Retirement Cruises (on Ships - not Shopping Malls!)

[PeterRS]

As retirement approaches how many of us I wonder have considered a cruise or two to some exotic part of the world? The more so nowadays given that there are several all-gay cruises to pick from - if that idea floats your boat, as it were. Quite a few, I expect, if only the prices were not quite so exorbitant. Some years ago friends of mine based in New York with little experience of Europe saved up for a one-week gay cruise from Barcelona to somewhere else in the Mediterranean and loved it.

Others never got the chance to get near their ship. Sadly the Germans who had booked a package tour from their home city to join a cruise due to start from New York all died when their chartered Concorde aircraft crashed after they had transferred on to it in Paris in July 2000.

Death is one dreadful if extremely remote possibility in denying you the chance to make your cruise. Recent media reports tell of another less final but almost equally awful cruise experience. Last year a company named Life at Sea advertised a three-year round the world cruise on board a smallish-sized ship limited to around 1,000 passengers. According to National Public Radio, the cheapest inside berth for a single passenger was US$196,000 this to include almost everything on the cruise. Move up to the 7th deck with a balcony and The Guardian reported it would set you back $562,000. Unlke most long cruises, this one would not pick up and let off passengers en route for shorter cruises. You had to sign up for the full three years.

One American lady started out thinking this had to be a scam. But she had her attorney go through all the paperwork and the background of the company. She was more than satisfied. Another American, a former flight attendant from Florida, also loved the idea of three years around the world and also paid her 30% deposit. The balance became due in monthly payments starting one month prior to sailing. She then got rid of her house, put most of her belongings into long-term storage and prepared to set out for the start of her dream of a lifetime.

The two accounts I have quoted have different start ports - one Miami, the other Istanbul - but in the light of what happened that's rather immaterial. The flight attendant sent her four small cases in advance to Miami. Days later the cruise company informed her the cruise had been rescheduled to start in The Bahamas. And just a few days after that the information came that the cruise was cancelled in its entirety! Some passengers had already flown to Istanbul ready to pick up the ship there. The company has promised to refund all deposits and the additional expenses of getting to the departure point/s. And the first lady claims some of the money has already been returned. But how do you suddenly reclaim three years of your life that you had assumed would be seeing the world on a semi-luxury liner?

It seems the company, which is quite well established, had intended to purchase a 20-year old vessel named AIDA aura in late September before making cosmetic changes prior to the scheduled departure under a new name the MV Lara.

Sometihng clearly happened in the negotiations for the ship was eventually sold to another company. Life at Sea had originally planned to refit one of its own vessels but opted instead to purchase the larger one. Ah! The best laid plans! Even so, despite all the hand-wringing, breast-beating, the angst, the resignations etc., Life at Sea has not given up. It is already accepting bookings for next year's 3-year cruise. Whether that will be on a luxury liner or a small dinghy remains to be seen.

Oddlly, whereas I would have been near incandescent with rage, the former flight attendant has accepted everything remarkably calmly. She still has plans to travel, although on shorter trips. "It won't be the same as the round the world trip," she says, "but it will be my own adventure." Good luck, Madam!

https://www.lifeatseacruises.com

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/29/1215569569/life-at-sea-3-year-cruise-around-the-world-called-off#:~:text=This 3-year cruise around,leaving passengers in the lurch&text=via Getty Images-,When the Life at Sea cruise line failed to purchase,in November began to unravel.&text=They were promised the world.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/01/half-million-dollars-three-year-cruise-ship-possessions-liberating

[reader]

3 hours ago, PeterRS said:

The company has promised to refund all deposits and the additional expenses of getting to the departure point/s

I’ll be amazed if all those who booked this sail will be made fully whole. Meanwhile I reminded of the two great promises:

1. There’s a check in the mail.

2. I promise not to come in your mouth.

[fedssocr]

Apparently there is a small group of people who essentially "retire" to mainstream cruises. The way most cruises operate I think it would get incredibly boring fairly quickly. But I guess they figure that having a room and food is enough. I have read lots of downsides though, especially if you are in need of medical care. And as people age and require more specialized care it is not something the cruise line is able or willing to provide. People who should be in assisted living are trying to stay on cruise ships instead.

