Woman who sold all belongings to live permanently on cruise ship shares ‘true’ cost per month
A woman who made the decision to live permanently on holiday has revealed how much it costs per month.
We're all living vicariously through Lynnelle, who packed in her career to go travelling full-time as a content creator on YouTube.
After taking the leap to go cruising in July 2024, she was able to monetise her channel in just a few months, and now has over 100k subscribers.
Lynnelle has proved that her unconventional lifestyle can be relatively affordable, calling her journey 'from poverty to paradise'.
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She documents on YouTube how she manages to live comfortably and travel the world while keeping her monthly expenses as low as possible.
In May 2025, Lynnelle spent the month aboard the Carnival Valor, sailing from New Orleans to Barcelona for the ship’s dry dock and then preparing to return across the Atlantic.
She typically budgets $65 per day, which covers her cruise fares, port fees, taxes, and gratuities. Extras such as WiFi, clothes, or small luxuries are tracked separately under a $500 'miscellaneous' allowance.
The 16-day Carnival Valor cruise cost just $373, and then she got $200 back in onboard credit.
A brief three-night hotel stay in Barcelona cost $419, but the rest of her housing for the month was free, thanks to reward points covering her stay in Vietnam from May 14 to 31.
With food costs of only $57 and minimal local transport, her non-vacation expenses totalled $1,376, well below her $2,000 goal.
And during that one month, she earned $5,900 in ad revenue and $400 from memberships and donations, easily covering her budget.
Over the past year, since posting that video, her channel has attracted 5.3 million views and earned more than $51,000.
“I’ve spent 252 days on cruise ships in the last 11 months. The total of those cruises so far was $10,089 — that’s just the cruise fare itself. If you divide that by 252 days, that means I spend an average of $40 per day,” she explained.
“If you think about it, that’s $1,200 a month for housing and utilities — and food is included.
“The average American pays more than $917 per month for housing, utilities, and food, and they don’t get to go to all these different islands that I get to go to.
“Normally my travel goal is to spend no more than $2,000 a month, which covers everything — room, food, entertainment, and travel.
“I also have a separate budget — it was $500 a month — for my other expenses like my cell phone, clothes, hair supplies, or if I play in the casino.”
On the biggest difference, she said: “Living on cruise ships, my average cost per day is about $40 for housing, food, and entertainment. You can’t do that on land.
“For me, it’s not about living cheap — it’s about living free.”
Topics: Cruise Ship, Travel
Anish Vij