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

A couple from the US have decided to pack their bags and set sail for a life at sea.

Angelyn and Richard Burk, who are originally from Seattle, embarked on this alternative life in May 2021 as they were keen to find a way to continuously and affordably travel.

And according to their number-crunching, it's actually cheaper than paying a mortgage.

Facebook/Angelyn Burk

"We love to travel, and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense," Angelyn, a 53-year-old former accountant, explained to Australia's 7News a year after their adventure began.

The couple have calculated that they can travel for the rest of their lives for as little as $62 AUD (£35.44/$43.74) a day.

So far, they've hopped on and off various cruise ships around the world, including a 51-day trip from Seattle to Sydney.

Some of their favourite spots have included 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 lifestyle, and through loyalty memberships and taking advantage of sales, they were able to retire right away.

Now they have no plans to return to living on dry land or doing nine-to-fives again.

Angelyn told CNN in April 2022 that the average cost per day in their new lives was $89 USD (£72.11), which included the price of their room, food, entertainment, transportation, tips, port fees and taxes. According to Zillow, the average price for a home in Seattle is $913,416 (£740,058).

"This is well within our retirement budget," she said.

ANP / Alamy Stock Photo

The couple's story was shared on Reddit this week, and it quickly went viral.

"My godfather and his wife did this until they passed. Nearly 20 years living abroad," one person replied.

Another user wrote: "There are older retired folks who do this cause there are doctors on board those ships and it costs less than nursing homes.

"They'll be on the same ship for months, then get onto another ship for months, just back and forth.

"Signing up for 3+ months like that the cruise lines give out large discounts, so it's much cheaper than a single week that most people would go on."

While a third agreed: "Food, medical care, cleaning services, laundry service, all for less than half of what a retirement home would cost. It's insane."