about four weeks on a nice comfortable ship, just to get a feel for it, and to see if it might be an option later on. I concluded no. The expenses do add up. I missed my own kitchen, and having my home. I also found myself gaining weight quickly. And all those ports of call were mainly tourist scams, unless you paid dearly for an excursion, and even then, you saw the sights at someone else's pace, instead of feeling immersed in a culture and interacting normally with normal people. It wasn't for me.
I had the good fortune of getting private tours of Istanbul and Yalta with a ship's officer who took a fancy to me. He knew both cities well. I had a ball. We encountered a bear in Istanbul, and traded ruples on the back market in Ukraine so we could get something to eat....craziest meal ever but came to about $2 each. Unforgettable experiences!
I totally agree with you. I took one cruise and that was enough for me. Having everything done for me made me feel like a zombie. Even with all the entertainment provided I was bored out of my mind. I need to do things for myself.
I believe the retirement crisis will get even worse. Many struggle to save due to low wages, rising prices, and exorbitant rents. With homeownership becoming unattainable for middle-class Americans, they may not have a home to rely on for retirement either.
Got it! Buying stocks during a recession when prices are down could be a good move. You might get them at a lower price and sell later when they go up. Just do your homework and be aware of the risks before diving in!
@@christianalawal3695 That's awesome! Investing in stocks with a reliable trading system can lead to great outcomes. It's fantastic that you've been working with a financial advisor for a year now. Starting with less than $200K and being just $19,000 away from making half a million in profit is impressive! Keep up the good work!
@@MaverickDylan-7 Victoria Carmen Santaella Constable is the licensed fiduciary I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment..
@@JasonStathamOffical She appears to be well-educated and well-read. I ran a Google search for her name and came across her website; thank you for sharing.
Decorations are not a real expense. When l had my house and eing alone to meet all expenses it was school taxes home insurance up keep changing plumbing etc but the home was I e.
The only decorations I care for are the lights and I’ve used them all year round in my room. I also noticed after the holidays a lot of gifts and decorations at CVS and other stores get marked down form 50 to even 90 percent off.
Only if the “home base” is paid off and you have reliable tenants or a home sitter to take care of the ongoing ownership costs (taxes, insurance) and yard upkeep. Unless you’re in a condo and someone else is doing that for paid fees, but usually insurance requires someone to live at or check in at the property frequently.
I would never retire on one of those ships. Once you get out of USA waters, USA laws don't protect you. It's the laws of whatever country the ship is based out of, and they can be very different than the USA. Also, what motivation is there for the cruise line to take care of you as time goes on and the boat ages? Once it is no longer profitable, you will find less and less interest in your needs.
Yea I don’t think retiring completely on it would be the move. But maybe 6months here 6 months there would be ideal. And if your home is paid off, airbnd would be good than the long term tenants, but this whole squatter thing is very scary. Look into those elaws in your hometown before you considered opening your home to someone else.
You guys give great information on this subject. Though I do like cruising, I couldn’t do this all the time. Going on a cruise once or twice a year makes it feel more like a vacation to me. Living in our home, there are a lot of things we pay for like utilities, cable, internet, groceries, etc but I don’t think we spend anywhere near 5,000.00 a month. We don’t decorate our home for Halloween and use pretty much the same decorations for Christmas (maybe changing a few things each year). We’re retired and I don’t think we could afford 5,000.00 a month. I think it helps that our home is paid for, so we don’t have a mortgage to pay which really cuts our bills a lot. This way we’re able to put aside more savings for taking vacations. I would also have concerns about the dental and health insurance situation. But you guys are truly informative on this subject. Thanks for sharing this.
It really depends on how much your home is worth. If you sell it, put the money in treasury (let’s say 10 years at 5%), it might pay for half of that $5000. The remaining would be what you spend on food, utility, real estate, tax and insurance for example. Most people also have a car when they live in the house. That would be a few hundred dollars for insurance and upkeep.
... remember this....rather they evacuate the injured to shore this ship sales tonight .... golden rule ... the ships Dr. and office in not equipped for any sort of heart trouble ... or cancer ... better to be self mobil in general and move about ... but theres always someone less mobile than you ... face it ... they want to enjoy their cruise too ...
When we cruised on the NCL line, we met a couple from the UK who "lived" on the cruise ships. They had given up their flat in London with all those costs as the gentleman told us. They spend about 6 months actually on the ships, and the rest of the year staying with their children in Canada, India, and South America for a few months in between cruises. Whatever you decide, have a plan and a contingency plan as these folks did. Great video.
The same logic applies to living in somewhere cheap, say SE Asia. You can buy or rent a base you keep 12 months of the year but you go away as often as you wish. I also think the changing of ships in this video rather altered the true effect of living in "your" ship for months on end because if you retired to a ship, though you could perhaps move, you probably would not as you would make a home in the ship.
@@andyasia I like your logic Andy. Live somewhere cheap and get away with the money you save for living expense, rent and food! My guess is the cheapest place to live would be Asia, because I don't even qualify for an apartment in usa
@@RoxanneSumner-lg7gu You can rent western style condos in Thailand for as little as $100 per month and in the Philippines for even less depending on where you live in those countries and your lifestyle. The only problem is medical insurance which can be somewhat expensive according to your age and medical condition.
Very insightful and well thought out information! Love the food for thought you have provided! I definitely appreciate you both sharing your experiences. I think I am inclined to agree with you in terms of cruising a few back to back cruises for 20 or so days and back on land for a couple of months. In a few weeks I am doing a B2B for 20 days. I have done this a couple of times this year, mostly to gain the loyalty points, but I also understand exactly what you mean about the repetitive nature of things. Can be like the movie Ground Hog's Day! I do enjoy meeting the variety of passengers and getting to know some of the ship's crew. I think 20 or so days a couple of times each year will be my goal. I can visit a lot of ports traveling like that...or just stay on the ship. I love the options! Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and experience! Fair winds and following seas! 😎😎😎
Retirement investing was never my priority until I met *JENNY PAMOGAS CANAYA* advisor. Her proficiency helped me understand the benefits and risks of different options and guided me to choose the best one for me.
Sounds like you came to the right conclusions. You two, my wife and I probably couldn't be further apart financially. We saved for years to do our first cruise. It was Alaska. We loved every minute of that Cruise. So much that we saved again, and while we were doing it, we decided after looking at all the other cruises we Still loved that Alaskan cruise. Quantum of the Seas. Both times. But like a lot of people in the comments have said, it was nice to get home. Sadly, the economy and inflation have dropped us down financially, so there will probably be no more cruises for us. But we have great memories and still love watching the videos! Stay safe out there!
