June 10th 2024.
Have you ever dreamed of leaving everything behind and living on a cruise ship? Well, Kevin Martin, a 48-year-old man from Missouri, did exactly that. He recently shared his experience of living on a ship and gave us a glimpse into the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of this unique lifestyle.
Kevin, a former military man and lawyer, decided to break free from the daily grind in 2019 and document his travels on YouTube. His latest videos show him spending an entire year living on various cruises. He has sailed with MSC, NCL, Princess, and Royal Caribbean cruises, and has been sharing just how "affordable" it is to travel the world by breaking down his monthly expenses.
For example, during the month of March 2024, Kevin sailed to beautiful destinations such as St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Grand Cayman, and Aruba. Surprisingly, for the entire month on the ship, he spent a total of £1,615. To break it down, £1,080 was used for his accommodation and the inclusive buffet dinners on board the vessel. He only spent an extra £22 on meals that were not included in the package.
Kevin was savvy when it came to booking his cruises. He used deals and received on-board credit because he is a veteran and also bought credit for future cruises. Other expenses included his phone bill at £85, insurance at £42, and healthcare at £19 per month.
Despite the expenses, Kevin said he would absolutely do it again. However, he would limit his stay to only a month or three months on board. He also mentioned that he would change the ship he was on to experience different scenery.
"The sweet spot is about a month on a ship, maybe a little bit more - 45 days or six weeks or so," Kevin shared. "I plan on integrating cruising into my future travel plans. I hate flights, and I absolutely loved my year on cruise ships."
Reflecting on his experience, Kevin said that if he had to do it again, he would vary his itinerary and visit different places. He also found the behavior of some passengers on the cruises amusing and advised others to be prepared for it.
"I saw a guy at the buffet taking handfuls of peeled, frozen shrimp and putting them in the pockets of his cargo shorts," Kevin laughed. "His pockets were bulging with these shrimp, and then he left the buffet. I thought that was hilarious."
He also mentioned that he would occasionally hear his neighbors in the cabins next to his, but it didn't bother him much. "The only thing I hear is when people walk by my state room at night after drinking and talking really loud. But that's about it," he explained.
When it comes to his favorite cruise, Kevin couldn't pick just one. However, he particularly enjoyed the Fire and Ice cruise, which took him from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Halifax, Canada, with stops at Icelandic destinations.
If you're considering living on a cruise ship for a year like Kevin, he has a couple of tips for you. Firstly, make sure the cruise line you choose has self-service laundry on board to make it easy for you to do your laundry without having to pay a lot. Secondly, look into the rewards programs offered by the cruise lines to make sure the perks, such as discounted wifi and free drinks, suit your needs.
Bon voyage! And if you have a story to share, we would love to hear it. Get in touch by emailing us at email.
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