Retirement Cruise – A Great Idea

Yes, a retirement cruise does classify as one of those great all inclusive cruise deals!

Have you thought of taking a retirement cruise but not sure if you can afford it?

Cruising today is for every one of all ages and the ships are designed to accommodate everyone’s wants and needs and especially their budget.

There are some fabulous all inclusive cruise deals to be had at any time of the year!

There are more cruises today to select from than ever before. The demand has never been greater and all are structured in way to accommodate every one of all ages.

Here’s a sample of what cruise holidays are all about …

There’s no need to worry about not fitting in or that you must take senior cruises only.  Our family have been on a number of cruises in the past with family members of all ages.

Everyone is made to ‘feel comfortable‘ and activities are designed for people of all ages. So don’t miss out on that special retirement cruise to a favorite destination just because of your age!

Don’t think senior cruises include the Caribbean or Mexico?  Well think again!

Go anywhere your heart desires and feel comfortable at all times. Have a look at some cruise planning tips to get you started when making your cruise holiday plans.

There’s a retirement cruise to a favorite destination within the price range that suits you best, just waiting for you!

Pick Your Retirement Cruise Itinerary

Selecting cruises for seniors really depends on personal tastes and desires.

Are you looking for specific cruises for seniors? Perhaps be included in senior citizen cruises formed through an organization or club you may belong to. This is where some of the best cruise deals are to be found.

It really doesn’t matter, because every major cruise line will be able to satisfy your wants and needs, making that retirement cruise an unforgettable, special experience.

Certainly the time of year and destination will play a big part when selecting senior cruises where the majority of passengers on board are of retirement age. For example, take one of those great repositioning cruise specials in the fall and rest assured, the majority of the passengers on board will be adults. Kids and their families will be back to school!

” Cruise Ship in Port – San Juan, Puerto Rico “

Our family have taken a number of all inclusive cruise deals and for those of you worried about not fitting in or not wanting to take that special retirement cruise because of that, well don’t!

I got this email the other day that was just too good to not write a short article about.

It was about elderly people taking a retirement cruise full time instead of opting for a rest home.

The e mail made some evaluations which I thought were worth mentioning or if anything, some good reading!

Retirement Cruise versus Rest Home

There were some very good comparisons made to the cost of staying in a rest home to that of taking a full time retirement cruise.

First, if you happen to have anywhere from $4 to $18 million spare change, you can purchase a condo on a cruise ship and cruise the world!  Have a quick look at luxury cruising at its best and get a taste of what most of us just dream about!

Now back to the story!

The e mail mentioned that an elderly woman was on her fourth back to back cruise and was questioned by another passenger. She replied, “It’s cheaper than a nursing home.”

She went on to say that the average cost for an assisted living subsidized nursing home is about $200 per day.

She mentioned that she receives a long term discount and a senior discount coming to a total of $135 per day.

This left $65 a day to spend on her retirement cruise and also receive:

• Gratuities at $ 10
• Served meals and room service if preferred
• Laundry service for preferred customers
• Live theater presentations, swimming pools, workout room and more!
• Free toothpaste, razors, soap and shampoo
• An extra $ 5 for tips and they will treat you like a queen!
• Meet new people every few weeks
• TV broken, light bulbs need changing, need a new mattress? No problem, staff will fix everything in a jiffy and apologize for the inconvenience!
• Rooms cleaned everyday with clean sheets and towels
• Travel the world as a bonus thrown in!

Going on a ‘perpetual retirement cruise‘ sounds pretty inviting, but a little too good to be true if you ask me.

If you’re a single senior, the average price for room rental at an independent living senior’s residence is around $5000 per month.

This includes your daily meals, laundry service and a few extras thrown in for good measure.will start.

Unless you’re cruising with another senior sharing a cabin, it would be pretty difficult to cruise full time for under this amount.

When considering a retirement cruise on a full time basis, you must take into account all the extra expenses associated with cruising.

For example:

Tipping  … can get very expensive!

On board liquor expenses … there are strict guidelines and policies in regards to alcohol misuse

Taxis and / or Shuttle bus service

Airfare  … Hotel stays … Medical expenses on board ship

There are many people that do take some great back to back cruise holidays. For some, as many as four or more at a time and the cruise lines do offer ‘considerable discounts‘  when booking multiple cruises.

For the most part , these are couples sharing a cabin and they do have a home to return to after each cruise vacation. This is great and a very affordable way to spend a month or two on vacation!

Taking a retirement cruise or two or three or four … is a wonderful experience and can be enjoyed many times over for years to come!

So make sure you take into consideration all the associated costs before you go cruising full time. Just a little food for thought here at Holidays for Family.

” Don’t Think About It … Go See! “

Check out Cruise Direct or any other reputable on – line cruise travel specialists to help get you on your way.  You can also go directly to any of the major cruise lines very own websites.

For example, check out Princess Cruise Lines, they have a terrific website packed with information.

• Cruise itineraries and fares
• Special offers
• Colorful brochures to view and download
• Email newsletters
• Cruise Personalizer

and so much more to get you started on that long awaited dream cruise!

Your comments are most welcome!

Post them below.

Happy Travels!

Robert Tellier

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All inclusive cruise deals are just waiting, so do yourself a favor and plan that retirement cruise!