Couple sold house to live on cruise ships for $100 a day

Richard and Angelyn Burk gave up their mortgage to travel full time. Picture: Facebook

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A couple have opened up how they sold their home four years ago to live on cruise ships for as little as AUD $60 a day.

Angelyn and Richard Burk used to live in Seattle but now travel the world by hopping cruise ship to cruise ship.

They made the huge call to sell their house in May 2021 after coming to the realisation a cruise was much cheaper than owning a home.

Angelyn, 54, told CNN Travel the couple had always planned on travelling in retirement but no like this.

“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,” she said.

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Richard and Angelyn Burk can travel for as little as $60 a day. Picture: Facebook

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“We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense.”

The Burk’s generally take on huge cruises that span months at a time.

Some of their trips have included a 51-day cruise from Seattle to Sydney, as well as 50 days around the Adriatic Sea.

“When planning out cruises, I try to stay on the same ship as long as possible, as long as it is cost-effective,” Angelyn said.

Despite budgeting a maximum spend of around AUD $190 a day, Angelyn said some days can come to as little as $60.

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Richard and Angelyn Burk have a cruise lifestyle that puts them in places like this. Picture: Facebook

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Their average of AUD $125 a day includes their room, food, entertainment, transportation, gratuity, port fees, and taxes.

This works out much cheaper than a mortgage, coming in at about $45,535 a year.

“This is well within our retirement budget,” Angelyn said, adding the fact they book frequent cruises has led to the couple being offered deep discounts on future trips through loyalty programs.

Choosing to live aboard a cruise ship is becoming increasingly popular among retirees who want to see the world without having to maintain a costly home.

Many opt to buy into residential cruise ships rather than hopping from ship to ship like the Burks.