Woman Explains Why She Decided to Live on Cruise Ships
I think many of us can relate to wanting to leave demanding corporate jobs behind and relax on the high seas indefinitely. One woman, who goes by Laura, has actually taken the leap.
This cruiser made life on a cruise ship her reality – and has booked sailings to occupy about 95% of her time through March of 2027.
She started her cruise journey on January 18, 2025, and has been on 13 sailings so far – most of which were onboard Princess Cruises’ fleet.
In fact, her first YouTube video documenting her new life was filmed during her fourth back-to-back sailing in a mini suite onboard Enchanted Princess – which first entered service at the end of 2021.
“I am in my mid-50s, and I recently left the corporate grind to pursue my dream of living full-time on cruise ships,” she began her video. “I’m on an adventure to travel the world, living bougie on a budget.”
Though she plans to document her experience on her new YouTube channel (Living on Cruise Control), the avid cruiser started off by explaining how and why she decided to make such a drastic life change in the first place.
Arguably, the biggest motivating factor was the cost. She has been able to make living on cruise ships full-time less expensive than it would be to rent or own a home on land by a significant margin.
“I’m only spending hundreds of dollars sailing in a mini suite with everything paid for, including Wi-Fi, specialty drinks, gratuities, etc. for less than $1,000 a month,” she said.
Though she hasn’t yet shared how she finds her cruise deals, the all-inclusive cruise experience – which covers housing, entertainment, food, and more in one reasonable price – is a big selling point in of itself.
The travel lover is never bored with entertainment like production shows and comedy performances happening daily, and even basics like laundry service are free now that she’s become an elite member of the Princess’ Captain’s Circle loyalty program.
Watch Laura Explain Her New Lifestyle in Her Own Words Below:
Better Health and Safety Onboard
For Laura, cruising full time is not just about the money. It’s also about her safety and overall wellbeing.
As a female myself, I can understand how it can be intimidating to travel solo – but Laura feels safe onboard thanks to the security measures and prevalent surveillance in public spaces.
“I feel very safe. I think that, you know, to begin with, there’s cameras everywhere,” she said.
“Your steward that takes care of your room, I feel like become like so friendly and they’re constantly checking on me to make sure that I’m okay and that I’m doing okay,” she added.
Considering I befriend crew members in sailings that last for under a week, I can only imagine how well Laura may get to know some of the hard working men and women that live onboard with her during back-to-back sailings.
Read Also: How Much Does It Cost to Live On a Cruise Ship?
Contrary to what you might expect, Laura is also feeling healthier and shared that she has lost weight since transitioning to living on cruise ships full time – despite all the buffets and specialty restaurants onboard.
“You have an amazing gym right here, right? Open 24 hours or close to 24 hours. There are fitness classes, dance classes, Zumba, meditation. I’ve learned Tai Chi. I’ve been lifting weights,” she explained.
Laura added that she also frequently gets in over 10,000 steps a day between navigating the ship, exploring the ports of call, and making simple choices like opting to use the stairs over elevators.
Hopefully she will continue to feel as happy and healthy as she does now – as her new life at sea is only just getting started.