It’s true that “the media” has long been interested in the Residential Cruising concept, even if I did have to kick them to look at the bigger picture.
Links to some of those stories is compiled on the Media Coverage page, which of course is still growing.
This morning’s is the biggest yet, on CBS Saturday Morning:
If you are outside the U.S. you may not be able to see the video. Try watching on Xtwit or this Invidious Youtube proxy.
The Reporter Got It Right, But…
The reporter, Cristian Benavides, really nailed it, accurately focusing on the most important aspect: Community.
The anchors, Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, really blew it, gasping at the “$11,000 a month” fees …after Benavides said clearly (and put it on the screen!) that it starts at $2,500/month/person — though it’s actually $2,000, or really $3,999/couple. It’s $4,999/couple if you upgrade to a porthole cabin, and of course more for a window, and more for a balcony, and still more for a suite.
It seems to me that if Miller and Jacobson are going to comment on stories, they should at least watch them so they can get the details right.
And the CBS social media crew got it wrong too, summarizing the story on Youtube as, “While the cruise industry is booming, a special kind of cruise offers the chance to never leave vacation.”
No, we are decidedly not on vacation. We live here. Do people who live in, say, a beautiful tourist destination like rural Colorado, feel like they’re on a full-time vacation? Nope! In fact they probably work harder just to live there.
The title is all wrong too: do they think the 17-year-old interviewed in the story is “retired”? Is that why there is a waiting list for private offices? The reality is that many of us still work while living here full time. You know, like the story showed?! (Silja, Zenzo’s mom, works onboard too!)
Bottom line, though, is that for a 7-minute overview, they really got the basics right. Well, Cristian did, at least! Because he was actually here, and talked in-depth with the Residents.
He was very professional, and went to the trouble of sending us all the link to the Youtube video I’m sharing here. So often the reporter or producer says “I’ll send you a copy of the video!” …yet never bothers. I like the professionals better.
Originally Published July 19, 2025 — Last Updated July 20, 2025- About the Author
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Cool to see you guys AND your office.
Yes, I’m glad he squeezed the “working on board” aspect in.
I’ve never even been on a cruise ship, but I can’t imagine trying to live full time on one without a porthole in my cabin. I’m pretty sure I’d have to upgrade to at least a window.
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Most view their cabins as a bedroom — a place for sleeping and showering. The rest of the ship is the rest of your home, and there are plenty of windows (and access to open decks). But indeed there are certainly charms to upgrades! -rc
$5,000 a month for a porthole isn’t terrible. Does the price include meals or other amenities?
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It includes everything but excursions and your bar tab: Food (with beer or wine included), laundry, port fees, cabin cleaning, Internet. The $5K figure is after you pay for the cabin itself, which is $150K (for a porthole cabin). -rc
Like buying a condo and paying your upkeep monthly.
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Exactly. -rc
I’ve always wondered about that initial $150,000 fee. If, say after a couple years on board, we decide to move. Is the cabin ours to sell? Do we retain the profits?
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Yes, and yes. See also my reply to Robert Fritz just above, which wasn’t there yet when you commented. -rc
I don’t trust the media to not screw up the simplest of stories.
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At least the reporter got it right. -rc
I saw this segment and thought it was cool that you were highlighted!
Drat, it’s blocked in Canada!
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Dang it! Try the Facebook posting. (Update: I hear the Facebook link doesn’t work either, so try Xtwit or this Invidious proxy.) If those don’t work, you’ll have to try a VPN. -rc
This was delightful to watch. Fun to see you and Kit! A wonderful option in this world of ours. I love the pickleball court!
I know what you mean. When Connie and I lived in the RV full time for 8yers (and we had dinner with y’all at Colorado Boys) people kept asking if we were on permanent vacation…and we always said no, this is just how we live because permanent vacation would be exhausting at the pace one normally goes on vacation. We still had laundry, grocery shopping, and there were many days even at high interest places like Yellowstone and Zion and the Balloon Festival that we never left our camp site. Good times…but just a different way of life much like what y’all are doing. Happy travels.
Any publicity is good. Thanks for setting the story right. Back to work Randy!!
(Reading from Leiden, Holland. On a Holland-America cruise next week from Rotterdam!)
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Cool! -rc
One couple looked suspiciously like a couple we had dinner with last night.
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That’s just crazy talk! -rc
So great to see you both thriving and relaxing in your new home! Great interview! Looking good as always!
The one comment that left me puzzled was the “depreciating asset” comment. You buy your port-hole for $150K, but I recall you said you can re-sell it when you decide you’re done. If the cruise line is building more ships, which indicates demand, I’d think you’d at least get your $150K back.
Sure, some “fees” essentially are similar to condo fees. But at least a portion of those fees are equivalent to the groceries and utilities you’d pay anywhere you live. The cost premium is therefore commensurate with the lifestyle, i.e. you’re buying experiences at scale.
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Good analysis and observations. What Mike was indicating was that at the end of the ship’s life, the value of the cabin is zero. No one will want to buy it for the trip to the salvage yard. But between now and then, there are two opposing forces: the value declines as there is less time to use it, yet the value is pushed up by the increasing demand vs the limited supply. I think we could sell our cabin for more right now because what we have is in demand, we bought it before the ship sailed (read: before prices went up), and the monthly rate transfers with ownership, and that has gone up in the meantime too. But we’re not interested in selling at this point. 🙂 -rc
I was told that the contracted monthly maintenance fee does not transfer to a new owner. So it could be more at the time of sale. This I believe is also stated in the terms & conditions online. I think they changed it along the way.
