Rent is no joke in Florida right now. But Ryan Gutridge has flipped the script entirely, living his dream life on a cruise ship.
He lives on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas for over 300 nights a year, only taking a few weeks off during the holidays. Gutridge is viewing sunsets from a deck somewhere between ports, while other folks are sweating over utility costs and rent increases.
Ryan Gutridge, an IT professional from Florida, chose to make the ocean his home. He spends about 300 days each year living on Royal Caribbean cruise ships and says it actually costs less than renting an apartment in Florida. pic.twitter.com/bveP7mDtMB
— Fact Point (@FactPoint) October 31, 2025
His yearly cruise base fee of about $30,000 was nearly equal to the rent and garbage service he had paid for an apartment in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when he began adding up the figures. For comparison, a one-bedroom condo in Fort Lauderdale presently costs about $2,245 per month, or about $27,000 annually. It's not as big as you might assume.
He works full-time in IT as a cloud solutions engineer, directly from the ship. "I do meetings in the morning and afternoons, but I can also go to lunch and socialize or meet people at the gym," he told Insider. "I've even met people that I stay in contact with and that have come back and cruised on this ship with me multiple times since."
A penny saved is a penny earned, and Gutridge has figured out how to make this way of life financially viable. What's the secret sauce? Loyalty programs, apparently. "I've advanced in Royal Caribbean's loyalty program as a result of my frequent cruises with the company. "My internet and drinks are free," he remarked. You actually spend less the more you cruise, who could've thought?
There's something else that's paying dividends beyond the wallet. Gutridge says living and working on a cruise ship has genuinely improved his mental health. "Working from home was isolating. I don't have kids or pets, so it's easy to become somewhat introverted, but cruising has really helped and made me a lot more social," he said. Remote work loneliness? Solved — with 1,300 built-in neighbors.
"I have a strong relationship with the crew on this ship," he said. "It's become a big family, and I don't want to rebuild those relationships on another ship — I joke that I have 1,300 roommates."
Ryan Gutridge traded his rent and monthly bills for life at sea. The IT worker now spends close to 300 nights a year on Royal Caribbean ships, paying roughly $30,000 annually — about the same as his old rent. Instead of commuting, he starts his mornings with ocean views, fresh… pic.twitter.com/AxJWkhcqOL
— HOT 97 (@HOT97) November 13, 2025
Gutridge's life on board isn't just one long vacation either. Monday through Friday, he works, eats healthy, and hits the gym. On weekends, he lets loose. If the ship docks somewhere he loves, he'll take a PTO day and go sightseeing. It's a disciplined rhythm that even the most regimented desk jockey would respect.
"If people are going to do something like what I do, I recommend trying different brands because they all offer something different. But once you commit to one, you should stick to it so you reach those loyalty levels," he said.
As the cost of living keeps climbing on land, Gutridge is proof that living on water might become a viable option in the future.
