{"id":246603,"date":"2025-03-20T14:23:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T18:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/?p=246603"},"modified":"2025-03-20T14:32:06","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T18:32:06","slug":"the-hidden-truth-about-retiring-on-a-cruise-ship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/the-hidden-truth-about-retiring-on-a-cruise-ship\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hidden Truth About Retiring on a Cruise Ship"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rumors have long circulated that retiring on a cruise ship is less expensive than moving to an independent or assisted living community. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The buzz reignites every few years when media outlets come across older adults who\u2019ve chosen this lifestyle and feature these senior cruisers in a story. It sounds adventurous and exciting.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While cruising through retirement has some obvious benefits, such as extensive travel opportunities and the promise of delicious foods at every meal, there are also some disadvantages that aren\u2019t often discussed\u2014most of which can seriously impact an older adult\u2019s budget and quality of life.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>The Downside of Cruise Ship Living During Retirement<\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It might be hard to believe there could possibly be a downside to life on a cruise ship, but there are some very real-world issues older adults should consider before deciding whether to retire at sea, and here are just a few of them:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>True cost of cruising:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> If you\u2019ve ever taken a cruise before, you probably remember just how many extra fees are involved. In addition to the upfront costs for a cruise, you\u2019ll likely encounter many others. Those commonly include excursion fees, drink fees, internet access charges, laundry, fitness class expenses, and room delivery convenience charges. Compare all of that to the cost of an independent and assisted living community, and you will likely find the latter to be significantly less.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">Limited a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">ccess to medical care<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">:<br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">While <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">it\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\"><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/iStock-509869384-e1742477326555.jpg\" width=\"371\" height=\"213\" \/><\/em>\u00a0true that ships have a medical center and physician, most <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">can only <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">offer <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">limited services. For older adults who have a chronic health condition or experience a sudden medical emergency, the ship\u2019s doctor might not be enough. And <\/span><\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW99991721 BCX0\" href=\"https:\/\/travelnoire.com\/hidden-costs-sick-on-cruise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW99991721 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">air medical evacuations can be painfully expensive<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99991721 BCX0\">. Depending on where a person is cruising, costs can range from $20,000 to over $100,000.<\/span><\/span><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Cramped cabin space:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> First-time cruisers are often surprised to see just how small cabins are on cruise ships, often only about 200 square feet. Though it may be fine for a few weeks, it\u2019s important to carefully consider the idea of living permanently in such a tight space. Even though you\u2019ll have access to the ship\u2019s amenities, your personal space will be limited.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Difficulty communicating with family:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Most cruise ships have internet access and wireless technology. The downside is that these services tend to be expensive and slow. Depending on where you are cruising, you might find it tough to stay in regular contact with loved ones back home. Video chats with faraway grandkids isn\u2019t likely an option unless you are back in port.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Problems with prescriptions:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Finally, you might find one of the steepest hurdles to be getting easy access to prescription refills. Most ship clinics have a pharmacy, but they tend to offer only over-the-counter medications. Long-term cruisers may find themselves battling their insurance company to obtain a greater amount of their medications at one time or trying to navigate refilling prescriptions in a foreign land.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><br \/>\nThese are just a few of the hidden truths behind living on a cruise ship. A more substantive plan for retiring might be to make a move to a senior living community that offers both independent and assisted living. You\u2019ll find yourself free from the daily maintenance and chores that often tie down older adults during retirement. That will give you the time you need to take a cruise or a long-dreamed-of vacation while still having <em>a permanent place to call <\/em><\/span><em>home<\/em><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. We invite you to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/communities\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">tour an ASC community<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to learn more about a better option &#8211; and one that guarantees no sea sickness!<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rumors have long circulated that retiring on a cruise ship is less expensive than moving to an independent or assisted living community. The buzz reignites every few years when media outlets come across older adults who\u2019ve chosen this lifestyle and feature these senior cruisers in a story. It sounds adventurous and exciting.\u00a0 While cruising through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":246602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[527],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-246603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-retirement-independent-assisted-living"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asccare.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}