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“Told” by who? I’ll suggest that you don’t listen to people who aren’t fully informed. T&Cs are trumped by contracts, which are clear on this subject. If you’re considering buying, then don’t even listen to me (or, for that matter, a salesman): ask to see the contract first, and look for that clause. I did. It’s also possible that newer contracts can have different provisions from older contracts. -rc
Our sales person confirmed with us. And it’s in the new contract under maintenance fees.
“Maintenance fees, which cover ongoing operational expenses including but not limited to food, fuel, port costs, crew, insurance, and maintenance, are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and are NOT inherited by new owners in a resale and will be determined by current CPI at the time of sale or transfer.”
So yes, it does sound like the older contracts did not have that clause. I wouldn’t know without seeing one. It is too bad they changed this but understandable. It does concern me in that it could lessen the chances of resale if need be.
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First I’ve heard of the change. Frankly, it’s exactly what I would have advised them to put in, if they had asked. -rc
Are small dogs allowed on-board?
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No: the ship is too small to have any outdoor place for them to exercise or relieve themselves. Maybe on a future ship that will presumably be somewhat larger. -rc
Good to see a good mainstream story is out there. Well not to see since its geo-blocked for me. Nothing a VPN didn’t solve. 🙂
I love watching all the vlogs and videos and reading everthing. Ya’ll are living your best lives and it’s so cool. One thing I wondered is why the monthly fees are more for the different class of cabins? I understand that the cost of purchasing the cabin is different, but why do the monthly fees go up when you are essentially getting the same benefits from it no matter what cabin?
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It’s the same idea as a condo: the bigger and more expensive your unit, the greater percentage of the whole that you own, and the greater your portion of the monthly expenses are. But there is one big difference: there is no provision for “assessments” to cover big repairs, as that’s built in to the monthly costs and/or covered by insurance. -rc
Great to see you two. You both look great. One question, there is a comment on Youtube by [redacted], about several things, including sanitation, etc. Are any of those comments accurate?
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Well, I have to draw the line somewhere regarding the comments that I’ll answer, and that line is WAY above looking through the horror that is Youtube Comments to parse them and weed out the serious misinformation. Anything that starts with “I heard that _X_…” is always suspect from the start. But bottom line, I’ve not experienced any horrors regarding “sanitation” here. -rc
$2,000 a month sounds terrible, until you consider it isn’t that bad a deal compared to renting an apartment in many cities.
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Not at all terrible: apartment rent doesn’t typically include utilities (including Internet), food (with beer or wine at lunch/dinner), cleaning, laundry service, and more. -rc
USD 2000/month sounds inexpensive … around here (Santa Barbara, CA) a modest 2-bedroom apartment costs USD 3,000/month (not including food, cleaning, utilities etc) with a minimum 12-month lease commitment.
I’m moving to the Odyssey, hopefully in Japan, and met you and Kit in-person during my “try before you buy” cruise from SF through my onboard friends Chris and Jim Guld. I have been following your blog since January. I’ve shared this blog posting and Sunday’s “Gabbing with the Geeks” links to my FB page. Like all of the Residents have experienced, there is a fascination with the residential cruising lifestyle and I have been answering plenty of questions and explaining the logistics since signing my contact. THANK YOU!!!
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I remember you coming by my office. Glad you’ve found this resource useful. As you have likely found, the accuracy of pronouncements by those who aren’t here can vary wildly. -rc
Thanks for the heads up Randy on this CBS Mornings piece. I thought also that it was very well done except for the careless remarks by the hosts at the end about the fees. They really should go back and remove that portion from YouTube.
My wife and I are cruisers, but the longest we’ve left our two cats is about three weeks. How do the cat owners on board procure litter and manage litter box waste? We go through a lot of litter each month with our cats and just can’t envision dealing with that in a small stateroom. Otherwise we would be interested one day in moving onto a residential cruise ship.
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I don’t know the answer! I’ve visited the cats only a couple of times, and then went back to my cabin to carefully wash my hands as I’m quite allergic (but have always liked cats). -rc
Lovely to see Kit looking so well (and you Randy — although we never got to meet you!) Looks like you’re having a ball and so pleased that a ‘community’ and real friendships continue to develop on board.
We’re still following your awesome journey from sunny Belfast (well, just outside of Belfast — at The Rocks!)
Look after yourselves.
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Thanks, Cathy! -rc
I’m so glad you are continuing to follow my (our) adventures. You were a vital part of my early adventures. The Rocks rocks!
Sadly, yes, some people *do* move to Florida and “live as if they were on vacation all of the time.” This has been explained as behind some of our Weird News stories, outrageous road rage, etc., etc.
But, hey! I’m a Florida Man so how could I possibly know what I’m talking about?
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Sorry, I don’t buy it: I don’t think anyone living in Florida really believes that living in Florida is a full-time vacation! -rc
I think the studio presenter was trying to represent the cabin ‘purchase’ price as a monthly value to add on to the monthly service fees; the quote was “$11,000 for the cheapest cabin if you’re there 15 years”. I guess if you take on a 20% loan for $600,000 (the quoted value for the most expensive one in the video) over 15 years then your monthly repayments will get close to that number … but I can’t see any way to make the cheapest cabin price fit with those numbers.
So, “if you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t talk about it.”