Comparing the Numbers

MetLife Mature Market Institute’s 2008 Survey showed that for nursing homes, the average daily rate is $212 for a private room, or $77,380 a year. For assisted living communities, it’s $36,372 a year, or about $100/day. The numbers are higher if you want a nursing home in Alaska ($577/day) or assisted living in southern Maine ($56,496/year); they’re lower if you choose a nursing home in Louisiana ($127/day) or assisted living in North Dakota ($23,760/year).

So what about cruise ships prices? There are two directions to go with this. One is booking continuous trips on vacation cruise liners; the other is buying a home on a residential cruise ship from companies touting their floating cities. The latter is quite pricey, so we’ll stick with the first option and direct you to the Aboard the World and Cruise Resort Clubs Web sites for more information on the second.

A check of cruise line Web sites as well as Cruise Critic yielded a variety of numbers (minus taxes and other fees). For example, a 111-day world cruise on Holland America starts at $19,034, or $171/day. Princess offers a 104-day world cruise starting at $17,990, or $173/day. A 101-day trip on the Queen Mary 2 starts at $21,666, or $214/day. A Dallas Morning News article noted that if you sailed on the Azamara Quest from February 1, 2008, to January 31, 2009, an inside cabin would start at $75,000. That’s $205/day.

Last-minute deals are always available; in the current economy, prices may continue to fluctuate.