We’ll spend the next 15 years on a cruise – people think we’re mega rich but at £1.4k/month it’s cheaper than London
A MONEY-SMART couple have revealed they plan to spend the next 15 years living on an all-around-the world cruise as they escape soaring bills at home.
Johan and Lanette Canen, both 55, are now six months into the cruise and said it was a ''no brainer'' for them to live out their retirement in true style on the Villa Vie Odyssey ship.
The epic cruise is a residential style luxury around-the-world journey, pulling over at 425 ports in a 147 countries across three and a half years - and their rent guarantees them a room for more than a decade.
The loved-up duo had already been living in sunny Hawaii for ten years and were convinced they'd ''die happy there'' - but after they went on a cruise holiday, they came across the Odyssey and were ''hooked'' right away.
Johan told Mail Online: ''We had a rented cars business which we sold to be able to afford our cabin.
''People think we're ultra rich for being able to do this, but it's cheaper than our rent and living costs in Hawaii. This is for normal people.''
read more on homes
The pair have an all-inclusive stay which comes with delicious meals, drinks, WIFI and a cleaner two times a week - all for £2,716 a month for the cheapest cabin option.
They had previously come across The World, a luxury residential cruise ship for the ''super rich'' where you have to have ''millions worth of assets'' just to be considered to be added to the list, Johan claimed.
The Oydseyy was a much more affordable option.
To Lanette and Johan, the new life on the ship is about leaving their troubles behind.
Most read in Fabulous
''We don't have an exit strategy, we're both 55, we don't need things anymore. We just want adventures and experiences. We went from owning 31 cars to none,'' Johan said.
''It feels so good to have no responsibilities - we have our laundry done and get our sheets changed twice a week.''
According to Lanette, they feel like ''royalty'', as the staff even bow to them.
''There's no regrets whatsoever, I love this lifestyle,'' she added.
If you're sharing a room, it works out to be just £1,403 a month per person - what the average person might expect to fork out on rent and bills in the capital of the UK, London.
Lanette reckoned that with rent skyrocketing all across the world, this ''this is going to be the new way of living'' - especially when many people have the option to work from home.
The travelling fans are currently based in the picturesque Caribbean and have so far visited 25 countries, including Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and South America.
While a regular cruise ship will only stay at the port for a day, Villa Vie Odyssey guests get up to four days to explore the local area.
Pros and cons of going on a cruise ship
Whether you're considering a long holiday, working remotely or even living on board a cruise ship for a few months or years, here are the pros and cons from a former cruise shipper.
Pros
- Travel the world, learn and experience new cultures
- Meet new people
- Don’t have to think or worry about room cleaning, or food
Cons
- Internet connection can be painfully slow and expensive
- Limited luggage allowance so have to wear the same clothes on rotation
- Having no control of where the ship would go next and the possibility of visiting the same ports
- Having the same onboard entertainment, on-demand movies, and little choice of TV channels
- No fresh newspapers or new books unless someone adds them to the library
- Relatively the same food week after week unless major menu changes occur seasonally.
- Occasional rough seas, bad weather and viral outbreaks while inboard.
Their epic May plans include getting off at Mexico and finally visiting their one-year-old grandchild in Arizona, United States, for the first time.
During this period, the couple will sublet their cabin for ten days.
Although they're so far away from home, the cruise allows friends and family to visit them for up to 28 days completely free of charge with their own room.
The couple have made friends on the ship who they consider ''family'.
''The people here are so like-minded with shared values, and everyone comes with a story to tell,'' Jonah said.
However, living on a round-the-world cruise also has its drawbacks, such as the unpredictable weather that can make some bucket-list spots impossible to see in person.
On one occasion, Jonah told the publication, they weren't able to go to the Falkland Islands due to the weather was so bad.
In some ports it can be difficult for the boat to source certain food items for the menu and ensure every guest is happy, he added.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
But even with a few hiccups from time to time, there's no convincing the couple to give up their new exciting life.
''We're old enough to be able to do it, but young enough at heart to have this adventure,'' Johan said.