It also seems like there are plenty of lines doing long-term 'round-the-world itineraries that this new, untested company would need to compete on cost with the big lines. I have friends who took a 6 month around the world cruise on one of the large lines. I don't know how much they paid though. 

[PeterRS]

I have to admit I have done three cruises - and paid for none! My late best friend whom I had known for 48 years was a great public speaker. In the late 1990s he was hired by the small luxury Seabourn Cruise Line (the ships in its small fleet then generally accommodated only 400 or so passengers) to give lectures on a subject on which he was something of an expert. This quickly became a regular summer activity on a number of cruise lines. Most of his cruises were about 8 weeks in the summer. His wife usually accompanied him but as she was a teacher she frequently had to return home before they ended. If none of his children or grandchildren could complete the cruise with him, he'd kindly invite me.

I had three cruises on two Cruise Lines - a week from Athens to Istanbul (my first visit to that stunning city), a week from Malta to Venice (sailing into Venice at dawn was one of the great travel experiences), and then unusually one February a 17-day cruise from The Bahamas around the Caribbean before sailing 1,600 kms up the Amazon to Manaus. As @fedssocr points out, the rooms with balconies, excellent food (but far too much of it given there were 7 meals a day!), free open bar were initially great but best of all were the shore excursions and the destinations. But I did find that one week was enough. The 17-day cruise really began to bore me by half way through.

I could join those cruises thanks to free tickets due to tons of air miles. 

One cruise he and his wife joined was on The World. This is an almost unique large ship with one-, two- and three-apartment residences which you purchase for a humongous amount as you would an apartment on land. Indeed, some passegers do live full-time on the ship. The owners then determine the ship's itinerary. Since the accommodations are so spacious, average occupancy is only 150-200. When my friend did his lecture cruise, there were all of 65!  

https://aboardtheworld.com/residences/

[floridarob]

12 hours ago, PeterRS said:

But I did find that one week was enough. The 17-day cruise really began to bore me by half way through.

Because of the type of ships you were on.......

I've done 100+ cruises, interact very little with other pax. The itinerary and the crew is what keeps me entertained 😉

[Mavica]

9 hours ago, floridarob said:

I've done 100+ cruises, interact very little with other pax. The itinerary and the crew is what keeps me entertained 😉

[floridarob]

Just now, Mavica said:

Yup!

Thais (not so much these days), Indonesians, Mexicans and of course Filipinos....never much with Eastern Europeans, but not my cup of tea.

I've posted about this a few times in the past.

Just got off a Virgin Voyages cruise and was the gayest straight cruise ever.....

[Mavica]

6 minutes ago, floridarob said:

Yup!

Thais (not so much these days), Indonesians, Mexicans and of course Filipinos....never much with Eastern Europeans, but not my cup of tea.

I've posted about this a few times in the past.

Just got off a Virgin Voyages cruise and was the gayest straight cruise ever.....

[omega]

On 12/3/2023 at 3:23 PM, fedssocr said:

Apparently there is a small group of people who essentially "retire" to mainstream cruises. The way most cruises operate I think it would get incredibly boring fairly quickly. But I guess they figure that having a room and food is enough. I have read lots of downsides though, especially if you are in need of medical care. And as people age and require more specialized care it is not something the cruise line is able or willing to provide. People who should be in assisted living are trying to stay on cruise ships instead.

It also seems like there are plenty of lines doing long-term 'round-the-world itineraries that this new, untested company would need to compete on cost with the big lines. I have friends who took a 6 month around the world cruise on one of the large lines. I don't know how much they paid though. 

For those who've retired and just want to live a comfortable life, meeting new people but never needing to stay friends with them, cruising has a lot of attraction.

It's cheaper than a retirement home, all meals made for you, entertainment every night, the staff take much better care of you, and there is a 24/hr doctor service on board should your health take a turn for the worse. Though of course, things that require a specialist would need to be looked at shoreside.

[fedssocr]

On 12/4/2023 at 9:37 PM, floridarob said:

Yup!

Thais (not so much these days), Indonesians, Mexicans and of course Filipinos....never much with Eastern Europeans, but not my cup of tea.