Sorry that your experience wasn't to your liking. You may have cruised a lot more than us and have higher expectations. For us poor folk, it was a magic carpet ride. @@ANCarty-xh9dk
No significant health care on a ship. Dental care is nonexistent on every ship I have been on. Definitely too many complications with health insurance and medical evac for older citizens. IMHO
True. But there are issues of finding competent hospitals or practitioners, translators. Your cruise ship is in port for relatively few hours. You can't be seen or treated the same day. Or perhaps your condition is too serious to be resolved in a few hours. You miss the cruise ship departure. I have been on cruises where the ship had to be diverted to an unscheduled port so the passenger could be transferred. I have been on ships where helicopter evacuations have been done or the patient transferred to a coast guard ship for care and transport. If one takes medications that needs to be a plan for resupply. The point I was making is that if you are going to live full time on the ship healthcare is an issue. @@autobotdiva9268
We are currently on a cruise ship. We are in a suite so we are getting upgraded services. It’s a transatlantic crossing. My husband got a stomach bug. We had to cancel an excursion and got a full refund. His visit to the ship doctor was totally free and that included the meds. He was better in 24 hours.
My hubby and I actually talked about it. We are both retired and have taken a couple of back to back where we were gone for4-5 weeks. I like the concept, someone else cooking, making my bed, and providing entertainment. We were missing our kids was the biggest drawback for us. -I have used medical staff on the ship -no complaints there. (Better than some of the care on land!)
When I retired I sold mostly everything, bought a small house in a beach town on the Mexican Pacific coast. I have someone to care for my property, clean my house if I want, even cook for me if I want, There is plenty of money to travel when I want. For me this was a great choice. But good for you to find what works for you.
I like this option more than living on a cruise. You'd get the upsides of living on a cruise ship (beautiful scenery, great place to swim, cleaning, maid service, etc) without the downsides. You can still have pets if you want, you can get to know your neighbors and they won't change every week, and you can use your internet and phone freely without fear of roaming charges.
My parents are doing the same in Greece. I'm sure this is the best way to have a great retirement. You made a great choice. May I ask the name of the beach town where you live, out of curiosity ? Enjoy it !
What is it with humans not even trying to get along with other humans. If something happens to you, the undertaker will be called. Middle of nowhere was fine centuries ago as hospitals did not exist.
I would love to cruise several times a year when I retire only. I would get tired of being around people all the time. I value my space, peace and quiet. Thanks for the tips and insight.
Same! We spend a lot of time on our private balcony reading and talking. Almost never get off the ship in port now because we’ve been to all the ports multiple times. It’s great when the ship is in port and most of the passengers leave for the day. I will always love being on the ocean though..
Recently cruised 5 weeks on three separate cruises on two different lines, 3 weeks solo. Met new, enjoyable people on each cruise to hang with or not, and would like to figure out how to afford a lot more cruising on a solo budget, as I also need my own space.
The disconnect from my family and friends, especially my grandchild would be the biggest con for me. I would prefer living simpler on land and cruising often in my retirement than cruising full time.
Earlier this year we were on a 23 day transatlantic cruise on a 1,200 passenger ship, and it was amazing. If we ever decided to live on a ship, it would only be for part of the year. Then we would get a furnished rental city apartment near public transit for 3 to 6 months before getting back on another ship.
@@markb8954 We were on Oceania Riviera on a 23 day transatlantic cruise from Miami to Venice, Italy. Nine countries including Bermuda, Spain, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Greece and Italy.
11/6/23...These ppl obviously have "deep pockets" but seem to BRAG about "ship living" 🚢 then turn around + COMPLAIN about "TV shows + same food". It's ALMOST like they CAN'T DECIDE if it's good or bad --- BOOOORING COUPLE OF COMPLAINERS TRYING TO BS US!
@@eileeneclark9011this video may not be for you but for those of us who can afford it, it is interesting. I have a long time before retiring but these options are interesting.
@@eileeneclark9011 I understand it may sound like bragging, but to others it helps identify issue we might have overlooked (pluses or minuses). I had a colleague at work who’s parents did it. The cruise lines (agents) got to know them and gave them exceptional last minute deals.
You still have to build a life - what are you going to do all day? What creates meaning and purpose? Not having to hang Christmas decorations or mow isn't a life goal.
This was my concern. If you’re living this way, what do you do with your time? I suppose it would be great if you were writing a book. The only thing I can think that might make it worthwhile would be to be part of a service organization helping people either onboard or in port. Otherwise, I’m afraid it would quickly become boring and self-centered.
That's what I thought. I'd rather go to a traditional retirement home that was near a port, because I could build connections with the people who live in my retirement community, and my family could come visit but I could still travel frequently. I also wondered if they had kids, because I know I'd have been upset if my parents did this when they retired and I didn't have an easy way to keep in contact. I'd probably try to coordinate and book a stay on the same cruise they were on sometimes, but with the lack of connectivity that could get tricky. Sure, you get to meet a lot of people, but when you can't keep in contact with them what good is it?
I know. I got confused on that one. Most people use the same decorations every year and make a few new purchases every year. I always bought Christmas decorations that were on sale after Christmas every year. 6:29
My mother was on the QE2 and QM2 for about 10 years. There were a number of problems we needed to deal with: where does your mail go? who handles income tax submissions? How to handle medical checkups and drug refills? What about getting Visas for the world cruise? My brother and I split some of the on-shore tasks, but some things (like in-person Visa applications) were tricky.
Most people who “live” on a ship come off or for a few weeks to do doctor, dental appointments (assuming no major health issues), and file taxes, visit with family or friends. Was no different when I lived overseas as I didn’t cut ties with Canada and still have to come home annually to do these things. Not hard, just takes planning.
