The Emperor of the Seas.
Imagine retiring early and spending the rest of your life on a cruise ship visiting exotic locations, meeting interesting people, and eating delectable food. It sounds fantastic, but surely it’s a billionaire’s fantasy, right?
Not according to Angelyn Burk and her husband Richard. They’re living their best life hopping from ship to ship for around $100 a night, depending on the cruise.
"Cruise costs vary quite a bit, our goal is to average about $100 per night, for the couple, or less across an entire calendar year," Richard told Upworthy.
The Burks have called cruise ships their home since May 2021 and have no plans to go back to their lives as landlubbers. Angelyn took her first cruise in 1992 and it changed her life goals forever.
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“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,” Angelyn told 7 News. But a few years back, Angelyn crunched the numbers and realized they could start much sooner than expected.
“We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense,” she said.
They looked into deals they could find through loyalty memberships and then factored in the potential sale price of their home and realized their dream was totally affordable.
The rough math makes sense. If the couple hits their goal of spending $100 per night to live on a cruise ship, that’s $36,500 a year. Currently, the average price of a home in Tukwila, Washington—where the couple has a house—is about $561,359.
Plus, on a cruise ship, the couple doesn’t have to pay for groceries.
A cruise ship. Photo credit: Maurício Mascaro/Pexels
The Burks are able to live their retirement dream because they’ve spent a lifetime being responsible.
“We have been frugal all our lives to save and invest in order to achieve our goal,” she said. “We are not into materialistic things but experiences.”
Angelyn said that cruising takes the stress out of travel. “It is leisurely travel without the complications of booking hotels, restaurants, and transportation while staying within our budget,” she told 7 News.
The couple travels lightly with just two suitcases between them and if they need anything, they just buy it on the ship or in the next port.
The one thing to consider before embarking on a never-ending cruise is COVID-19. The coronavirus is easily spread in close quarters. Before 2025, the CDC recommended that people get vaccinated before going on a cruise and that immunocompromised people should consult with their physicians before traveling.
Richard told Upworthy that he believes COVID-19 safety is still very important and has had both his shots and a booster. "I would suggest wearing a mask at all times when out in public no matter whether on a ship, in a movie theater, at a restaurant or even meeting with friends inside or outside," he said.
The Burks' favorite destinations, no matter how they get there, are Italy, Canada, Iceland, and the Bahamas. Their ultimate favorite place to stop? Singapore.
Singapore. Photo credit: Timo Volz/Pexels
Looking to give it all up and go on a permanent vacation just like the Burks? Angelyn has some advice for those wanting to get started.
"First and most importantly, make sure you enjoy being at sea," she said. "Cruising is not for everyone. Try different cruise lines to see what appeals to you."
This article originally appeared on 05.11.22