Topics: Travel, Money, Property, Life, Cruise ship
A man is considering selling his apartment because he's found a cheaper alternative on a cruise ship.
It's not new information that rent prices are on the up because of inflation, with the average monthly rent in cities like Los Angeles for a one-bed apartment being $2,153 as of November 2024, according to Apartments.com.
Meanwhile in Florida, where Ryan Gutridge has an apartment in Fort Lauderdale, the average rent of two-bedroom apartment in Florida cost $1,557 (as of May 2024).
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And while Florida might be a bit cheaper than other places in the US, Ryan's found an even more affordable alternative out a sea.
The IT cloud-solution engineer started working remotely from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in 2021, and has been living his best life onboard ever since.
In the years that have followed, Ryan's spent 300 days of the year on a cruise ship rather than his Fort Lauderdale home.
Speaking to Insider last year, Ryan shared exactly how he's able to live such a lavish life at sea, and he also shared his ambitions to sell his apartment by 2025.
“I wanted to really look at the cost of cruising full-time before I began. I have a spreadsheet that automatically records all my expenses, which helps,” he said.
“I also set a budget every year. This year, my base fare budget is about $30,000, and last year when I started really looking at the numbers and evaluating how much base fare I paid to be on a ship for 300 nights, I found it was almost neck-and-neck with what I paid for rent and trash service for an apartment in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.”
Speaking about his future plans, Ryan indicated he was fully committed to cruise living and was taking steps to sell his apartment and car.
“I've scaled back my cruising budget for next year because of inflation, but by 2025 I'd like to get rid of my apartment, sell my car, and purchase a scooter that I'll store at a friend's garage. When I'm home, I'll have groceries delivered, and if I need to go somewhere farther away, I'll be happy to just take an Uber or Lyft.”
For those looking to emulate his lifestyle choice, Ryan has said its important to try different brands, but once you have found one you like, stick with it in order to take full advantage of the loyalty perks.
“My drinks and internet are free. I found that Royal Caribbean has, by far, the most valuable benefits to me — discounts, free internet, and free drinks,” he said.
“Because of the loyalty program, I'll actually spend less money cruising this year than I did last year, even though I cruised more.”
What a time to be alive.
