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Man lives on a cruise ship 300 days a year for the same cost as renting in Florida

He's spending less while spending more and more time cruising.

Image via Canva

A man works from his laptop while relaxing on a cruise ship

Living permanently on a cruise ship seems like a dream of the uber-wealthy. You spend your days lounging on the deck by the pool or touring an exotic location. Nights are spent dancing in the nightclub or enjoying live entertainment. You no longer have to worry about traffic, cooking or laundry. Your life has become all-inclusive as long as you’re on board.

At Upworthy, we’ve shared the stories of a handful of people who’ve been able to spend their lives on a permanent cruise because they’ve figured out how to do so affordably. Or, at least, at about the same cost of living on land. Insider recently featured the fantastic story of Ryan Gutridge, who spends about 300 nights a year living on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. He only leaves the ship for a few weeks a year during the holidays.

Gutridge works in IT as an engineer for a cloud solution provider and can do his full-time job right from the ship. “I do meetings in the morning and afternoons, but I can also go to lunch and socialize or meet people at the gym,” he tells Insider. “I've even met people that I stay in contact with and that have come back and cruised on this ship with me multiple times since.”


Gutridge says that living and working on a cruise ship has improved his mental health. “Working from home was isolating. I don't have kids or pets, so it's easy to become somewhat introverted, but cruising has really helped and made me a lot more social,” he says.

So, how does he afford life on a permanent vacation?

“I have a spreadsheet that automatically records all my expenses, which helps. I also set a budget every year,” he says. “This year, my base fare budget is about $30,000, and last year when I started really looking at the numbers and evaluating how much base fare I paid to be on a ship for 300 nights, I found it was almost neck-and-neck with what I paid for rent and trash service for an apartment in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.”

Currently, the average price for a one-bedroom apartment in Fort Lauderdale is $2,088 which would cost Gutridge about $25,000 a year.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Gutridge believes that the key to living on the ship affordably is loyalty programs. He’s actually spending less in 2023 than he did in 2022, even though he’s spent more time cruising.


Bon Voyage Sailing GIF by ZhotGiphy

“Now, because I cruise so often with Royal Caribbean, I've moved up in its loyalty program. My drinks and internet are free. If people are going to do something like what I do, I recommend trying different brands because they all offer something different. But once you commit to one, you should stick to it so you reach those loyalty levels,” he says.

When he’s not on the ship, he makes doctor and dentist appointments and spends time with his friends. Then, it's back on the high seas, where he has a routine. Monday through Friday, he works, eats healthy, and goes to the gym. On the weekends he'll let loose and have a few drinks.

If the ship arrives at a location he enjoys, he’ll take a PTO day from work and go sightseeing.

aerial photography of white and blue cruise ships during daytime Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash

Eventually, Gutridge wants to get rid of his apartment and sell his car, so his primary residence is a Royal Caribbean ship. “I have a strong relationship with the crew on this ship,” he says. “It's become a big family, and I don't want to rebuild those relationships on another ship — I joke that I have 1,300 roommates.”

This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Joy

Couple retires to live on cruise ships because it's 'cheaper than a nursing home'

It's actually a lot cheaper than assisted living.

via Alonso Reyes/Unsplash

A beautiful ship crosses the ocean.

The cost of living in the United States has gone up so much in recent years that living on a cruise ship has become a reasonable idea for some retirees. When Nancy and Robert Houchens of Charlottesville, Virginia, retired, they decided to sell almost everything they had and live out their golden years hopping from cruise ship to cruise ship.

"We had a 3,000-square-foot home full of furniture...and everything we own now would fit in the back of a pickup truck," Robert told USA Today.

“We sold all of our estates except for a little condominium we have in Florida, so when we get too old to cruise, we have somewhere to live,” Nancy added. “And we did keep two vehicles, and what we kept is in half of (Robert's mother's storage unit), which is, I don't know, 10x10 or something. We just walked away from everything.”

Life on a cruise ship is stress-free for the couple because their needs are taken care of on the ship. "It's been great. I don't cook. I don't clean," Nancy told the Miami Herald.

The couple has found that living on a cruise ship isn’t as expensive as some may assume. Even though inflation has driven up the cost of travel in the U.S., it hasn’t significantly impacted the cruise industry.

“It's much cheaper than a nursing home or assisted living. It was just a good fit for us. It's a good fit for a lot of people,” Robert told the Miami Herald.

The couple plans their trips differently than someone who is going on vacation. “We look for the best deal, not the destination,” Nancy told Cruise Passenger.

