Remote workers are choosing to live on cruise ships – here’s how you can do it for cheaper than living in Sydney

• Remote workers such as Scottish couple Katrina and Kevin Middleton are realising that life on sea can be cheaper than on life than land.
• The couple sold their house and has begun living on Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
• We’ve crunched the numbers to see if cruising in Australia can be cheaper than living in Sydney.

It’s becoming increasingly common for people to live a life on sea. More commonly, for elderly couples, the trend of retirement at sea is growing in popularity with a number of lines offering permanent apartments on cruise ships.

But even those in the workforce are also switching their homes on land to suites at sea.

Recently Katrina and Kevin Middleton have made headlines after selling their house and living life at sea instead. 

Both work remotely for companies based in the United Kingdom – Katrina is a marketing managing and Kevin is an IT consultant. The couple hail from Scotland and found that their monthly costs were increasing, between a mortgage, paying off two cars, high energy bills and more.

After crunching the numbers they decided to go live on Allure of the Seas, spending about US$5200 (AU$7300) a month in fares, and receiving meals, entertainment, a gym and more for only that cost, not to mention that they get to sail around the Caribbean as they do it.

Katrina told People: “This is the best decision we could’ve made, and we’re definitely a lot happier. We realized this is more affordable, and we’re actually saving money while travelling.

“My love for cruises started a long time ago, but I think we love the fact you unpack once and you get to see the world.”

While the couple’s exact income wasn’t disclosed, they say including the cruise fares, wifi and some shore activities, they pay less than US$6000 (AUD$8400) a month, and as mentioned, they save money while doing this. Depending on how long the couple has cruised with Royal Caribbean, it’s possible that they get extra loyalty benefits, which could include things like wifi and laundry for free.

This comes out to about AUD$50,000 per person per year, a very enticing figure.

Kartina says she finds being at sea makes it easier to switch off after work, and to avoid needless purchase.

“There are always distractions, but you find a quiet spot … and when the day is done, we feel like we switch off a lot better than when we’re home. When you’re home, you never fully switch off, and you’re still in that environment. On the cruise, there’s less stress.

“Day to day, you don’t realise how much you’re actually spending if you’re getting a coffee or lunch, or if you’re filling up your car. 

“When you’re in the middle of the ocean, you don’t need to buy or spend anything. It’s definitely a lot more affordable for us.”

Now, while the couple are spending about $50,000 it’s worth mentioning that Australia is even more expensive to live in than Scotland, so savings could be even bigger for Aussies who are looking to make a similar leap. 

To give you an idea of what this difference can look like, here’s a run down of a year-living in Sydney, versus a year spent on Carnival Cruise Line ships. 

Sydney or a life at sea, what’s cheaper?

What does it cost to live in Sydney?

• Median rent for a house in North Sydney is $1245 per week, or about $4980 per month. 
• A two-person household spends approximately $800 per month on groceries. 
• Combing water, internet, gas and electricity, this comes out to another $290 per month for two people.
• To eat out at a restaurant twice a week and enjoy a mid-range three-course meal costs $138, or $1104 per month for two people.
• To have a social life, and attend events, go to bars, visit the cinema, the theatre and so on, you’ll need to put away at least another $200 per week for two people, or $800 a month.
• A gym membership generally runs at about $20 a week for budget options, or $160 a month for two people.
• Adding on a car, even assuming it’s already paid off, adds another $295 per week or $1180 per month, for two people. 
• As an estimate, this comes out overall to $9314 per month, or $111,768 per year, as the cost of living for two people in Sydney. 
• Other websites such as Eco Flow, put this figure at to $100,000 – 120,000 per year, meaning the breakdown falls in line with most estimates.

How about on a cruise? 

• To calculate the cost of living on a Carnival cruise ship, we’ll calculate the average daily fare, plus allow for some onboard and shore expenses. 
• A Carnival cruise fare actually averages about $90 to $120 per day per person, with longer cruises out to the South Pacific being the cheapest. 
• The fare is by far the biggest cost, if we average it as $120 per person per day, that comes out to $87,600 per year. 
• If we then add a weekly spend of $200 for extra onboard activities, specialty dining or spending on shore, this adds another $10,400. 
• Next, you’ll need to add a premium wifi plan of $30 per day, which adds another $10,950.
• In total this comes out to $108,950 for a year for two people, or $54,475 per person.

The verdict 

• While the final numbers are close, in this instance, living on Carnival Cruise ships comes out $2818 cheaper than living in Sydney. 
• There are of course many factors that can influence someone’s cost of living, as well as people who would want to spend more while at sea instead of just enjoying the fare inclusions.