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Man decides to stop paying rent and live on a cruise ship

Author
Anna Sarjeant,
Publish Date
Thu, 22 Dec 2022, 12:23PM
More and more people are choosing to live permanently on cruise ships. Photo / Getty Images
More and more people are choosing to live permanently on cruise ships. Photo / Getty Images

Man decides to stop paying rent and live on a cruise ship

Author
Anna Sarjeant,
Publish Date
Thu, 22 Dec 2022, 12:23PM

A young man from San Diego has purchased an apartment onboard a cruise ship and claims it’s cheaper than renting in his hometown.

Most 28 year olds, in light of the economic climate and challenge to get on the property ladder (lest we forget the exorbitant avocado consumption), are not buying houses very easily.

Or cruise ship cabins for that matter.

But Austin Wells is not like most 28 year olds.

The San Diego resident has recently bought an apartment onboard the MV Narrative cruise ship because it’s cheaper than living in Southern California.

Really? Let’s crunch the maths.

Wells has purchased a 12-year lease on the ship for US$300,000 (NZ$476,000). That works out to $2100 per month: roughly the same as most San Diego rentals.

He’ll pay an extra $2100 a month for the all-inclusive lifestyle. We’re talking food, drinks, alcohol, gym membership and onboard entertainment, not forgetting more mundane necessities like laundry and healthcare.

That’s a total of $4200 per month. For everything. Including 24-hour room service.

Austin Wells is a clever man.

More and more people are choosing to live permanently on cruise ships. Photo / Getty ImagesMore and more people are choosing to live permanently on cruise ships. Photo / Getty Images

The cruise ship, which is currently being built in Croatia and due to set sail in 2025 will allow Wells to effortlessly travel the world.

Wells told CNBC “I’m going from this model where you want to go somewhere, you pack a bag, you get on a flight, you rent a room, to now my condo, my gym, my doctors and dentists, all of my grocery stores travel the world with me.”

Before you tell your landlord to relist your apartment and shell out $300k on a cruise suite, note that Wells’ job is fully remote. Working for Meta, he explains, “the thing that most excites me is I don’t have to upend my daily routine, in order to go see the world.”

Living on a cruise ship presents many opportunities to see the world. Photo / Tourism NT
Living on a cruise ship presents many opportunities to see the world. Photo / Tourism NT

Let’s hope Wells makes friends with the ship’s other permanent cruisers. According to CNBC, the MV Narrative is expected to home about 1000 residents, all living on board more or less permanently.

Because your land-based mates aren’t easily nipping over for a beer.

 

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