Grandparents book 51 back-to-back cruises, says it's cheaper than retirement home
Imagine spending your retirement lounging and sipping cocktails on the high seas.
That’s what one retired couple from Australia is doing, booking 51 back-to-back cruises ā and they say it’s cheaper than living in a retirement home.
Marty and Jess Ansen shared their blissful lifestyle in a recent interview with Australian news show A Current Affair.
The great-grandparents stepped foot on the first of many cruises in June last year and have racked up around 455 days on board the Coral Princess, operated by Princess Cruises.
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“It’s a lifestyle,” Jess told the show. “Where else can you go? You go for dinner; you go to a show; you go dancing. Through the day, you have all these activities, and I love the hula dancing and the ballroom dancing.”
It’s certainly a stress-free life with all of their meals taken care of and room cleaned daily. Marty joked that that might be the downside to living life on the open seas.
“Now we don’t know how to wash up anymore; we don’t know how to make a bed,” he said with a laugh. “Of course, we haven’t done it for so long; now we’ve got to stay on board just to stay alive.”
Marty and Jess aren’t the only ones who have turned to this lifestyle.
People of all ages are choosing to live full-time aboard a cruise ship. One 28-year-old even spent US$300,000 on a 12-year lease for an entry-level studio on a cruise ship.
Although it’s an unorthodox alternative to a home, more and more might be turning to it because of how expensive housing has become.
While the average national home priceĀ dipped slightly to $650,140Ā in August, Canada has been experiencing a housing crisis for a while, and a recent report says it willĀ take years to restore affordabilityĀ in the country.
In terms of retirement,Ā one Canadian guide to retirement living says that most residents of retirement communities pay monthly rent that ranges from $1,600 to $6,270 (and higher) on average.
The Ansons think cruise living is worth it. They toldĀ People they ādonāt have to worry about paying for rent or a mortgage, getting groceries or doing your laundry.ā
“Weāre not young people,” they added. “Cruising is much cheaper than going to a nursing home and means we can continue to travel the world.ā
And travel the world they will, with about eight more months on board the Coral Princess and then another year on the Crown Princess.
When asked if they missed their family, Jess answered simply, “No.”
“They’re busy. You know, I talked to them. I emailed them; they email us. They’re busy people. And we’re at a stage of our lives where we just want to enjoy ourselves,” she said.