If you have dreamed about living on a cruise ship, this video is for you. We break down all the options and hidden fees to get at the REAL cost of living on a cruise ship.
How Much Does it Cost to Live on a Cruise Ship 0:00 Introduction 0:58 Booking Back-to-Back Cruises 3:03 Picking the Right Cruise Ship 4:06 Selecting The Right Stateroom 5:43 Additional Port Taxes and Fees 6:30 Daily Service Charges 7:16 Internet 8:23 Budgeting for Additional Costs 9:28 A World Cruise 10:30 Residential Cruise Ships 12:26 Semester at Sea
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIVE ON A CRUISE SHIP When most individuals think about living on a cruise ship full time, odds are they are thinking about cruisers like Super Mario. He has been living on Royal Caribbean Cruise ships for over 20 years. To do this, he strings back-to-back cruises together, staying on the same ship for months.
If this is your plan for living on a cruise ship, you should contact the cruise line. With this arrangement, you will quickly reach the cruise line's highest loyalty program tier. Depending on the cruise line, this can entitle you to perks like free drinks, internet, laundry services, or other benefits.
These benefits can significantly reduce the overall cost of living on a cruise ship. Once you pick the cruise line, you need to pick a stateroom category. The cheapest stateroom category will be an inside stateroom. Picking this type of cabin will seriously reduce the cost of living on a cruise ship.
Beware of the single supplement. This is a charge given to cruisers sailing solo. If you don't strike a deal with the cruise line, you might have to pay double for your cruise fare. Depending on the stateroom category, the cruise fare will likely range from $125 to $175 a person or 250 to 350 a night for a cabin. This is based on sailing year-round in the Caribbean.
Thus, cruise fares alone can vary anywhere from $90,000 to $over $127,000 for a cabin per year.
When calculating the cost of living on a cruise ship full-time, you must remember several additional amenities. There are the daily gratuities, which are about $15 dollars a person per day. Odds are you will want WIFI access while onboard. Then there is additional spending money for experiences like tours and excursions, specialty dining, or spa services.
All of these add-ons will quickly increase the cost of living on a cruise ship for a year by tens of thousands of dollars.
Luckily, one benefit of living on a cruise ship is that most meals, non-alcoholic beverages, entertainment, and activities are covered in the cruise fare.
When adding all of the different budget items, we estimate that stringing back-to-back cruises will most likely cost around $125,000 to over $160,000 a year.
But this is not the only option. Cruisers can also book a world cruise. These cruises often last 3-6 months in length. Here you can visit multiple places over the span and have the same cabin. The benefit is you are surrounded by like-minded travelers.
Or, if you have the means, there are residential cruise ships. These function like a condo where you purchase a cabin on a ship. Currently, the World is the only residential cruise ship. Cabins here cost between 1 million to 8 million to owe, plus yearly dues. A second ship, the MS Narrative, is set to debut in 2026, cove cabins at similar price points. While these are perhaps the easiest options for living on a cruise ship, they have a hefty price tag.
Some promotional videos courtesy of Celebrity Cruises Royalty-Free Music Courtesy: https://www.epidemicsound.com/ #cruise #costlivingonacruise #eatsleepcruise
