Seattle couple lives on cruise ships, claims it’s cheaper than a mortgage

It’s the suite life, so to speak.

A Seattle couple says they’ve been living on cruise ships because it’s cheaper than having a mortgage.

KOMO News reports how Angelyn and Richard Burk have always had the goal of traveling ‘round the globe as soon as they hit retirement age. But it was one day last year when Angelyn—an accountant by trade—was going over their finances to see just when they could accomplish this and realized something: The pair could retire then and there and live on cruise ships for just $43 a day, far below their then-living expenses.

“Our original plan was to stay in different countries for a month at a time and eventually retire to cruise ships as we got older,” explains Angelyn to Australia-based 7News. “We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense.”

Seattle Refined continues to report that, as of May 2021, the Burks quit their jobs, sold their home, and have been hopping from cruise ship to cruise ship—just a suitcase each between them—ever since.

Angelyn states that while the idea of living in what’s typically regarded a luxurious mode of transportation may seem extremely expensive to some, she and her husband have “been frugal all [their] lives” in order to make their current lifestyle possible.

“I believe this is achievable for the everyday cruiser, but it does take effort,” says she. “It is leisurely travel without the complications of booking hotels, restaurants and transportation while staying within our budget.”

The two also confirmed they won’t be returning to land any time soon.