This woman is living on a cruise ship - why she doesn't want to get off
Updated . First published
For most of us, a cruise offers a nice break from real life for a week or two, where you can kick back on the high seas and enjoy a holiday.
But for some, it’s their everyday life. Like Sharon Lane, who’s spent the past year living on a cruise ship, and never wants to go back to the ‘real world’.
Sharon Lane has given up life on land. Sharon Lane
Sharon, a retired school teacher, moved into her new home aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey last year and said that it’s been “heaven” ever since.
She told CNN she feels “removed from the real world” – and that’s the way she likes it.
“If the real world is driving a car to the gas station and seeing the prices are huge now, if the real world is going to the supermarket and standing in a long line, if the real world is paying bills, and worrying about what’s happening in places, then no, thank you,” she said.
The Villa Vie Odyssey is a residential vessel, so rather than booking short trips on board, passengers can purchase cabins and live on the ship full-time. A five-year cabin ownership starts at around $87K, and full ownership prices start at $145K.
Residents also pay roughly $3000 in monthly fees, though Sharon did the calculations and found it cheaper than living back in California, where she’s from.
After working hard for decades, Sharon said she’s finally living her dream life after pouring her savings into buying a cabin. “This is for people who want a slower pace, a way to see the world but live with fewer responsibilities,” she said.
“If I won the lottery, I would simply buy the cabin next to mine, open a door between the two cabins, and turn that one into a closet.”
Monthly fees cover on-board food, soft drink, alcohol at meals, housekeeping, laundry, and medical visits.
The Villa Vie Odyssey a residential cruise ship offering a continuous world cruise. Villa Vie
Besides getting a break from reality, Sharon said one of the best things about being on board is the people she’s met.
“Dinner lasts a long time here because we use mealtime as social time, so you sit with people, and you eat your meal, and you take an hour and a half, maybe two hours,” she said.
Interior cabins start from about $87k. Villa Vie
There are also weekly trivia and karaoke nights, bridge tournaments, movie screenings, and plenty of other activities to keep the residents entertained.
Though Sharon steers clear of most of the organised events, claiming they’re not really her cup of tea, she loves being on board the ship, and has even found a favourite chair in one of the ship’s hallways by a window, where she loves to curl up with a book.
The ship stops in at ports across the world, from Hawaii to Hobart, but Sharon says she often stays aboard rather than getting off to explore. She told CNN that she chose a cruise ship as a home because of how much she loves the sea views, much more than visiting new places.
