Offering long voyages, loyalty benefits, and hassle-free travel, cruise lines are becoming an increasingly popular retirement lifestyle choice.
How to find the best prices and offers when booking a cruise
Use these tips to find a cruise that fits your budget.
problem solved
- Many retirees choose to spend a significant portion of their time traveling on cruise ships.
- Cruises appeal to older travelers as a hassle-free way to visit multiple destinations and relax.
- Travelers can spend months at sea by booking long-term voyages like continuous voyages and world cruises.
For Heather and Paul Schlueter, retirement didn’t mean slowing down. The couple started traveling full-time in 2023, setting a goal of spending a third of the year on a cruise ship.
The couple, who were previously based in Arizona but now spend only about a month each year, also travel by plane, RV, and train, but have found that cruises play an important role in their nomadic lifestyle. Heather, 56, said: “For us, it’s an easy button. A lot of other trips are complex and require a lot of effort. When you need a break, when you want to be pampered, when you want everything taken care of, you’re like, ‘Hey, it’s time for a cruise.'”
Although interest in cruising has increased among younger passengers in recent years, older passengers still make up the majority of customers. According to the Cruise Lines International Association’s 2025 State of the Cruise Industry Report, 17% of cruise travelers were between the ages of 50 and 59, and 18% were between the ages of 60 and 69.
Cruise lines offer a wide range of voyages, including cruises lasting several months at a time, allowing travelers to spend much of their retirement comfortably on the high seas. Here’s how:
Why retirees should consider a cruise
“Cruise travel is of high interest to our members,” said Jim Lenahan, executive editor of AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. He cited a variety of reasons, from the “floating hotel” format, which allows guests to unpack their luggage just once, to the atmosphere.
“I think most commercials are targeted at a family audience, so roller coasters and water slides and all kinds of other regular activities,” he said. “But we find that a lot of the appeal for older people is the relaxing cruises, where you don’t necessarily have to do shore excursions every day, but where you can just sit back, relax, and spend time looking out at the ocean.”
Additionally, a study released by AARP found that among travelers 50 and older who will take a cruise in 2025, 71% said it would be the best way to visit multiple destinations, and 62% said a hassle-free cruise.
For frequent travelers like the Schlueters, who document their travels on their YouTube channel, cruises allow them to similarly “experience the world,” the 62-year-olds say, but also give them time to reset.
“When I’m on other trips, when I’m really busy and I’m not really paying attention to my health, sometimes when I feel like I need to, I’ll book a two-, three-, four-week cruise and do some gym time and eat delicious, healthy food,” Heather said. While cruises may have a reputation for being too luxurious, she found that many ships offer a wide range of options, including lighter fares and options for people with dietary restrictions.
“So when we say to people, ‘I’m going to go on a cruise for my health,’ people laugh, but it’s true,” she says. For older travelers with limited mobility, cruises are also an accessible way to see the world.
The Schlüters added that incorporating a cruise into a trip can be more cost-effective than other modes of transportation. “It’s often cheaper to go on a 12-day transatlantic cruise with all meals and entertainment included than it is to fly,” Heather said. Adjustments to time changes are also more gradual.
“We’re also gaining experience from that,” Paul added.
How much time can I spend on a cruise?
Travelers may think that a typical cruise lasts anywhere from three to seven nights. However, cruise lines offer a variety of options for guests to enjoy extended stays onboard.
Schlueters often do back-to-back or side-to-side cruises (the latter disembarking from one ship and boarding another on the same day). Many cruise lines also offer longer voyages, such as world cruises that visit multiple continents and last an average of three to five months. However, Royal Caribbean International’s recent Ultimate World Cruise lasted 274 nights.
Travelers can also book these itineraries in installments, allowing them to board for days, weeks, or months at a time.
There is also the concept of residential cruise ships that function like permanent homes at sea, but these are not typically operated by major cruise lines, and some cruise ships have faced operational issues.
How to spend your retirement on a cruise
Bridget Marshall, global travel manager at Audrey Travel, suggested travelers decide what kind of experience they want. “Customers should consider whether they want an adults-only ship and whether they want a more intimate experience where they can get to know other guests and crew (a ship with 200 to 400 guests would be ideal for this),” she said in an email.
Marshall recommended brands such as Holland America Line, which is “for a mature customer looking for a premium category of cruises,” and Silversea Cruises, which is looking for luxury. Passengers can mix it up, but it’s best to stick to the same policy. Travelers who sail for long periods of time can earn loyalty status with perks like free drinks and priority boarding.
Schlueters’ loyalty status with Celebrity Cruises allows them to enjoy complimentary laundry service onboard. “And for those of us who travel a lot, that’s important, but it costs money otherwise,” Heather said.
The category of the cabin is also important. It acts as a second home, especially on long journeys. Marshall said, “When booking the cruise element, we recommend choosing a higher suite category to have more space for a longer cruise or access to a butler or additional amenities.” (Some stateroom types also come with perks like complimentary laundry service).
Depending on the length of your passenger’s trip, it may be helpful to pack light. That might simply mean reducing the number of suitcases they bring, or it might mean something more extreme.
The Schlüters initially rented out their home, but after deciding to focus on traveling full-time and realizing they could make more money putting that money into the market, they sold their home and got rid of many of their belongings. They keep items hidden away in a cabin in northern Arizona that they share with their family, but otherwise travel with one backpack and one computer bag.
There are other practical considerations as well. Marshall suggested travelers “consider your mobile phone and internet needs, as it can be convenient and inexpensive to purchase an eSIM card with an international plan in advance.” The Schlüters also have an international health insurance plan that can cover medical expenses not covered by traditional plans (cruise ships also have dedicated medical staff and facilities in case a medical issue arises at sea).
The two said they spent a lot of time talking about what each other wanted in retirement and travel.
“Certainly, the extensive travel, including a long trip on a cruise ship, was great for both of us as individuals, and I think it was a sense of togetherness that you don’t get when you’re working and raising kids,” Heather said. “And we’ve made an intentional effort to say, ‘Okay, this is our time, let’s do this together.’ So I think that’s really important.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Please contact us at ndiller@usatoday.com.
