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What It Really Costs to Live Full-Time on a Cruise Ship

Living Life on a Cruise
Living Life on a Cruise
🥈Expert
👁️ 58K views📅 5 months ago⏱️ 16:49

Key Moments

Editorial Summary

Lynette and Johan provide a detailed breakdown of the financial requirements for living full-time on a cruise ship. They explain that while they purchased their cabin early to lock in a lower rate, current cabin prices start at approximately 130,000. Monthly maintenance fees for a couple are around 4,000, while solo travelers pay roughly 3,000. The creators outline several inclusions such as three meals a day, Wi-Fi via Starlink, gym access, and laundry services. Beyond these base costs, they account for additional monthly expenses including streaming services, mobile phone plans, travel insurance, and excursions. They estimate their total monthly expenditure to be approximately 5,150, which includes personal extras like salon visits and occasional cocktails. The couple notes that this lifestyle eliminates traditional costs like car payments, gas, and property taxes. They conclude that living on a ship is more cost-effective than their previous life in Maui and compares their spending favorably to the average US household monthly expenditure. They emphasize that while the ship is not a financial investment, it represents a significant investment in lifestyle and global experiences.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.

What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsTips & Advice🥈Expert Creator
❤️ Best for CoupleVeteran Cruiser

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

Be smart and walk away from the first taxi or guide offer in ports to avoid being ripped off.
Consider mixing your own drinks on board to save money on cocktails.

🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

Cost of living on a shipBase cabin is about $4,000/month for a couple, with extras totaling around $5,100; compare to land costs.
Internet access while travelingStarlink works well but may be blocked in some countries; have a backup like internet cafes.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhat does it actually cost to live full-time on a cruise ship?
QHow does the cost compare to living in Maui and the average U.S. household spending?

Topics Covered

Value Pricing3 Happy BaconWifi Connectivity2½ Happy BaconSpa Fitness3½ Happy BaconService Crew3 Happy BaconExcursions2½ Happy BaconPort Destination2½ Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Alaska2½ Happy Bacon
Port Vila, Vanuatu2½ Sad Bacon
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon — creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon — creators took issue with this
Meh — no strong opinion either way

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 methodology

Video content sourced from the creator's original upload. Watch on YouTube