Mail: get a PO box where you or your family is based. Taxes: get an accountant to do it, stay in touch via email/calls. Medical checkups: pick a location where your doctor or specialist is at, book cluster appointments well in advance with them so you can do an annual checkup on multiple things in one go (dental, blood tests, scans etc). Visas: get a reputable travel agent who booked your cruises to organise the visas. With the above tips, make sure you have internet access to get updates. Also let the medical staff know when you book the appointments that you'll be full time cruising so any appointment changes needs to be emailed to you (since you can't receive calls/SMS while at sea)
@@zoeydeu2261 Yes, these are all work arounds...BUT - I love my pets and enjoy them. Can't take them on a cruise. - I love doing things with my friends, that I choose to do - I enjoy how going out with friends, and eating meals that I choose, whether I cook or not. - I would not want to be stuck with a bunch of people whose company I did not enjoy. Yes, you might make great friends, but the other side of it is being stuck with people who you do not enjoy being around. That is ok for a short term cruise, but not a retirement situation. - For anyone with health problems (and seniors would most likely have some), it would be a problem to see your Dr. regularly, or to get help in a medical emergency. Also, on a cruise any viral or bacterial outbreak will spread quickly. You wouldn't have the option of 'staying home' and avoiding the outbreak until it's over. - Crime. It does occur on a cruise. Your options are limited, and it can get complicated if you are a victim in 'open waters' or questionable jurisdictions. Obviously, I am not t a fan of cruises. I would never consider a retirement of constantly cruising. I know too many people who 'cruised' and were very disappointed.
@@Natali-vo5vr Any passenger cruising on those elite ships for ten years would surely have an accountant/lawyer to handle EVERYTHING.The only excuse for the problems that include tax submissions(?) would be if the mother was simply a paid worker on those ships.
Thanks for your great & honest review. My husband & I sold our home & belongings in 2018 & traveled the USA for 4 years. Loved it! Due to health reasons, we moved into our mortgage-free rental home. Looks like 1 area you save on a cruise ship: between cooking a lot & eating out now & then, it is not unusual for us to spend $900 - $1,000 per month on groceries, including household goods (toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc.).
- agree 100% about the food - even on the 17 - 18 night cruises the food gets old quickly. SOLUTION: is to choose a "premiere" class ship which is known for its food. - disconnected from the internet: i think this is actually a good thing. to tune out and observe the world. you may never be there again. - photograph the port of call and vlog it later. at sea days affords you that. - think of how in the olden days - you would write a letter on a ship and post it at the next port of call - and that is how one communicated with friends and family. they would receive your letter several weeks later. in that letter - you might state a time you will call at your next convenient landfall. and they will wait at the other end for you to call and the family would gather to exchange news. this is a good thing. to allow the body rest from the excessive stimulation and advertising bombardment of the internet, cell phones and mass communication. - yes - the ships have internet for a fee - but it's not worth the price because it's sketchy, except a couple of lines. but it's very pricey. - instead of worrying and getting your knickers in a knot because the internet doesn't work in the middle of the high seas - it's best to communicate when you get to land. - a cruise is NOT living on land, one must accept that it will be different and that YOU must adapt habits if you want to enjoy going from one continent to the next on a giant boat! one must revert to creating their own entertainment the excludes outside sources like televisions and internet. - the ship provides live entertainment. it's excellent, varied and daily. there are movies and board games, chess, trivia game meets, shovelboard, dancing, stretching, exercise, yoga and power aerobic hours, language classes and all manner of other lectures and "how to" classes, along with crosswords and sudoku provided daily. and of course they're gambling and a vibrant club scene with all genres of live music! but we don't have to be connected! we just have to change the way we do things. it's like living on an island. and there's something rather exciting waiting for the next port of call to find out the news of the world, if one goes with the world while at sea. perhaps this would be a good time change the way we entertain ourselves. perhaps return to reading? catch up on all the books you've wanted to read over the years but have been too busy to get to. perhaps learn to play that instrument you always wanted to figure out how to play but life too you down another path? or perhaps become an amateur botanist and keep a detail diary of all the natural phenomena along the way - the flora the fauna the skies. FOOD: yes - i must agree about the food. but i think one might be able to adjust and learn to eat what's local at the different ports of call around the world. i find food interesting. i always take an electric kettle with me wherever i go in the world and pur water jug. i NEVER leave home without that! - travel should be about exploring what's around you and leaving home behind for a spell. you may never be in that part of the world again. - but to each his own, as they say. i don't know we would "live" on a cruise ship for ever, but agree that's there's no more civilized and elegant way of travelling that by giant liner. we prefer the longer cruises though. the not having to pack and unpack. we like the days at sea are for exploring the ship which provides variety. we are family and like that the longer cruises are family too.
These ppl make money off of RU-vid and other Internet driven businesses so for them they definitely need the Internet. But yes I agree it's nice to do without it if it's not part of your income
My wife and I have been cruising for 12 years. Total of 320 cruises for 2100 days at sea. We are in the process of selling our five-bedroom house. Right now, cruising is a bit crazy. Many first-time cruisers are on the ships. Prices are sky high, cruise liners are charging for everything. We still would rather be on a ship any day.
I've spent most of this year living on cruise ships, and I'm now not sure if I would like to LIVE on there - the constant tannoy announcements are beginning to really annoy me - I haven't had a lie-in in SO long! Haha. Great to see an honest overview from you guys on this topic!
I think selling everything is short sighted because you will get old. I am an expat but I have a home that I keep rented out. I will move into it when I am tired of being an expat.
The constant announcements at all hours of the day is maddening. Try Virgin. Was on for a week and only three announcements total. Two had to do with the muster drill in day one. One was an emergency announcement that came into our cabins early morning about a fire in a restaurant. That’s it. They never announce when they are at a port or anything. Virgin feels like you have hired the ship for you and 2000 others.
@@Creative-ChaosThen it will need remodelling after being rented for so long. The old house will no longer suit your needs either. Better to sell it before it’s wrecked, invest your money, then buy or rent something more suitable when the time comes.
@@missmayflower We disagree. Perhaps it depends on where the property is, but the return on investment has made it very much worthwhile keeping the place and renting it out. This might be location specific or perhaps we have different rent tolerances. I like having money both in the stock market as well as real estate.
I'm 48, sad to say I made terrible money decisions growing up which I'm presently paying for, been dedicating every waking hour towards my retirement and I'd really love to retire to Portugal with at least $3million by, the market up and down is not helping at all.
Strategic investment is important. My ideal investment is a varied portfolio that includes stocks, bonds, and ETFs. It gives excellent long-term return and has performed admirably thus far, with the assistance of an asset manager on the side. 10xing my portfolio in a few years does not seem too far-fetched to me.
