Interesting idea!

Slainte · August 14, 2005

About 2 years ago, two friends of mine were on a cruise through the Mediterranean aboard a Princess liner. At dinner, they noticed an elderly lady sitting alone along the rail of the grand stairway in the main dining room. They also noticed that all the staff, ships officers, waiters, busboys, etc., all seemed very familiar with this lady. They asked their waiter, who the lady was, expecting to be told that she owned the line, but he said he only knew that she had been on board for the last four

cruises, back to back.

As they left the dining room one evening they caught her eye and stopped to say hello. They chatted and my friend asked, "I understand you've been on this ship for the last four cruises?" She replied, "Yes, that's true." My friend stated, "I don't understand," and she replied; without a pause, "It's cheaper than a nursing home."

So, there will be no nursing home in my future. When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per

day. That leaves $65 a day for:

1. Gratuities, which will only be about $10 per day.

2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service (which means I can have breakfast in bed every

day of the week, if I want to!

3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night

4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.

5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5/day worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

6. I will get to meet new people every 7 or 14 days.

7. T.V. broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience.

8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.

9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare; if you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they'll upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

10. Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name anywhere you may want to visit. Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.

PS: And don't forget, when you die, they can just dump you over the side at no charge

cruisinmama · August 14, 2005

LOL....I'm in.....as my kids would stick me in some crappy home anyway..lol..

They say they won't but yeah I bet they would..lol..

:wink:

JoeyandDavid · August 14, 2005

Hi Slainte,

Can you imagine...That lady knows how to think outside the box! I love it.

But wait I have questions.!!

At $135 per day that averages to $4106.25 per month or some $49,275 per year.

Would Social Security pay for this new retirement home? or do I need to have other means? What happens if a major illness comes up? Would the Ship Board doctors be prepared for such long term care? Would private insurance need to be obtained?

Although, I love the thought of using a cruiseline as my "nursing home<]"

I do have the feeling this woman could have picked any "home<]" she wanted sounds like she had a large nest egg, or maybe she was an old lady having some fun teasing your friends!

Either way .."can you Imagine what a wonderful way to spend your last years!"

Thanks for sharing Slainte.

hamster92256 · August 14, 2005

Sign me up, I'll have to see if the private insurance that I have will cover the expenses!!

teacp · August 15, 2005

Maybe we could get a group rate but then again I will be there before any of you guys

KeithnRita · August 15, 2005

On our last cruise, the Zaandam, there was a retired lady living on the ship. Her name was Mama Lou. She used a wheeled walker with a bicycle horn. Her cabin was just a few doors down from us. She had to get off for 1 month because the ship went into dry-dock. She was to board again after the Super Bowl.

Shari2 · August 15, 2005

It sounds good to me! :grin:

GottaCruz · August 15, 2005

Count me in. Maybe we can be neighbors on the same deck and even start a knitting and crocheting club on board. If hubby is too tired, anyone else like to disco???