A retired, married American couple has been living on cruise ships for nearly two years now. This is after selling their home in the Pacific Northwest because it makes more “financial sense” for them, a report reveals.
Forsaking Dry Land
American retirees Richard and Angelyn Burk, who are in their 50s, used to live in Seattle, Washington state, but one day in May 2021, they sold their home, packed their bags, and moved to… living at sea, that is, on cruise ships.
Unlike most Americans, they no longer live in one place while going on vacations from time to time.
For the Burks, it’s been the other way around. They figured out that constantly going on cruises was cheaper and made more financial sense than staying put and paying a mortgage, Oddee reported.
Angelyn Burke, who is a former accountant, shared that she and her husband, Richard, “always” considered ways to travel extensively during their retirement, which would “make financial sense” for their family.
They looked at the numbers and figured out they could spend the rest of their lives traveling and living on cruise ships, spending as little as $43.92 daily.
The report notes that since May 2021, the Burks left their home city of Seattle to go live on a permanent cruise ship “vacation” and they have been discussing their “living situation.”
As a result, the couple decided they would not be making plans to go back to residing on the US mainland any time soon.
The Seattle couple managed to fund their cruise ship lifestyle through their retirement savings and the sale of their house.
A couple Angelyn and Richard Burk,have bid farewell to living on dry land to live on cruise ships because, believe it or not, it’s cheaper than paying a mortgage.https://t.co/GTLg40wo0i pic.twitter.com/J9RLnE4NYM
— officialdoyou? (@MbamEmmanuel5) February 2, 2023
After leaving their jobs in 2021, each packed a single suitcase for their new living adventure.
The couple has already been on various cruise ships visiting places all over the world – from Canada and the Bahamas to Italy, Australia, and Singapore.
One of their cruises was a 51-day journey from Seattle to Sydney, Australia, with Angelyn sharing that one of their favorite destinations so far has been Singapore.
A Little Planning Effort Pays Off
The report reveals the original plan of the Burks was to go live in different countries and only then retire to live on a cruise ship.
However, the Seattle family soon found out that it would be cheaper for them to just constantly travel on cruise ships without relocating to other nations.
Angelyn says she and her husband Richard have no plans whatsoever to once again “live on land permanently” in the future.
A couple in their 50s has made the unconventional decision to call a cruise ship home permanently, because it is cheaper than a mortgage. Angelyn Burk, 53, and husband Richard have lived on cruise ships since May 2021 with no plans to return to life on land.
May 2022 pic.twitter.com/rRpMJk1gjh
— Michael O (@Mondomoog) December 23, 2022
Even though the couple has “big plans” for future cruise trips, the former accountant warns, while she thinks their lifestyle is “achievable” for any “everyday cruiser,” it requires “effort” to make it work.
Angelyn does point out, though, what she and Richard have been doing is “leisurely travel,” which excludes the “complications of booking” transportation, hotels, and restaurants.
At the same time, the retired family needs to watch out not to go over their budget. In a 2022 interview, Angelyn Burk told CNN they tried to remain on the same cruise ship for as long as it was possible and “cost-effective.”
The couple has a limit of spending no more than $135 per day. In early 2022, they had 86 cruise days for $89 per day, amounting to $32,485 for the year.
Data from Zillow shows a typical Seattle home costs $984,863, up by almost 18% in 2021-2022.
This article appeared in The State Today and has been published here with permission.
