Retired Couple Sells Everything To Live on Cruise Ships Forever

The Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship Freedom of the Seas in Nassau, Bahamas.

From Australia to the West Coast, senior couples seem to have found a cheaper and exciting alternative to retirement—living on cruises for the rest of their lives. The latest to adopt this lifestyle are John and Melody Hennessee, from Florida, who are planning to spend the rest of their days hopping from one cruise to another.

The couple, who are 76 and 64 years old, respectively, sold nearly all of their belongings when they retired three years ago to travel around the country in a motorhome. Finding themselves tiring of driving around, they came up with another idea when they saw an ad for a 274-day cruise with Royal Caribbean. Not only do they get to travel the globe, but they also claim it is much cheaper than leading a regular life on land.

“We now have a telephone bill, a ship bill, and a few credit card bills for when we go ashore, but that's it,” John told Sky News. “We no longer have a mortgage or the expense of homes. We no longer have vehicle insurance, property insurance, or utility bills. The list goes on. We are certain cruising is cheaper. Right now it is probably close to half of what it was when we lived on land.”

While they are booked until December 2024, the couple has plans for the long run. Aware of the increasing number of people who want to live at sea, the Villa Vie's residential cruise ship is building a vessel with cabins that are up for sale—and the Hennessees are definitely interested in one. “We wanted to buy a cabin so we can design it how we want. It's going to be home for us, for probably a minimum of 15 years on the ship,” Melody said.

With inside cabins starting at $99,000, plus an $8,000 monthly fee, Villa Vie is expecting up to 30% of its passengers to be permanent residents. These cabins feature kitchenettes and pull-down beds for guests—;namely, relatives of those living aboard. “Every operator has its own world cruise,” Villa Vie founder and CEO Mikael Petterson said. “And they just get longer and longer and longer. So why not push the envelope and create the ultimate world cruise where you don't stop and you just keep going?”