I’m 50, in the same boat as you. Made very bad money decisions in my 20s and 30s. My father died in 2022, and he gave me an inheritance that I can invest for retirement. That is my saving grace, that inheritance. Without it I’d be working until I’m 80. If you think about it, 96% of the world population will never see a lot of money in their lifetime and will always struggle. Things like inheritance, lottery, selling a home, are the only ways to get a tiny bit ahead.
I spent 2 1/2 months on a ship across the islands of the Pacific Ocean (65 days). I was board stiff. I had limited funds so I couldn’t go on every shore tour. I didn’t want formal dining every night and standing in line for all other meals was a drag. I’m not a people person so daily talking to strangers and non strangers was tedious. The Islands were pretty much the same. Poor people with limited resources was sad to see. Everything costs extra, alcoholic and soda drinks, massages, fancy food restaurants, diving, tours, taxis, etc. Limited time at ports doesn’t give you enough time to know the place.
OMG you sound so sad ... why did you even bother going. I have spent a lot of time with people living in the South Pacific Islands are some of the happiest people in the world.
@@gavsintasmaina you didn’t go to the Fiji coconut processing plant. I am not sad. It was an enlightening experience. You must be sad yourself to Troll people.
In my youth I was "musical director" and "jazz pianist" on cruise ships. It was fun for about 6 months. Like you said, it gets old quick. I'm surprised you didn't speak of cruise ships rituals, "safety drills" , line ups and so on. It still makes me cringe. And depending on the cabin you get, it can feel like the walls are closing in on you. I met my wife after I did my cruising gigs and told her I never want to be on a ship again hehe. So she's never been. But I was interested in your experiment. I love yachts, super yachts and boating, but just not cruise ships. I couldn't do it. Thanks for sharing your experiment. I found it interesting.
Also no car payment, no car and home insurance, no lawn maitanance, no property taxex , no grocery shopping . no traven and enterntaining extra cost , no electricity and gas , water fees, duty free shopping nothing , nohoe or car repairs , Negative is what happens if you get sick and need to go to ER or a specialist Dr?
I am the Brand Ambassador for one of the new affordable Residential Cruise ships, and I SOOO appreciate your video! I will be sharing it with others who ask me what the pros and cons are. Everybody has their own, since no 2 people are the same. Your video was insightful and informative on many points. Our ship will be a former Holland America ship, we will be renovating it making it fresh and pretty, we will be keeping all the high standards one comes to expect from a HAL ship. This includes a nice variety of food options, as food is an important part of my life, and there are some cruise lines I avoid because of their food, or lack thereof. Some pros for me are only having to unpack once. Also, our shipmates are our long term neighbors, instead of an endless revolving door of strangers each week, we can actually form real friendships and lasting bonds. One thing about living on a cruise ship for 5-10 years (like I plan to do) is we will look out for each other not only onboard, but off the ship too. Many of our residents have lived or spent significant time in various ports and are willing to share all the best kept local secrets about the ports they are intimately familiar with. One thing I absolutely love about our ship is we will be spending 2, 3, sometimes 5 days or more in each port. This gives us a chance to really explore the area, travel to places a little further inland than most cruisers can when their ship in only in port for half a day. We get to enjoy the nightlife and mingle with the locals. Dance into the night to the beat of a local band in a great hole in wall that the locals love to frequent. Because we spend more time in each port, we can truly relax, sightsee without watching the clock, snorkeling without the fear of looking up and watching your ship sail off without you. Because this is where we live, we will have clubs of various interests onboard that will have excursions off the ship. We have groups for SCUBA, golfers, museum lovers, foodies, hikers, rollercoaster/amusement park enthusiast, even a group that plan to go to every Disneyland/world. We have a group that plan to go to every UNESCO site they can as we circumnavigate the world. We even have a service club that will be working with established service clubs/projects as we go to 115 countries, over 200 ports in our first 2 1/2 years of travels. I love that we offer our residents the opportunity to leave the ship over night, for an over the water bungalow in the Maldives, to 2 months at a time to go home and see family, friends, doctors, renew licenses, vote, attend weddings, etc... for every night a resident is off the ship, they only have to pay 30% of their regular nightly rent. That leaves them 70% to spend on a special hotel, or airfare back home then back to meet the ship. That 30% goes to the Cabin Steward and others who depend on tips to send home. Just about EVERYTHING is included in the monthly rent, including port fees, taxes, gratuities, high speed internet that is better than Starlink, 24-hour room service, a nice drink package that includes tap wine and draft beer. Laundry services are included, you can also choose to do your own if you want. The few things not included are spa services, most excursions, specialty dining (Residents do get a $20 per night credit in 2 of our 3 specialty dining rooms) and cocktails, spirits and specialty coffees. Monthly rent starts at just $2400 a month per person. That includes all of the above and more... for many, they will save money living onboard... no more gym fees, car and house insurance, car and house payments, no HOAs, we do all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and you still have your vacation included. And until watching your video, I hadn't thought about things like how much I spend each year in landscaping, buying plants, mulch, weeding, mowing, snow removal, bagging leaves in the fall, decorating for Halloween and Christmas, with elaborate decorations. Since the cabin we have on the ship is our home for however long our monthly lease is... most chose 37-60 months....we can decorate our cabins any way we wish (we cannot paint the walls or furniture). I personally am bringing my own bedding with quilts and throw pillows. I also will have my own shower curtain and towels. I have been weeding through all my seasonal decor and only a door hanger and some small decorations that store well in the suitcase under my bed. I plan to buy postcards in each port for my Granddaughters, and a magnet from each port for my wall. My new motto is collect memories, not things. The money I am making off of selling off everything I own, I plan to use for some REALLY AMAZING excursions! I plan to share the FUN times, and what life is all about living full time here on RU-vid. At the end of this circumnavigation, we will start again on a new itinerary in January 2027. Residents who are signed up in the Spring of 2024 will have an opportunity to vote on where they want to go for the 2027/28/29 circumnavigation. We will also have a say on how long we want to stay in each port. This is exciting because as Residents, we get a big say in how our itinerary will be. I am excited to see the whole world, to explore places I have never been before and always dreamed about going to. I am excited to invite my friends and family over 18 years old to come visit onboard for up to 2 weeks at a time. I will be meeting friends and family in ports near where they live so I can visit with them then. Already planning to take my kids and Grandchildren to Knott's Berry Farm for at least 2 days, maybe 3, when we arrive in Los Angeles in April 2025, and go to Northwoods Inn for dinner. I am so excited to for this new exciting chapter in my life starting in just 260 days!
