What It Really Costs to Live Full-Time on a Cruise Ship
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
Our base cabin runs about $4,000 per month for BOTH of us.
With extras, we’re closer to about $5,100 total.
We're spending way less than what we did in Maui and what the US national average is.
We're really happy with our decision to live on a ship.
Creator's Tips & Advice
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Questions This Creator Answers
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Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
Everyone asks us the same question: “What does it actually cost to live full-time on a cruise ship?” In this video, we break down our real monthly numbers — what our cabin costs, what’s included, what we still pay for, and what we no longer pay living on land. Our base cabin runs about $4,000 per month for BOTH of us. With extras, we’re closer to about $5,100 total. We compare it to: • What we were spending living in Maui • The average U.S. household spending (~$6,500/month) • What ship life replaces — housing, food, utilities, entertainment, and travel This lifestyle isn’t for everyone. But for us, it made sense. We’re locked in for 15+ years, so this isn’t a vacation — it’s our long-term home. Let us know in the comments: Does this number surprise you? 🚢 Cruise Life Gear We Actually Use Check out our favorite cruise essentials here: 👉 https://livinglifeonacruise.com/cruise-life-gear-we-actually-use/ (Some links may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our journey!) ⸻ 💬 Talk to Us – 1-on-1 Cruise Life Session ($99) Thinking about residential cruising? Have questions about costs, cabins, logistics, or what life is really like onboard? Book a private 1-hour Zoom call with us here: 👉 https://livinglifeonacruise.com/work-with-us/ We keep these limited each week so we can give real, personal advice. ⸻ 🎥 Watch Next Life Onboard the Villa Vie Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdtPbhkMTVCX5wop5SCSsChXqOS2_-kPa Move-In Day: https://youtu.be/Am3hYL9o3ic Full Ship Tour: https://youtu.be/vgklJ_Eijco ⸻ 🌍 Follow Our Journey Track our real-time world cruise map: https://www.livinglifeonacruise.com All our links: https://linktr.ee/livinglifeonacruise ⸻ 🔔 Subscribe Join us as we continue living full-time at sea: https://www.youtube.com/@livinglifeonacruise ⸻ 👋 About Us We’re Lanette & Johan, and we’ve committed to 15 years living aboard a residential cruise ship, exploring 140+ countries and 425+ ports on a continuous ~3.5-year circumnavigation of the globe. This isn’t a vacation. This is our life. @VillaVie.R #LivingLifeOnACruise #ResidentialCruise #CruiseLife #FullTimeCruise #VillaVieOdyssey