Can’t they just dock the boats at various ports and rent out the rooms for people to live in? Like an enormous apartment complex? At least they can get some of their money back that way.
The problem with your cruise suggestion is it will likely cost too much money. If you convert a cruise ship into an apartment complex, you have to acquire parking spaces, electrical hookups, and build a new dock capable of handling the vessel for a permeant mooring. If it is in hurricane territory, the concept is a non-starter..