If I ever won a big prize in a lottery, I would most definitely live aboard a ship for 1-2 years then see how it goes from there. But I see no downsides.
I am an ex-pat retired in Japan. Debt free. My cruise ship is the Japanese archipelago. Since 2020 January, almost 50 trips all over Japan. Great food, medical, and people. Good lucky on your cruises.
I went on a 7-day cruise a few years ago and by day 5, I was done. I was tired of basically being herded here and herded there and being restricted to certain times for this and that. I wanted to sleep in late but was awakened nearly every day by the steward knocking on my door. I wanted to sit by the pool without a bar attendant constantly coming by asking me to buy a drink, and I couldn't find a nice place by a window just to sit and watch the water pass by due to people constantly coming and going and stopping to ask me questions about whether or not I was enjoying my cruise. The on-ship shopping venue was horribly crowded and it was a task just to by a T-shirt, to say nothing of having the ship photographer follow me around everywhere I went wanting me to buy photos of myself. I have since purchased a nice condo on the Gulf Coast of Florida and I am much happier. I would never take another cruise even if it was for free.
I retired near Pensacola, Fl 12 years ago and love it. We took several cruises before that but there is nothing like the USA when you get older and need to have good doctors. I am a retired Periodontist and military and Pensacola is military friendly.
I hear ya. I went in one cruise because my husband wanted to. It was tacky and gross. And it wasn’t carnival. It was NCL which I guess is mid tier. If I ever go again it would be on a higher tier company but with that money I could travel somewhere else the way I like to
As a veteran of 82 cruises several things were missing. First, in retirement you really don’t want to be on the behemoth ships. Crowds become a real problem. Others have mentioned health issues. 6 years ago I took a bad fall walking around Panama and fractured my knee. Do you really want surgery done in some of these places? The ship wants to kick you off, but their is no readily available airports and Medivac is a nightmare and involves a convoluted flight pattern. Ships medical facilities are very limited with ER doctors who are busy with you and crew.
My first thought was medical. If you're talking about retirement, you're talking about growing old, right? You'll need medical services with increasing frequency, and even if you don't have any incidents or medical conditions, I can't imagine spending my late years in a situation where whoever is the ship's doctor this month is the best care you have access to. What if you need hospital care but you're three days away from the closest port in an "exotic" location?
I agree with several points that you have made, including (1) the advantages of cruise-ship travel over traditional flights and hotels; (2) the effective cost per day can be much lower with a cruise-line than with a hotel; (3) many costs at home on land are reduced and most lines on your budget would become ZERO! (4) Wonderful entertainment, housekeeping, dining experiences, and so much more variety than with airlines or hotels.
I gave consideration to this because rent is so high. I’m glad you had each other; I would be doing this by myself. I don’t require a lot, but when I want to connect to RU-vid or watch a movie, I want to be able to do that. Did you gain weight? Did you feel motivated to workout? Did you feel confident that the medical staff on board was sufficient for your needs? Did you sell everything or put it in storage? Did you bring food to your room the night before to avoid going out the next morning? I’m a loner and would be avoiding people. 😂
I just finished a 23 day back to back. I dropped 11 pounds you have to make it a way of life get up and walk for an hour and then dance for an hour at night?❤❤❤🎉🎉💃🏾💃🏾💃🏾🤸🏾♀️🍾
I've cruised for 4 months this year crossing the Atlantic etc etc... biggest issue is norovirus. It's on like every ship. Any medical issue they charge you and then you will get reimbursed. I wasn't a fan of that and the prices, are ugly
Yes I was on a recent cruise and that was an issue. Lucked out and didn't get it but caught a cold that wouldn't go away. It wasn't too bad but it was annoying.
My husband and I are going on a 20 day long cruise in the Mediterranean to see Europe from Rome. I did the math if we had to fly from Country to Country to see all we are going to see there and this came out to $100 a day for us. I’ve always wanted to see Europe so we can hit a lot of places without all the packing and unpacking. We can also find out for the future traveling where we may like to go back to and see more of, or find out if we actually saved some money because we may not like certain places. It’s an adventure I’m looking forward to. Thanks for your video and advice.
One thing a successful retiree never discloses is how they got to realize that the key to amassing wealth lies in making sound investments. I purchased my first home at the age of 21 for $87,000 and sold it for $197,000. My second home, acquired for $170,000, was later sold for $320,000, and my third property, purchased at $300,000, fetched $589,000, with buyers covering all closing costs and expenses. Not reaching a million before retirement feels like an unfulfilled goal. STAY MOTIVATED!
Doubtful logic. Every one of those incremental values was probably matched by most other houses in the market. So the so-called gain is potentially not that significant.
My grandparents bought like 6 houses in Colorado Springs in the 60's and rented them out for 40 years, then sold them in the 2000s. They made a lot of money. Still live in the same house they've lived in for almost 65 years too. Grandpa is retired Air Force, retired as E9 and gets a nice pension, but they still live like they're broke😂 I remember my Grandma going to Barnes and Noble bookstore and she would be there for hours reading the same book. I asked once - "why not buy it, it's only $20?" Her answer - "why waste the money when I can sit here and read it for free?" Shops mostly at thrift stores too. Born during the Great Depression, so they've always been that way.
I think the retiring on a cruise ship concept is nice however I think Super Mario who lives on a cruise ship does have a good point for what works for him. He keeps a "home base" that he can go to in order to do laundry, pick up mail, and do some land based activities when the ship is having its turnover day. It makes sense to me because at the home base you could keep some clothes so your wardrobe doesnt become the same 7 outfits. The home base concept also would allow to do 7 night cruises, go back to the home base and indulge in those land or home based activities like cooking, catching up with family, or other activities that you really do need/want. Of course keeping a home base does mean that your retirement costs increase because you're still maintaining a land residence and things like taxes, utilities etc still need to be paid. But having the home base definitely makes sense to me if I were to retire on a cruise ship. Just the cruise ship wouldnt be my only residence.
I totally agree. A home base takes the monotony out of living on a ship 100% of the time because you can break it up a bit with a stay at home in between. There is such a thing as TOO much of a good thing.
I was thinking about this too and Super Mario's thoughts on the subject. I also thought if you had some really good cruising friends, you could both maintain a home base and thus split the cost of it. I have a friend who was a pilot and had a home base in Spokane that he basically rented a room with a bunch of other pilots. That seemed to work well for him for years.
