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Joy

Couple retires to live on cruise ships because it's 'cheaper than a nursing home'

It's actually a lot cheaper than assisted living.

via Pixabay/Pexels

A couple is spending their retirement stress-free on cruise ships.

The cost of living in the United States has gone up so much in recent years that living on a cruise ship has become a reasonable idea for some retirees. When Nancy and Robert Houchens of Charlottesville, Virginia, retired, they decided to sell almost everything they had and live out their golden years hopping from cruise ship to cruise ship.

"We had a 3,000-square-foot home full of furniture...and everything we own now would fit in the back of a pickup truck," Robert told USA Today.

“We sold all of our estates except for a little condominium we have in Florida, so when we get too old to cruise, we have somewhere to live,” Nancy added. “And we did keep two vehicles, and what we kept is in half of (Robert's mother's storage unit), which is, I don't know, 10x10 or something. We just walked away from everything.”

Life on a cruise ship is stress-free for the couple because their needs are taken care of on the ship. "It's been great. I don't cook. I don't clean," Nancy told the Miami Herald.

The couple has found that living on a cruise ship isn’t as expensive as some may assume. Even though inflation has driven up the cost of travel in the U.S., it hasn’t significantly impacted the cruise industry.

“It's much cheaper than a nursing home or assisted living. It was just a good fit for us. It's a good fit for a lot of people,” Robert told the Miami Herald.

The couple plans their trips differently than someone who is going on vacation. “We look for the best deal, not the destination,” Nancy told Cruise Passenger.

The couple initially planned to spend $4,000 a month living on the ships. “Our original budget was $4,000 a month. This included gratuities. Of course, things are more expensive now, so that budget has had to increase a little. Depending on where we go, we may or may not need the internet,” she told Cruise Passenger.

“Our phone plan covers most everywhere for 25 cents a minute to call with free internet and texting,” Nancy continued. “We have an annual travel insurance plan, and one of our credit cards also has travel insurance.”

For the Houchens, living on board a cruise ship is definitely cheaper than assisted living. According to the 2020 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, the average monthly cost per person to live in assisted living in Virginia is $5,250 a month, which would cost Houchens over $10,000 a month as a couple.

Further, the roughly $4,000 the couple spends a month includes food, and they don’t have to bother paying for a car. They also try to book their cruises consecutively so they don’t waste money paying for expensive hotels when transferring between cruise lines.

Last July, the Houchens celebrated their 1,000th day sailing with Carnival Cruise Line since the 1980s, and they look forward to countless more days at sea with each other and the new friends they’ve made on their never-ending cruise.

“We cruise Carnival because of the people,” Richard told Travel Pulse. “It isn’t the destinations for us anymore, it’s the journey—and the biggest part of the journey is the people.”


This article originally appeared on 7.19.23

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Joy

Retired couple have spent almost 500 days at sea after booking 51 back-to-back cruises

"They're basically celebrities onboard."

Canva

Marty and Jess Ansen have spent nearly 500 days onboard Princess Cruise Lines

For many, if not most of us, the purpose of retirement is to sit back and enjoy life. A chance to see the world, take up new hobbies, explore what it means to simply exist without having to clock in.

So it’s almost no wonder that more and more retirees are finding themselves on cruise ships, where relaxation, adventure (and having someone else do your chores) are the name of the game.

Retired Australian couple Marty and Jess Ansen can certainly attest to this—having spent close to 500 days sailing around the world on their 51 back-to-back cruises.

That’s right. 51 cruises. Back. To. Back.

The great-grandparents told A Current Affair that they were cruise fanatics long before calling one home, and were eager to catch on the cruising they missed during Australia’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns.

Plus, their plan to spend two years onboard became a no-brainer after realizing it would be cheaper than a nursing home. Marty told their travel agent “whatever comes, just book it,” and they’ve been living it up ever since.

In addition to enjoying the perks of their morning ping-pong matches and sipping beer while basking in breathtaking views, the Ansens particularly enjoy ballroom and hula dancing.

“Where else can you go where you go for dinner, you go to a show, you go dancing?” Jess gushed. “Through the day, you have all these activities.”

At this point, Jess and Marty are pretty much beloved fixtures of the cruise itself, dubbed by the hotel managers as the “celebrities onboard.” And the duo takes their status seriously—making sure to welcome every new captain aboard.

One might wonder if there are ever bittersweet feelings about being so far away from home and family, but the couple attests that no such feelings arise.

“They’re all busy,” Jess shared, regarding their other family members. “And we’re in a place in our lives where we just want to enjoy it.”

