A couple has traded a normal life on land for the excitement of spending their days on cruise ships travelling the world.
While many who have been bitten by the travel bug can only manage to set aside as much time and funds as possible for their holidays, Angelyn and Richard Burk, a couple from Seattle, have decided to turn their lives upside down in order to live on a neverending journey.
Since May 2021, the pair – both in their 50s – began their life at sea, going from one cruise ship to another in order to visit all corners of the world.
Originally, the Burks hadn’t meant to immediately get on cruises.
Mrs Burk, a former accountant, told Australia’s 7News one year into their continuous journey by sea: “Our original plan was to stay in different countries for a month at a time and eventually retire to cruise ships as we got older.
“We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense.”
However, as she started crunching numbers Mrs Burk realised she and her husband could retire immediately and begin their journey on cruises thanks to their frugal lifestyle paired with loyalty memberships and promotions as well as their own savings and the anticipated sale of their home in Seattle.
Mrs Burk said their current dream life is “well within” their retirement budget.
Moreover, life on a cruise is financially convenient to the Burks when considering that while cruising, the price they pay includes their accommodation, food, entertainment, transportation, tips, port fees and taxes.
Speaking enthusiastically about cruising around the world, Mrs Burk said: “We really enjoy cruising and being able to visit different parts of the world without hopping on an airplane.”
The pair, who aren’t into “materialistic things but experiences”, left for their first cruise trip as retirees carrying only one suitcase each.
Securing trips for, at times, as little as £31 a day, the Burks visited Italy, Singapore, Canada, Iceland and the Bahamas among other destinations.
The pair have to plan meticulously each trip in order to be always at sea – and when they can’t immediately line up their next cruise trip, they spend their short stays on land, often with family and friends.
Mrs Burk acknowledged this life “does take effort” but pays off, as it offers leisure travel “without the complications of booking hotels, restaurants and transportation, while staying within our budget”.