@@boysrus61 Definitely an option. Another one would be to rent or AirB&B your home base when you're away cruising. Of course this would mean likely needing a property manager to handle the bookings for your home base but, its an option to keep the costs down. Another thing is your home base would need to be close to wherever you want to do the majority of your cruises from. Likely Miami, Ft Lauderdale or Orlando, Orlando likely being the least expensive option, or potentially Tampa winds up close. Galveston is becoming a contender and the cost of living there isnt so bad. Just dont make your home base NYC or New Jersey or anywhere in California or Washington. Way too expensive to have a residence in those locations. I also think multiple trial runs need to be done, and not just going for distance, but checking out what cruise line will work for your retirement, and then going for duration on your trial retirement at sea. Do 30 days. Then 90 days, then 180 days, then 365 days. Once you're up to 365 days at sea, accustomed to how turnaround days work with handling your land based needs, and seeing if you get bored after a year at sea, then commit to the move of the home base (home base can be a studio apartment size. Doesnt need to be huge) and a retirement at sea.
There are no good discounts on doing 7-Day cruises as he mentioned it the price goes up quite a bit per days averages. 7 day cruises would be for the Rich rich.
@@RoxanneSumner-lg7gu Well when you book so far in advance as people who do live in cruise ships do, they can be fairly reasonable. It just depends on how you want to retire. If you're content with the caribbean or the mediterrannean, then the 7 day cruises, booked far in advance can be very good. But if you're looking to see the world, that takes a LOT of planning and a very very good travel agent to help coordinate especially if you're doing land portions to accompany the retirement at sea
I did 18 days straight in the Caribbean last January. 7 days wasn’t long enough but 18 was too much for all the cons you mentioned. There weren’t any surprises left and I started missing my friends and church family at home. It’s difficult to develop long-term friendships on a cruise ship because you have such a short time together. I also didn’t like being herded around with the giant crowds. I like more independence.
Very good assessment of living on a cruise ship. We took a 3 week cruise and the main dining room menus were the same each week. The entertainment would also get repetitive. I’d like to cruise more often but we must fly to whatever port so that keeps us home more. Besides, I’d miss my cats.😊
I'm not kidding when I say that the market crash and high inflation have me really stressed out and worried about retirement. I've been in the red for a while now and although people say these crisis has it perks, I'm losing my mind but I get it Investing is a long-term game, so focus on the long run.
I can’t focus on the long run when I should be retiring in 3years, you see I’ve got good companies in my portfolio and a good amount invested, but my profit has been stalling, does it mean this recession/unstable market doesn’t provide any calculated risk opportunities to make profit?
There are a lot of strategies to make tongue wetting profit especially in a down market, but such sophisticated trades can only be carried out by proper market experts
Definitely! All of this happened in less than a year after *STEPHANIE KOPP MEEKS* told me what to do. I started with less than $100,000, and now I'm about 18,000 short of having a quarter million dollars!
We've been on quite a few cruises, the longest was just 14 days. We in general know what are preferences are when it comes to relaxation, food, entertainment, etc. I'd think going on a world cruise, which is typically 4-6 months on one ship, would give a real impression if this life style is really for us. Of course I'd still start with a shorter cruises, maybe a month long, to try different lines. You need to find a fit when it comes to a cruise line and a ship to make sure it works for you and your life preferences before making such commitment....
I was on Princess Cruises and they had Starlink going from Seattle to Hawaii round trip. I used a VPN service and I use RU-vid TV and it worked perfectly. I could also use Netflix Hulu and other services on the ship so starlink worked perfectly for my 16 night cruise.
What a first world problem: ‘having to buy’ new holiday decorations every year - have you ever considered that you don’t need to display decorations? … all the while you spend your life on cruises, a very environmentally damaging way to spend your life …
For retirement, medical care would be my biggest concern. Sure, the ships have clinics, but presumably not much in the way of specialists or surgical centers. And limited travel insurance options aside, you probably need to get treated in the United States. That would get complicated very quickly.
What I eat is not a big deal for me, I’ll eat pretty much anything someone else fixes for me. My problem would be eating too much but you can eat a healthy diet on a ship. I would miss sports but not movies or tv. I think missing family (grandkids!) would be the dealbreaker for me. But other than that I could definitely get behind living on a cruise ship. With a balcony.
However, I disagree with all of your proffered cons or alleged negative aspects of cruise-ship living. (1) There are far more food options and variety in one day than most people will ever have at home: 3 to 4 buffers per day plus 2 to 4 dining-room experiences = 5 to 8 complimentary meals DAILY plus free room-service plus all other complimentary restaurants and self-service beverage stations throughout the ship..... (2) Unlike hotels, restaurants, airports, ferry-service, and almost any other dimensions or destinations in the whole world of travel, tourism, and hospitality, ONLY cruise-lines have 24/7 hospitals and doctors and nurses on call....(3) Being temporarily disconnected from news-channels, from social-media notifications, and from all the distractions of the online world, is a very HEALTHY thing... Most people will benefit from being away from non-stop interruption, distractions and noise. It is good for mental health. It is good for spiritual well-being also. Away from all the usual crowds, traffic, pollution, noise, stress, and trivia that tend to prevail in homes, in workplaces, and in cities, a cruise-ship living experience is a Paradise for the mind and the spirit and has all the elements for a long and healthy life (e.g., rest, healthy food, fitness-centres, spas, plenty of walking, fresh air, quiet places, opportunities for wholesome activities and social interaction, etc.)....and this is just a short list of all the benefits, all the advantages, all the opportunities, and all the cost-savings that I have proven over the past 30 years...
That's part of my retirement journey as well in the near future but up to 30 days the most on and off and I'm glad that you guys just confirmed it the pros and cons . Thank you !
Well I don’t but decorations anymore. Whatever I have on hand is what I use. When it breaks, I don’t replace it. Hopefully this style of living will prevent my kids having to clear out too much stuff once we go on to glory. Not sure if I want to retire on a cruise ship, but u would love to stay traveled during retirement.
Others mentioned it so I will too. One big con, especially for retirement aged people, is healthcare. To a certain degree it would be like living in a moving assisted living facility without healthcare.
Why are people so unhealthy? My grandparents lived into their 90s without ever needing a nursing home. My friend’s mother is 103 and still takes care of the poultry on the farm.