I've posted about this a few times in the past.

Just got off a Virgin Voyages cruise and was the gayest straight cruise ever.....

I did my first and only cruise on Virgin last year. Definitely very gay. Plenty of obviously gay crew and guests. I had a fine time but ultimately it didn't really comport with the way I prefer to travel.

[fedssocr]

2 hours ago, omega said:

For those who've retired and just want to live a comfortable life, meeting new people but never needing to stay friends with them, cruising has a lot of attraction.

It's cheaper than a retirement home, all meals made for you, entertainment every night, the staff take much better care of you, and there is a 24/hr doctor service on board should your health take a turn for the worse. Though of course, things that require a specialist would need to be looked at shoreside.

See I don't really like people, so meeting new ones doesn't hold a lot of attraction for me. The entertainment doesn't really change much. The ships do the same itineraries over and over. I suppose it's better than a retirement home, but if you require a lot of care the ship isn't going to be equipped to provide it for you. I haven't priced retirement homes but cruises aren't exactly cheap. The doctor on board can handle some emergencies but it's not like your primary care doctor's office. If you're in good health it's fine. But if you need nursing care the cruise line isn't going to help you.

[floridarob]

3 hours ago, fedssocr said:

See I don't really like people, so meeting new ones doesn't hold a lot of attraction for me.

The crew is where the fun is, but you need a longer cruise, 14+days  to get to know the right ones 😉

I met a Thai kid that slept in my cabin every night and numerous hookups from Filipinos, Indonesians and Mexicans, only 1 Mexican wanted money, but was worth it.

[PeterRS]

12 hours ago, floridarob said:

The crew is where the fun is, but you need a longer cruise, 14+days  to get to know the right ones 😉

I met a Thai kid that slept in my cabin every night and numerous hookups from Filipinos, Indonesians and Mexicans, only 1 Mexican wanted money, but was worth it.

I wish I had been on one of your cruises! There were several cute Thai guys on my 17 day cruise, but I was told any crew member in a guest's cabin unless on the housekeeping staff or room service would be immediately fired!

[Marc in Calif]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

... I was told any crew member in a guest's cabin unless on the housekeeping staff or room service would be immediately fired!

Evidently some passengers don't believe in following the rules. 😎

[PeterRS]

35 minutes ago, Marc in Calif said:

Evidently some passengers don't believe in following the rules. 😎

I don't think it was just a case of following rules, it was more of being caught by the massive number of security cameras around the place. Also one guy told me he valued his job and would never break that particular rule. Different rules or different shopping lilnes perhaps.

[floridarob]

46 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

, it was more of being caught by the massive number of security cameras around the place

Only a few of the cameras are actually monitored from the bridge, and those are monitoring operational stuff related to the engines, wake, smoke stacks, etc.... Casino is a different story.

The rest of the cameras are reviewed After any incidents.... cabin selection is an important piece as well.

 

 

1 hour ago, Marc in Calif said:

Evidently some passengers don't believe in following the rules. 😎

Not a rule for the passenger, so it's the crew member's decision to go or not.

Prostitution is illegal in Thailand btw, who here follows that rule, ummm law?

[omega]

Yeah there is usually strict rules around fraternising with guests. It's usually something that will see the crew dismissed, especially the lower paid, easily replaceable crew. Somewhat irresponsible and unfair to seduce them into potentially losing their job, especially when there is zero blow back to you.

I personally wouldn't want to retire on a cruise ship fwiw. I'm just relaying experience from a friend who worked in a senior position on cruise ships for many years

[PeterRS]

3 hours ago, omega said:

I personally wouldn't want to retire on a cruise ship fwiw.

Nor would I, even if I had the cash to afford one of the large apartments on The World. Imagine being stuck with the same restaurants, the same basic daily life, nowhere to walk other than around the ship etc. Great for a week or two; then plain boring.

[floridarob]

Just now, PeterRS said:

Nor would I, even if I had the cash to afford one of the large apartments on The World. Imagine being stuck with the same restaurants, the same basic daily life, nowhere to walk other than around the ship etc. Great for a week or two; then plain boring.

