Could you live on a cruise ship?

I think I would put on sooo much weight! I like to eat when I am hungry, not at set times.

But I think I could enjoy for a month or 2 visiting new places

The problem is that there are so many different types of cruises, but, judging by reponses here, including my own, we are all giving our views on cruises in big ships with lots of entertainment and facilities.

But when I think about it, I have actually been on 4 cruises but each totally different from the other. The first was on the Nile, and the ship was pure Agatha Christie, built during WW1 with about 30 cabins. Then we went on a winter cruise up the Norwegian coast and into the Arctic circle. The Hurtigtuten ships were still effectively ferries with cabins like glorified Brittany Ferrries cabins, no entertainment or leisure facilities except lounges with huge windows and all meals were at a fixed time but all buffet, so we could eat as much as we wanted of really good freshly prepared and cooked food. Then there was the classic cruiser which was definitely my least favourite. Then we did a German rivers cruise, entirely different again. Mooring up in the centres of towns and having all day to explore them on our own or with a tour.

The question, however, was about living your life on a cruiser, and to be fair, you would not live permanently on a river cruiser, Nile or Rhine, or even a cruiser going up and down the Norwegian coast, week after week,

I wouldn’t go on one for a holiday so can’t imagine the horror of being on one permanently

Absolutely not. My idea of a nightmare. Being stuck on a ship with the same set of people forever...No way Jose. Cruise ships are environmentally unfriendly, being huge, and docking at ports like Venice, with sudden influx of 000s of cruise ship passengers eroding the ambiance and charm, and previous experience of visiting so many lovely ports. So, on so many levels, not for me. (I am reminded of people I have met who semi? permanently live in hotels abroad, for 1/2, or all the year, by renting out their homes.) Alright for some maybe.

Kitty55,
You'll get more responses if you start a new thread, I'm sure.

I've heard good things about IKEA kitchens, but have not had one.

Has anyone had an IKEA kitchen. If so what do you rate it. I’ve been looking for a while now and can’t believe some of the costs.

I am a serial cruiser - 30+ so far. However my limit is two weeks. I get bored with on board entertainment etc. I love no housework or cooking, but miss being able to grab a cup of tea of a snack without a trek to the buffet.

Don’t think the cats would be impressed.

You are allowed to get off the ship !!!! At Ports of Calls ... lots of trees on land ...

Couldn’t think of anything worse,but I have only been on a cruise once,they are not for me.

I believe there was a Lady who spent years on the old QE2... She sailed with them all the time it was her "home". No idea what happened to her once it was paid off?

I personally met a lovely older man who constantly cruised, he told me he had no family, wife passed away, no children or siblings just a few friends. He said his estate will just go to Charity as he didn't have anyone to leave it too, so he was going to spend most of it, but I remember he said he wasn't ready to go to a Care home.
He was fed, entertainmented, people to talk to,. All his needs completely looked after.
He did had a home base but he said he was there only a few weeks a year.
It is cheaper than a 5* Care home and more fun.

One thing about cruises is they can take you to some very, very remote and uninhabited islands in the Pacific. I love that and we always walk a couple of kms or so and get a nice little cove all to ourselves. Most just seem to hang around the nearest beach in view of the ship. Lovely memories of palm trees, calm seas and beautiful fish, turtles etc. I suppose if you were permanently onboard you might take that for granted but we haven’t reached that stage !

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. 😂

GrandMattie - No - Prescott didn't say "terracotta" as a malapropism for "terra firma". That was Del Boy. The Daily Mail had to apologise way back in 2014 for this but the damage was done - a bit like Marie Antoinette and the cake story.

Its never appealed to me but I guess at first it would be good. To me living in a cabin would be like a studio flat. Surely though these ships go on a loop? So every few weeks or so the food would be the same, then the entertainment and the destinations? At least at home even though its a communal garden its lovely to sit out, my neighbours are lovely plus all the dogs have a ball together. Nice as it is to have luxury shops, pools, etc it would surely get boring after a long time?

I remember, from quite a few years ago, a report of an old lady who lived entirely on a cruise ship. When asked she said that the cost of living on-board was cheaper than a retirement home and she got to meet interesting people all the time. Maybe a similar, but better, solution would be to sell up and put the proceeds in a savings account. Having got rid of all the stuff you don't need then just rent a nice suite in in a hotel and you've got your accommodation, mixture of people coming and going and you're not stuck on board a ship until you get to dry land.

No, never ..

I wish there was a like button.

I heard a woman talking about it years ago on radio 4 - it was cheaper than a private care home, a Dr was on call, there were classes, dances, shows, a library, familiar staff, new people to chat to, interesting places to visit. She visited family a couple of times a year - Christmas etc - and could keep in touch with everyone she wanted to easily at all times. I thought it sounded great if you have the money, Similarly some people live in a hotel, rather than own a flat etc.

Not for me. I’m claustrophobic. I have to know I can get out or off in a certain time period. My absolute maximum for a plane flight is 4 hours but more comfortable with 2-3 hours.

I have done 1 cruise and it was fabulous but surely to live on a cruise ship would be great to start with but it must get monotonous all the time. I think I would miss my dog and everyday routine

I wouldn't mind it, but can think of things i would rather spend my money on.
I can see why it appeals to others though.

But references to it as an alternative to a care home seem a bit naive to me. My mum has had to go into a care home within the last year, and although she is in many ways one of the more 'able' in the home, there is absolutely no way she could cope on a cruise ship. People going in care homes generally seem to need some level of proper personal care, and i can't see how that possibly could be catered for on a cruise ship. But for people not quite at that stage, but considering some type of retirement home, where they will need no longer have to cook or clean, I can see how it might appeal.

I once went on a boat trip to Santorini’s which lasted hours and it drove me up the wall. I could probably go to something like a silent retreat for a while or live on a remote farm in the middle of nowhere but the thought of being stuck on a ship makes me feel claustrophobic.

I’m with you WithNobsOnIt.
I like to be on terra firma .

Stansgran

Goodness that was long and no paragraphs.

Ha! I usually scroll past if there are no paragraphs as it looks too overwhelming to read. But I did read and enjoy yours and in fairness you did manage one paragraph.

I am correct when thinking who may have started this thread! You don’t need a cruise Nana with the beautiful Queensland coast
This afternoon I have been looking up cruises again from Sydney as you also mentioned, the ship we both took at the beginning of this year but on different voyages was a fantastic ship.
However, although I have found the flight would not be that different from my last January flight to NZ. However, the cruises have gone sky high. Shame as it did give me a rest between the long flights.
The only other cruise I took was with my late husband when we took a three week trip to the Caribbean during the Christmas period, so that was also great.