@@LilyGazouThe answer to that is complicated. However lifestyle, diet and environmental factors all play a part. I am glad your grandparents were so fortunate. May you also be blessed with the same great health. Most people though are not that fortunate. Elderly people deal with things like dementia, heart disease and cancer plus many more age related conditions. If they have the money the can go to an assisted living facility if necessary. Have a great day.
I’m on 21 day, in midst of transatlantic on Symphony of the seas. Internet is great, I eat to live, not live to eat, the gym, running/walking track is nice, a juice bar for Fresh squeezed juices, this is my 18th cruise so far for 2023 worldwide from: Sydney, Singapore, Japan, etc So I agree somewhat with some comments, but it depends on the ship and it’s amenities, but like everything you’ll get bored just living in the same city, but it’s up to you to make the most of what’s happening, there is lots happening on a cruise ship daily. Maybe when I’m in my 90s and have done it all, living on a cruise ship maybe the best option, than just sitting at home watching tv.
My suggestion to create a little variety, different foods, and more reliable internet, etc. would be to book some of the small ship river cruises. Usually the foods reflect the local cuisine, internet is very reliable, staff are great, with all the advantages of not having to pack up every night. An ocean cruise or two could be "broken up" with a river cruise. Most of the small ship companies also offer pre-trip and post-trip extensions to extend the length of the stay.
Long ago this was done by wealthy elderly ladies. In the 80s these folk took around the world cruises, stayed in the same room all the time. And werent forced to disembark between new sailings each year. Legendary people and to me it sounded pretty cool. But cruising has changed dramatically, and rules dont permit continuous livingbin one room for years on end.
How do you manage seasonal clothing for ships that go way north- Alaskan and Nordic cruises? It would seem to add a lot to your luggage. Winter clothing is bulky and heavy.
Not sure if I would like to completely live on a cruise ship....maybe after my husband passes...or I might pass first. I just travel solo and now and then with hubby. He doesn't enjoy cruising as much as I do. Next year I have 9 cruises booked, 8 solo. I will be cruising a total of 84 days., After 2024 I might have a different view. I pretty much only cruise on Celebrity. I do have a crossing booked on Queen Mary 2 because for almost the same price as a 1st class air ticket, I can take a 7 dat cruise and gradually do the jet lag issue. I am going over the Europe on a transatlantic. I am also going to Australia on a transpacific. I couldn't find a cruise within my price range to return from Australia so I'll have to bite the bullet with a 1st class air ticket...maybe use mile.
I only watched this because I like you guys and the train videos you've done. I never had an interest in the cruise lifestyle. Your video "pros" didn't change my mind. But, I'm surprised you only mentioned buying holiday decorations as a downer for owning a house. For me it's the never ending repairs that need doing (or paying a good deal of money to hire people to do them). And chores like shoveling snow and raking leaves. On the other hand, I love taking the time to wander our yard and stare up into the trees which are now turning brilliant colors (late!), and watching the birds. I generally walk around the neighborhood every day and admire the change of seasons in everyone's garden. Little things, but for me, better than the glitz of the cruise ship. I think the biggest issue for me is that I'm an introvert. Having to be in close quarters with so many people constantly would drive me crazy, even taking into consideration chatting with nice, interesting people from around the world. I love being in my own home and controlling how much interaction I have with others. On the other hand (always two sides to a coin), we had a mentally disturbed person in the other half of our twin for 18 years. Then a family moved in on the other side of us who were, shall we say, dysfunctional. We spent 15 years watching the family fall apart and then leave only when their house went up for sheriff's sale. Low key stress every day; sad and frustrating to witness. Fortunately most all of our other neighbors have been nice people. I doubt you'd want to mention this, but, crime happens. It seems a cruise ship would offer you a fairly safe, worry-free environment, and no crazies living next door. Does anyone ever give you a hard time for being a mixed race couple? It's nice to see how well you guys get along.
The RU-vid interviews with Super Mario highlight the things needed for fulltime cruising. He cruises solo on an inside cabin, something that likely doesn't work for a couple. He emphasizes the need for a home base ashore.
We do about 90 days a year cruising. This is broken up in three to four weeks at a time. We tried out first 29-day trip on Viking, and, while we loved the entire experience. After about day 25 we wanted to get home. So, for us about 30 days is our max.
I have done a 30 day and 60 day cruise ans loved them. Had to use medical services on both and was great. If i could afford it, i'd be there. I did meet one lady who had lived on ships for over 20 years and she was not about to change.
The unhealthy food is not good for anyone, and even worse for aging people. The food itself is likely to make an older person sick after eating it for a long time, and they'd have to give up cruising. Another thing is some expenses of living in a home are optional. If I'm careful with my expenses I spend $1300 - $1500 a month (home and auto insurance, property taxes, utilities, and food). Home maintenance is probably $350 a month if I broke it down into months. I didn't include health insurance, because I would not go without that even if I cruised FT. Owning and living in a home is less than cruising, and I own an appreciating asset.
Thanks for this insightful video. I thought my dream would be to live on a cruise ship year round. I spent 30 days on one ship and got tired of the same alternating itinerary and the same food. I think changing ships would help with that monotony but be more of a problem for me than not. I have friends who have cruised from country to country and in between did some land travel around the world, which you mentioned definitely appeals more to me.
We live in Florida. I was thinking of spending summers here on land and renting out our house to snowbirds for winters. We have to wait for our 12 year old dog to pass before we can try it though.
Why wait, life is so short. Just a bit of encouragement to live your best life to the fullest. Having minor children or elderly parents, or even grandchildren, would be the only reason we would not. Best wishes to you
I totally understand the dog. My Simone is 15 years old so my cruises are about 2 a year no more than 7 days and 2 resorts for 5 to 7 days. I don't like to board her for long periods of time. My vacations are about every 3 to 4 months apart. Live your best life while also taking care of that furbaby.
@letskeepitreal601 "Why wait"??? Did you understand they have a furbaby they've raised and cared for and loved for 12 years that's part of their family? What are you suggesting?
LOL - This sounds awful to me. So much more to life than just floating around on the water. Cruises are FINE, but NO WAY in the WORLD I would want to live that way. I don't need a staff. I love to cook, don't mind cleaning. And please - I want WAY MORE entertainment than just the options they choose. Hiking. Biking. Baseball games. Football games. I need terra firma. All that life has to offer. YUCK to this- but to each his own for sure. $5,000.00 a month is cheap , but that is a cheap, awful quality of life if you ask me. And SO UNHEALTHY as relates to eating!!!! Thank you for sharing and your insights though!!