The couple initially planned to spend $4,000 a month living on the ships. “Our original budget was $4,000 a month. This included gratuities. Of course, things are more expensive now, so that budget has had to increase a little. Depending on where we go, we may or may not need the internet,” she told Cruise Passenger.

“Our phone plan covers most everywhere for 25 cents a minute to call with free internet and texting,” Nancy continued. “We have an annual travel insurance plan, and one of our credit cards also has travel insurance.”

For the Houchens, living on board a cruise ship is definitely cheaper than assisted living. According to the 2020 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, the average monthly cost per person to live in assisted living in Virginia is $5,250 a month, which would cost Houchens over $10,000 a month as a couple.

Further, the roughly $4,000 the couple spends a month includes food, and they don’t have to bother paying for a car. They also try to book their cruises consecutively so they don’t waste money paying for expensive hotels when transferring between cruise lines.

Last July, the Houchens celebrated their 1,000th day sailing with Carnival Cruise Line since the 1980s, and they look forward to countless more days at sea with each other and the new friends they’ve made on their never-ending cruise.

“We cruise Carnival because of the people,” Richard told Travel Pulse. “It isn’t the destinations for us anymore, it’s the journey—and the biggest part of the journey is the people.”


This article originally appeared on 7.19.23

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Animals & Wildlife

Amazing couple is building a 40-acre wildlife rescue in Florida to change how people think about alligators

“A lot of these animals are misunderstood, feared and hated by so many people. The root of the problem is miseducation.”

In the sun-soaked wilds of South Florida, a biologist and his girlfriend are building a one-of-a-kind animal sanctuary on a 40-acre property in Ocala. Chris Gillette and Gabby Sampone are on a mission for Florida’s Wildest Animal Rescue to not only save animals but transform public perception of some of the state’s most dangerous inhabitants.

“I was born and raised in Florida and grew up as a kid catching rattlesnakes and gators. I have been around wildlife my whole life and made their preservation my life mission,” says Chris, who’s been working in various animal parks and appearing on wildlife TV shows for over a decade. Today, he and Gabby, a New York transplant who shares his love for animals, are working towards the ultimate goal of providing a haven for rare and dangerous animals and the everyday wildlife of Florida.

Chris placed a massive bet on himself to pay for the rescue by putting up his life savings to fund the project. “This has been my dream my entire life, and I’m spending every cent I have on it,” he says.

The couple hopes to open the rescue to the general public within weeks after the 8-foot-tall perimeter fence is built. When fully operational, the sanctuary will be a place where visitors can learn about wildlife and be inspired to protect these amazing creatures and the planet in which they live.

From iguanas with scoliosis and deformed turtles to a 250-pound tortoise, their sanctuary has a unique group of residents. Their recent rescues also include a three-legged goat, a coatimundi (a South American cousin to the raccoon) and foxes with adorably oversized ears. Chris says the foxes look like “Pokémon.”

A primary goal of the sanctuary is to change public perceptions of alligators. “A lot of these animals are misunderstood, feared and hated by so many people. The root of the problem is miseducation. My goal is to make content that is fun and interesting, so people don’t hate them,” he explains.

“When people think of gators and crocs, they imagine them to be these mindless killing machines obsessed with eating humans, like some monster movie,” Chris continued. “People don't realize gators and crocs are incredibly intelligent animals capable of learning training and have intricate social lives, as well as being keystone species in the ecosystems they inhabit. I have gators better trained than most people's dogs.”

His commitment to these often-misrepresented creatures is evident in his gator presentations and posts on Facebook and Instagram. “If you read my comments on social apps, you’ll see people who say they used to want gators killed, but now they’re actually excited to see them in the wild,” Chris says.


Social media plays a pivotal role in the rescue’s operations, serving as both an educational tool and a fundraising platform. Gillette has over 2.5 million followers on social media, and Gabby has over 500,000. Through their considerable Facebook and Instagram followings, they’ve managed to rally the support of thousands. Their recent fundraisers have helped them tackle significant costs, from enclosure fencing to unexpected vet bills.

“I make reels, posts, and do fundraisers on Facebook and Instagram,” Chris says. “The fundraisers on Facebook are really successful, and I raised $9,000 last time. On Instagram, I’ll usually get $1,000 per fundraiser. These really add up and help with all the costs.”

These fundraisers are necessary for the couple to keep operations going until they can open their doors and charge for tours. “We’re required to have perimeter fences that are at least 8 feet high. That alone is $50,000. That’s how we’re spending most of the donations we’re getting these days,” Chris says.

