A UK-based cruise company has created a retirement cruise package that makes it possible to spend your golden years on a continuous world cruise, and for only £140 more per month than it would cost to retire “on land”.

High retirement costs mean that for just £4,439 more a year, bungalows would be swapped for the Queen Mary, bingo halls for the Captain’s table and dreary never-ending rain would be replaced by tropical sunshine.

The cruise package is based on new research that compares the cost and quality of life of traditional retirement, versus that on the ocean.

Based on a 12-month itinerary by Bolsover Cruise Club, retirees could expect to tour New Zealand’s stunning scenery, spend more than three weeks a year in the Caribbean, and explore South East Asia on an annual basis. These exotic locations would all be visited while aboard some the world’s finest cruise ships, boasting amenities such as 24/7 entertainment, gyms, spas and fine dining.

Other annual highlights of retiring at sea include:

Travel to five continents

Celebrate New Year in the Canaries

Luau on Hawaii’s beaches

Winter in European Christmas markets

Research by Bolsover calculated the expected cost of “normal” retirement, including several common luxuries – running a car, two-week holiday abroad, gym membership, dining out and monthly entertainment. The average cost of these luxuries was added to standard living costs, including food and accommodation payments, to give an average annual total of £30,000.

Based on the UK average wage of £26,500, a career starting at age 22, and taking in the state pension value, in theory you would have been required to save an average of £711 per month to afford the cost of a “normal” retirement.

In comparison, Bolsover’s retirement itinerary costs £34,439, which would require the same person to save £850 per month – an increase of just £139 per month. 

Michael Wilson, managing director of Bolsover Cruise Club, said: “Cruises are traditionally popular with people looking to enjoy their retirement. Not only do they offer a fantastic way to see the world, there’s always something going on on-board with the crew and fellow passengers offering a sense of community that perhaps they wouldn’t get at home.

“As holiday-based retirements go, full-time cruising is very practical, with the bigger ships boasting sophisticated on-board medical centres.

“Obviously, there are clear attractions of spending your post-work years on a non-stop holiday, however you might presume that it’s something only the super-wealthy can do. Our research shows that this isn’t the case, due to the high cost of what we’ve dubbed “normal” retirement, so in fact it’s very achievable.

“Once we’d seen this, we thought we had to create a package that if someone wanted to retire on the sea they could do so, and for it to be a convenient experience… so that’s what we’ve done.”

See the full retirement cruise itinerary here.