We recently finished 41 days on Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas. We were very happy except for the food. Royal Caribbean food quality has suffered since Covid.
Why would anyone even consider "traveling" on one of these Disney-world wannabes ? Everything look so tacky, ordinary and crowded . Please, don't take offense but I believe only "Americans" (people from USA) like this kind of vulgar and tasteless way to vacation. And they really believe they are "traveling" and going places!
We are booked to do two back-to-back cruises. One is 14 days and the next one is 15 days. This will be the test to see if we can deal with it. I am thinking that between my health checkups and living close to our family that spending a lot of time in a cruise ship is just a dream. Thanks for sharing!
We travel full-time-now in our 4th year, we spent 50-60 days annually on a ship in 2022 and 2023. We will cruise rather than fly across oceans when we can. In 2024, we will spend over half of year on ships, 208 days! Largely due to a deferred world cruise originally scheduled in 2021. Because I’m a blackjack player, all but the World Cruise are comped (e.g. our only expenses will be what I gamble, taxes, port fees and excursions). I set my gambling budget at what I would have paid for the cruise (I have yet to lose that entire budget and sometimes, I end up ahead). All the cruises include gratuities and drinks. We are on Carnival Splendor for 16 days, Carnival Panorama for 25, Royal Princess for 9 and the remainder on 4 different cruises on Coral Princess. Our longest cruise so far was 31 days but we are people who never get bored. My husband brings his watercolors. I have a I-pad full of books and will download a lot of movies and shows. We also go the gym 3 times a week and walk the decks, weather permitting, on the other days. We also enjoy classical music and trivia. I love to cook but I don’t think I’ll miss it! Just like slow-madding, we don’t treat cruises like vacations, we establish routines. But, no, as much as we love cruising, the idea of retiring on a cruise-ship is not in our consideration set for many of the reasons you discussed!
Why would you want to live like this? All those buffets, urine filled swimming pools, gaudy decor, living in a bedroom, healthcare, being in a non democratic environment, definitely not for me…bye ☮️
It is a nice thought to retire on a cruise ship. However, what happened to the people who did, sold their residences, etc and then Covid struck and they all had to leave.. something to consider..
You didn’t even touch on spending retirement in a 150sqf space with a spouse 365 days/year,or how about health care? What tipping is expected if your on a cruise ship ?
I've taken a few cruises over the years, the longest was 7 days. I found that too long and got bored. Now retired, I prefer living on my acreage, where there is plenty to do, and I like having family/friends around me. Since I have no debt, expenses are not an issue.
You keep contradicting yourself. You say you don't have the issue of packing and unpacking but you're taking different cruises.? What you're spending per night now is money gone forever. Investing in your home builds big cash returns. What is the return on investment living this way? How could you control future cost? Price goes up every month possibly. This would be a bad choice for anyone who is not very wealthy.
The way I see it the travel is a tax deduction for a business. So that’s the investment. And all the money saved from downsizing can also be invested. A win win in my books! They did say the packing and unpacking going from ship to ship is not the same as having to pack for each trip with some time in between. And I can see that. I spent 4 weeks on a ship and one of those was in a different cabin so I had to repack all of my stuff but it still wasn’t the same as the initial packing.
I believe their point was it saves money on the incidentals, like decorating for holidays, or landscaping, the cost or mowing, and HOA fees, which do not add value to your property.
Hello, great points but no one has answered my question. What is the return on investment living on a cruise ship? Property value almost 99% of the time is a 50-60% gain on your money. Cruising is money spent zero return so unless you have a endless supply it will run out. Then what?@@iluvcruising
They probably sold their home at all time highs in the housing market. Congrats to them! They can wait out the looming house crash and get a great deal when they are ready to buy a house again.
So basically you just meander around and don’t have a purposeful life. You just worry about what restaurants you’ll eat at? I would be bored out of my skull !
Great video. We thought about it from time to time but won’t do it. Medical is the main drawback. You can’t receive good medical care or dental care on a cruise ship. The other problem s family. You are disconnected from grandkids etc
Sure but how often are you doing either of those things that you can't get a dental or doctor appointment during a couple of weeks out of the year. Any port could have dentist, optometrist or medical care
I must be out of touch but decorations for a house doesn’t even make my list of concern when it comes to cost of living. We’ve got a few pieces in the loft and we bring them down each year, problem solved. Not compelled to keep up appearances and compete with the neighbours, maybe the US is like that but not in the UK in the area I live in.
That was a very informative vlog. That seems to be the first question of a longtime, frequent cruiser thinks about. Could I do this full-time? There are so many options and things to deal with. One thing you missed, (or I missed) was family. It is one thing to retire to Florida away from the family and grandkids, and another to be in Thailand when your daughter gets married. I agree with you on the boredom of the MDR after a long cruise. Case in point...we took a Celebrity back-to-back cruise over Christmas and New Year's 16 nights. After the first eight nights we were so bored with the nightly menu, we actually skipped some meals, (which is a lot to say about me!) Again, good vlog.
Very informative video. Very polite presentation. Thank you for not using your hands all over the place. Your presentation was calm, believable and came across as very sincere. You both look marvelous on screen. You interact with each other very well, making it easy to understand what you are saying is totally believable. You did not have to make this video. Thank you for doing so. Enjoyed watching it very much. You were guests in my home tonight as I watched you on TV. Thank you for coming over to visit. It was very nice to meet you.
I love the idea of not having to worry about storing holiday decorations and dealing with the home garden. (You mention this near the 3:00 mark.) But I found that at holiday time, we still took along stuff for the holidays. It was significantly less, but bring it up for the people who might miss that. Ships do a LOT of things for the holidays though, so you don't need as much
We have our own boat and go away for months, but we do get homesick and have to go home instantly. Can’t explain the feeling. This is not possible on a cruise ship. Do think of this aspect before deciding.
What is your plan though when you get to the age you can no longer physically or safely travel if you no longer have a home or home base to go back to?
We gave this some thought, but the dealbreaker for the wife is that she would not be able to bring her cats. I like the idea of switching cruise ships and going for additional days at seaas you build up your tolerance.
I didn't hear you mention laundry. Do the ships offer a laundry service, or do you do your own in the coin-operated area, or what? And how does that go?
