Posted on 12/23/2022 4:26:23 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT
“It’s just like owning a condo,” Wells told CNBC of the whopping $300,000 he paid for a 12-year lease for one of the ship’s 237-square-foot studios. “I’m going from this model where you want to go somewhere, you pack a bag, you get on a flight, you rent a room, to now my condo, my gym, my doctors and dentists, all of my grocery stores travel the world with me.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I know several elderly people in need of assisted living who did this.
It was cheaper to rent long term on a cruise ship than a decent retirement home.
Three meals, plus snacks, plus a bit of booze, plus decent entertainment, housekeeping, seeing a fair bit of the world, all with a doctor etc on board.
It’s not what I would choose - I want an apartment (on land) near the library, my church, and a bar - but maybe it will work out well for this guy.
A lot of the new work force will work remote, they don't need "roots" in one location. They want the flexibility to pick up and go whenever they want. Homeownership puts massive restrictions on that. Actually an appealing way to live if it fits your lifestyle.
Seems pretty alright. I’ve often joked that cruise ships are the ultimate retirement home. Doctor on site, exercise stuff, event coordinators... and rum drinks. And it’s the rum drinks that put it over the top. So if he can afford to live retirement + rum drinks style I say good for him.
With food included it is a great deal.
Someone pointed out he’s likely writing it off as a business expense. Which is actually a great idea. Do a travel blog and vlog and write it all off as cost of business.
If you were 25 or able to retire early at say 55 it’d be a fun few years. Ten would be a bit long. Wonder if they allow subleasing. Also, how do they deal with guests?
Yeah, not so much:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfside_condominium_collapse
Except I got paid to stay there for four years.
And mine was painted haze grey on the outside.
And it had five inch cannons and two CIWS platforms as well as a couple of RAM launchers.
Not to mention the sweet swimming pool at the stern.
All in all, fun times!
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I imagine your “studio” onboard was something a bit smaller than 237 sq. feet. ;-)
Monthly costs - $2100 a month rental..
Pros
No food cost, No no heating, coolingr electrical, Wi-Fi bills. No building upkeep or condo fees, no yard maintenance fees. Lots of options for food, drink, exercise (gym, pool, etc) no fuel costs while on board. Opportunity to travel in port cities.
Cons. Tips, Bar costs, cramped housing, friendships, etc.
Yeah, I exaggerated a little.
It’s been about 12 years since I took a cruise. That one was a discount cruise, so relatively cheap (and it was a balcony room). But then they would almost not let us off the boat until we paid, what I considered to be, an exorbitant service charge for tips. It was not just for the room service, it was also or the wait staff. At the time, I remember it being almost a 50% surcharge, but I’d have to go look it up. It was big enough that my jaw dropped. The cruise line was Norweigan.
They want everything on a “subscription” basis. Pay for by month by usage. It is the new business model.
My own experience with a cruise is that its a nice vacation, but it gets old fast. My longest cruise was 14 days and I was more than ready to get off after 10.
I’d also never buy a vacation home or, even worse, a timeshare. It’s like an anchor that ties you to going back to the same place year after year. Some people might like that, but I’m not one of them.
That’s cool.
Yeah, my first cruise was an indoor “studio” with no windows. It felt like living in a box and it had an odor. Plus, the people in the adjoining rooms had no problem making noise at all hours. Never again. After that, balacony rooms were mandatory. Its more room, a nice view, fresh air and a better class of riff-raff for neighbors.
I have 3 kids, and 3 grandkids, very likely there aren't any more for at least the next several years. They all live within 30 minutes of me, which rules out my thoughts of moving to the Hill Country from North Texas.
My life has changed enormously in the past few months. Instead of staying retired, I'm working at a large real estate company, extra money to put aside for grandkids' college education. It's good for my brain, extremely challenging work.
Getting back on topic, I've been on one cruise, when I got married. Water was a bit choppy, half the people got seasick, including my wife. I spent the night of my honeymoon playing blackjack in the casino...lol.
We seriously considered retiring on cruise ships a few years ago. Much cheaper than a scamming independent living retirement facility.
But the musicians and staff live in the bowels of the ship. Totally different from having a nice cabin.
Not so sure if its a great idea with 88,000 new IRS agents on the prowl.
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