Between raising funds, ensuring the construction of perimeter fences, and caring for the diverse dietary needs of animals like toucans and hornbills, rescue is a full-time endeavor that takes a lot of teamwork.


Chris works at two alligator parks in South Florida on weekends to keep up with the couple’s everyday expenses and those at the rescue. “I’m doing tours and presentations there, so we have money,” Chris says. “When I’m gone, Gabby’s caring for all the animals and making sure everything’s getting built.”

Chris can’t wait until the rescue is ready for its main attraction. “In a year, I hope everything for the alligators is set up. And in three years, maybe even have swimming tours,” he says.

Beyond the fences of the sanctuary, Chris and Gabby hope to change hearts and minds. Whether it’s emphasizing the intelligence of alligators or highlighting the ecological importance of rattlesnakes, he wants Floridians to appreciate and coexist with their local wildlife. “They were here before us and have just as much right to exist in this space as we do. It is our responsibility to be educated and act as good stewards of the environment we are lucky enough to have before us,” Chris says.

The sanctuary’s story is one of dedication, resilience and love for the wild inhabitants of Florida. As the founder aptly puts it, "To save ourselves, we must educate people to respect and protect native animals and ecosystems."

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Education

Florida principal forced to resign after showing Michelangelo's 'David' to students

“It saddens me that my time here had to end this way."

Photo by Igor Ferreira on Unsplash

Florida principal fired after showing statue of "David."

If you ask most teachers why they went into education, they'll share that it had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with their passion for teaching. Even with rapid changes in curriculum and policies, teachers who remain in the classroom are lovers of education and are doing their best to help kids learn.

Hope Carrasquilla, the former principal of Florida's Tallahassee Classical School, was one of those teachers who simply enjoyed teaching. As the principal, Carrasquilla was required to teach two classes. During her sixth grade lesson about Renaissance art, which is also a requirement of the school, Carrasquilla showed a picture of Michelangelo's "David" statue.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, three parents complained about their children being shown the picture. Two of those parents were mostly upset that there wasn't sufficient notice given before the photo of the sculpture was shown. The third parent reportedly complained that the statue of the Biblical figure was pornographic.

Michelangelo's sculpture wasn't the only source of the complaint. It was essentially the entire lesson, which also included "The Creation of Adam," another Michelangelo piece, and Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus." These are classic works of art that are easily recognizable by just about any layman, even if they can't name the artist.

Michelangelo's Creation of Adam

"The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo

commons.wikimedia.org

Carrasquilla admitted that there was a bit of a kerfuffle with notifying parents of the lesson, which is a new policy implemented just two months ago. The policy requires that parents receive written notification two weeks prior to teaching potentially controversial content, according to The Independent.

Shortly after her lesson, Carrasquilla was called into an emergency school board meeting where she was forced to choose between resignation or being fired. She chose to resign, leaving the school less than a year after starting her tenure there.

While three parents were upset over the lesson, others were blindsided by the termination of the school principal. Carrie Boyd, who has a third and a seventh-grader at the school, told the Tallahassee Democrat that the principal's abrupt resignation was shocking to her and other parents. Boyd also voiced concerns over the "non-secular" direction the school appeared to be taking.

Classic painting of the Birth of Venus

"The Birth of Venus "by Botticelli

en.wikipedia.org

Tallahassee Classical School is a private charter school that has only been open for three years and is affiliated with Hillsdale College, a private conservative college located in Michigan, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Barney Bishop, the school board chair, told HuffPost, "Parental rights trump everything else."

But it seems Carrasquilla is gaining support across the internet. Comments range from frustration to people comparing it to a "Simpson's" episode about censorship that remarkably also depicted the statue of "David."

"Heavens to Betsy, a body part depicted in one of the most famous pieces of art in all of history! What next?!?," David Weiss wrote.

Another commenter pointed out that the statue is in Animal Crossing, which is a video game that children play.

Statue of "David" by Michelangelo

"David" by Michelangelo

commons.wikimedia.org

The greatest confusion seemed to stem from classical artwork being considered controversial enough to require parental notification when the school markets itself as a "classical school" and Renaissance art is a requirement. Renaissance art isn't exactly known for its elaborate depiction of clothing; it's quite the opposite.

Surely, the ousted principal will find other employment, but for now, she and the rest of the internet are left feeling a bit flabbergasted by the seemingly drastic response to classical works of art.

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