I quit my job & sold my house to live on a cruise ship – this is how much it costs a month & what the hardest thing is

GLIDING down the aisle on a cruise ship towards my fiancé, I couldn’t wait to exchange vows. But we weren’t just there for our wedding and honeymoon – we’ll be on board for many years to come, as we both left land life behind to live on cruises all year round. Debb Knapp met husband Jeff during a week-long Caribbean cruise in February 2024 – and the connection was instant Credit: Celebrity Cruises The couple had a legal ceremony on a beach in Miami last June and in November, the captain married them on board Credit: Celebrity Cruises I went on my first one in 1995, aged 24. I’d become a mum at 17 and had my second son at 19, and while I loved motherhood, it was a lot of responsibility at a young age. So, while my kids were looked after by family members, taking a Caribbean cruise felt like luxury and freedom. I told myself: ‘Some day, I’m going to retire and live on cruise ships.’ By 2019, I’d been on 150 across seven continents, taken five transatlantic trips and visited Antarctica. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I did my government job remotely and began a side hustle renovating homes, living in each as I worked on it. I realised I didn’t need my six-bedroom house in Washington, so I sold it and most of my possessions to be able to spend as much time as possible on cruises. When work began calling people back into the office in January 2023, it felt like a crossroads. I didn’t want my freedom to end – then I realised it didn’t have to. I calculated I had just enough savings to cruise until I was 65, when my government pension would kick in. I knew, if I picked the right cruises, I could live for the same amount or less than I could on land. My kids, who’d come on various cruises with me over the years, were behind me all the way, so I booked more than a year’s worth of back-to-back cruises with Celebrity, each lasting between one and six weeks. When one ended, I’d pack up my three suitcases, disembark one ship and board another. Seven months later, during a week-long Caribbean cruise in February 2024, a handsome man struck up a conversation. The connection with Jeff, a divorced dad of three from New Jersey, was instant. Jeff sold his house and most of his possessions – and booked the same 50 cruises that Debb had already booked on to In April last year, Jeff got down on one knee on the ship’s dance floor and proposed Credit: Celebrity Cruises We chatted and laughed for hours. A few days later, he asked me to join him for dinner and we talked more. Jeff, a retired entrepreneur, had discovered cruises a few years before and fallen in love with the lifestyle. He had 34 booked for the coming year, with some land breaks in between. We were thrilled to discover we’d booked the same five back to back. He also shared how much cruise life helped with his OCD – the routine and schedules made him calmer and happier. For two months, we were together every day and quickly fell in love. When he went home for two weeks in April, I knew we’d be reunited on board soon, but I had no idea that he’d sell his house and most of his possessions – and book the same 50 cruises that I had already booked on to. Debb says she’s never been happier living on a cruise ships with the man of her dreams One of the cruise ships the couple sail on spending about £6,000 per month for all food, accommodation and entertainment Credit: Supplied That September, we moved into a shared cabin. He also travelled light with just three cases. We didn’t have any photos or trinkets, just clothes and toiletries. We both loved the freedom, and not just from chores like cleaning and laundry. People ask us why we didn’t keep our houses and rent them out, but we didn’t want anything tying us to land. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, in April last year Jeff got down on one knee on the ship’s dance floor. We had a legal ceremony on a beach in Miami last June, just the two of us, and in November, the captain married us on board. We didn’t want a huge affair, and with family across America, it would have been tricky and expensive for everyone to come, so we live-streamed it. BTW British and Irish people took a record-breaking 2.54 million cruises in 2025.* The average age of a cruise guest is 54.6.* Source: Cruise Lines International Association Missing family is definitely the hardest part of the lifestyle, but we’re able to pay for them to join us on board when they can. I persuaded Jeff to start a TikTok account in December, and we’ve been amazed at the interest. It costs £6,000 for both of us per month, and all food, accommodation and entertainment is included, which we could easily spend on land with the rocketing cost of living. Good medical insurance is a must, given the cost of a helicopter to take us to hospital if one of us were to fall ill. Living on cruise ships isn’t for everyone. But with the man of my dreams and a view of paradise from my cabin’s porthole, I’ve never been happier. Visit Weliveonacruiseship.com.