Couple decide to live on cruise ship permanently after finding it's cheaper than paying mortgage

If you're struggling to pay off your mortgage, there could be a cheaper (and, arguably, more exciting) alternative for you.

It's not new information that housing prices have been on the increase in recent years - with your average home in the US now costing $417,700, as of late 2023.

With the price of houses in mind, one couple decided to ditch their Seattle home in favor of a life at sea.

No, they didn't become pirates; instead Angelyn and Richard Burk chose to live on cruise ships.

The Burk’s adventure began in May 2021 and according to their research, this unusual method of living on cruise ships is much prettier on their pockets and bank accounts than paying off a mortgage.

“We love to travel, and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense,” Angelyn, a former accountant, explained to Australia’s 7News a year after their adventure began.

Both Angelyn and Richard are in their 50s and realized they could continue their love of travelling for the rest of their lives, travelling for as little as $62 AUD ($40 USD, £32) a day.

As of 2021, Angelyn and Richard have lived on cruise ships. (Angelyn Burk)

They've hopped on and off various cruise ships around the world, including a 51-day trip from Seattle to Sydney. Some of their top spots have been Singapore, Italy, Canada and the Bahamas.

“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 explained.

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

The couple live a frugal life, and thanks to their loyalty memberships and by taking advantage of sales, they could retire right away.

They don’t plan to return to living on dry land or doing nine-to-fives again (and I don't blame them!).

The couple found that their cruise ship lifestyle was within their retirement budget. (Angelyn Burk)

Angelyn told CNN in April 2022 that the average cost per day was $89 USD, which included the price of their room, food, entertainment, transportation, tips, port fees and taxes.

According to Zillow, at the time of writing, the average Seattle home value is $879,412 - up 2.2 percent over the past year.

“This is well within our retirement budget,” Angelyn added, explaining that going on a bunch of cruises has helped their funds thanks to loyalty schemes.

Talk about savvy.

Topics: Life, Travel, Cruise ship

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

@niamhshackleton