People that own on The World don't live there 365 days, they stay awhile and go somewhere, usually meeting up with the ship when it's in a port for an event. They align their schedule with things like Carnival in Rio and stay for a few days, not just the day like a commercial cruise liner.

I knew a musician that worked there and said some nights he only had about 5 or 6 people he was playing to..... as far as the same boring restaurants, the rooms have kitchens and they can have chefs prepare meals for you....so not boring same restaurants, lol

 

 

2 hours ago, omega said:

Somewhat irresponsible and unfair to seduce them into potentially losing their job, especially when there is zero blow back to you.

Not once a problem....I'm not new at this, I worked on a cruiseline for a bit (in a senior position) , I know EXACTLY how it works and the logistics of doing it, is why I have been able to do it.....so don't jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story 😉

[omega]

5 minutes ago, floridarob said:

Not once a problem....I'm not new at this, I worked on a cruiseline for a bit (in a senior position) , I know EXACTLY how it works and the logistics of doing it, is why I have been able to do it.....so don't jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story 😉

And that's fair, but you're presenting this to everyone else like they can just go on a cruise and pick up the first cute waiter or cabin steward that catches their eye.

[Travelingguy]

“Not once a problem....I'm not new at this, I worked on a cruiseline for a bit (in a senior position) , I know EXACTLY how it works and the logistics of doing it, is why I have been able to do it.....so don't jump to conclusions before knowing the whole story 😉”

 

Now that is a story that I would love to hear….

[PeterRS]

5 hours ago, Travelingguy said:

Now that is a story that I would love to hear….

Rememer the Hotel Babylon and Air Babylon books? Most just did not believe that these were books of fact, so outrageous were some of the anecdotes. I still do not believe everything in their pages, but I cannot prove it.

[PeterRS]

10 hours ago, floridarob said:

as far as the same boring restaurants, the rooms have kitchens and they can have chefs prepare meals for you....so not boring same restaurants, lol

Well, I suppose I could just get used to a regular diet of Beluga caviar, Hokkaido scallops, New Zealand lamb, the London Savoy Hotel chef's beef wellington, pavlova, baklava, the best chocolate mousse with a hint of the best cognac, and creme brulee! Roll on winning the lottery! LOL

[floridarob]

10 hours ago, omega said:

And that's fair, but you're presenting this to everyone else like they can just go on a cruise and pick up the first cute waiter or cabin steward that catches their eye.

There's some very seasoned cruisers here, not the ship kind.....you think I'm the only one sleeping with the crew......

I did preface it with this:

The crew is where the fun is, but you need a longer cruise, 14+days  to get to know the right ones 😉

[hojacat]

So I guess none in this forum went to the gay Atlantis cruise last month that started in Singapore and ended up in Pattaya. Was in BKK last month and saw a couple of people with "Atlantis" written on their profile. Kinda regret now not asking any of them how did it go and what the crowd was like. Didn't see anything about it on Twitter, so probably not many onlyfaners ended up going. It's usually the one from Florida in February that uses those big RC ships that attracts the most of them. 

Personally I would use cruises for destinations where a ship is the only or the best way to visit it. So my favorites have been the Norwegian fjords, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, Alaska, etc .Personally would never recommend a cruise in the Mediterranean. It's definitely the worse way to explore that region. Even in some of the smallest islands or towns like Valleta, Mykonos, Zadar, etc you would be rushed when visiting it, let alone exploring bigger cities like Marseilles, Palermo, Valencia, Barcelona, etc. It's truly like going on a buffet and just licking the food.

In the non-gay cruises I have been to, I've always have some crew hit me up on Grindr, but they always make it complicated meeting them , so I have never done it. I end up hooking up with 1-2 fellow passengers each time though. The best I had was on a cruise to the Norwegian fjords. I chatted and got invited for drinks by this young Irish couple. Pretty much only interested in one of them, who was pretty twinkish, which luckily was also verse. They said the knew some executives at MSC so they were able to get a suite for a very good price. After having some champagne, we headed to their place. It was great messing around in the open air jacuzzi in their suite with the fresh air and the stars above us. Things got even more interesting the day after as this cute Asian student from Manchester joined me and them. A long but unforgettable night.