Living in London or on a Cruise Ship – Which is Cheaper?

Over the past few years, luxury cruising has won itself a reputation as an incredibly cost effective way to travel. In comparison, the cost of living in London has sky-rocketed to an unbelievable high. With a little research and number crunching, we’ve discovered that the cost of living on a cruise ship comes in at significantly cheaper than the cost of living in Britain’s pricey capital.

While we’re not suggesting that everyone shuts up shop and heads for the high seas, it does prove that cruising is an incredibly cost effective way to travel, no matter where you live!

Breaking the bank in the big smoke

According to Expatistan, the cost of monthly rent for an 85 m² (900 Sqft) furnished accommodation in a normal area is £1,962. One month of utilities comes in at £177, plus public transport at around £130. Throw in £200 worth of food and £200 on leisure activities/entertainment, and you’ve quickly racked up a huge £2700 worth of monthly expenses. With extras such as council tax, gym memberships, vehicle expenses, household items and other services, and you’re soon looking at almost £2900 a month. This equates to around £97 a day.

Alternatively, embarking on an all-inclusive round the world cruise for 120 days costs around £10,624, and that’s including a 25% singles supplement. That rings in at just £88.50 a day. For couples wanting to switch life in the big smoke for months on end of sailing, it’s even cheaper. Similarly, a 14 night Central Mediterranean cruise on Independence of the Seas is currently selling for £699 per person, which equates to just £50 a day. Fancy heading to Spain, the US and the British Virgin Islands? With Norwegian’s 21 night ‘Best of the Caribbean’ cruise passengers can live the high life just over £76 a day. And this is just the beginning of what’s on offer…

A cheaper way to travel (or live)

Living on a cruise ship may sound like a farfetched idea, but for plenty of cash savvy, luxury seeking travellers, it’s a reality. Beatrice Muller is a well-known British cruise ship resident who lived on Cunard’s QE2 for eight years.

“My priorities on this ship are ballroom dancing, playing duplicate bridge, and trying not to eat – not necessarily in that order,” she revealed in an interview with Telegraph Travel in 2006.

In 2015, 86-year-old US resident Lee Wachtstatter also confirmed that she’d spent a decade aboard Crystal Serenity, describing it as a “stress-free, fairy-tale” lifestyle.

“My husband Mason introduced me to cruising,” Wachtstatter added. “He was a banker and real estate appraiser and taught me to love cruising. During our 50-year marriage we took 89 cruises. The day before my husband died of cancer in 1997, he told me, ‘Don’t stop cruising’. So here I am…”

Ready to live an at-sea dream?

Get in touch with Cruise 1st on 0808 2746 777 today for incredible deals on both short and multi month itineraries sailing across the globe. We look forward to hearing from you!