So, aside from the occasional reunion when they touch down in a nearby port, the cruising couple are focused on having fun with each other. It’s a journey with no end in sight, for as soon as they finish touring with their current vessel, a Princess Cruises’ 2,000-passenger Coral Princess, they plan to hop onto an even bigger ship, the Crown Princess, for another year. Then..who knows…

And according to Jess and Marty, “it’s a wonderful life.”

Curious about how to make permanent cruising a reality in your own life? You might find some helpful tips here

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life
Teachers

91-year-old calculus teacher connects with students using tried and true old-school methods

"If I had a wife, she'd probably leave me within a week. I mean I'm sitting there working all night trying to grade papers. Don't have time to run around."

CBS Mornings|YouTube

91-year-old teacher is using his knowledge to connect with students.

There are some people who work well beyond retirement simply because they enjoy working. While many people look forward to retiring, not everyone is content sitting at home or spending much time traveling around the world. In fact, my own grandfather was one of those people who worked beyond retirement, ran five miles a day and boxed until he was well into his 70s.

But Lou Kokonis has surpassed people working into their 70s and even 80s. Kokonis is 91 and still working at the same high school in Virginia that he's been teaching at since 1959. We're not talking about coming in for an hour or so a day to teach a class and then going home to nap. The math teacher has a full class load, rolling in every morning before most other teachers arrive and staying up into the night to grade assignments.

Kokonis is the real deal, and while his handwriting may be a little shakier, his mind is still as sharp as ever. What's even more remarkable than his continuing to work into his 90s is the fact that he's able to build genuine connections with his students regardless of the multigenerational age gap.

Mr. Kokonis told CBS Mornings that he believes he is able to reach his students because he still offers free Saturday tutoring just like he always did. Turns out, his early arrivals and work on Saturdays are what helps keeps his students engaged, though he admitted cell phones are a challenge.

Of course, in the late 1950s, he didn't have to compete with cell phones or learn to use computers or Promethean boards, but then again, we also didn't have 50 states. In his 60-plus years of teaching, he has been a witness to ever-advancing technology in the classroom firsthand.

"To be working and teaching this long and to still like put in all this extra effort on Saturdays, I really admire that about him," Mohamed Eltireke, a student at the high school, told CBS Mornings.

At a time when there's a national teacher shortage, Mr. Kokonis is filling a vital role, and while one of the students he taught has already become a teacher and retired himself, Kokonis has no plans to do the same. He plans to finish out the year and says, "My mind is set that I'm going to do well this year and I'm going to enjoy it, and I'm going to try to come next year if they'll take me."

See Mr. Kokonis in action below:

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Joy

Co-workers prank retiring employee by dressing exactly like him. Including his bald head.

“What is wrong with you people?”

Diana Jane TikTok screenshots

Co-workers prank retiring employee by dressing like him.

Well, well, well, if it isn't one of the cutest pranks I've ever seen pulled off. (I know I started that off like I was going to say something negative, but sometimes you've gotta mix it up a little.)

Usually, when you see pranks being pulled, there's a line that can get blurred fairly quickly. Pranks can quickly go from harmless fun to questioning if the prankee is actually being hazed and we are being forced to witness it. But this prank is probably one of the most wholesome pranks ever committed. Kevin Christian was retiring and his co-workers weren't going to let him go quietly into the night.

On his last day at work at Monterey County Probation Department in California, Christian's co-workers decided the best way to send him off was to dress exactly like him—complete with a bald cap, in case he wasn't quite sure who they were all supposed to be, I'm sure. Then they uploaded their shenanigans to TikTok, where the video got over 4 million views.

"People wanted to know how we knew he was going to wear that day. We just banked on it. We had been planning this for weeks," Diana Manuel shared in a video update.

The co-worker then showed a clip of Christian on his birthday wearing the same outfit, so it's probably safe to assume he wears that outfit a lot, putting the odds in their favor. The original TikTok video is set to the "Mission Impossible" theme song and you get to see how they worked together behind the scenes buying a ridiculous number of blue shirts.

@dianajanexo

#screammovie #retirement #fyp #newyears

Christian appears to be shocked by seeing himself multiplied before clocking out one last time.

"What is wrong with you people?" the new retiree repeated.

Obviously, nothing's wrong. They're all getting to retire too. Their names are all Kevin Christian, can't you tell? It looks like Christian will be missed and his co-workers are a blast. Surly there wasn't a dull day around there too often.

See his reaction below:

@dianajanexo

Replying to @bomberolui Nothing is wrong with us 😂


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