An Orange County retiree made her dream of ocean living a reality when she moved onto a cruise ship for the next 15 years.
Speaking to NBCLA Tuesday from her current port in Vancouver, Sharon Lane said her decision to board the Villa Vie only took her about 10 minutes.
“Not only was it affordable to me, it would actually cost me less money to live here like this, have everyone taking care of me instead of me taking care of everybody,” said the 77-year-old retired foreign language teacher.
Lane said when her lease expired in Laguna Woods, a popular retirement community in Orange County, she decided to buy a villa onboard the Villa Vie, which the cruise line calls the “only affordable residential cruising option offering this lifestyle.”
Lane said she has also lived in Los Angeles and San Bernardino.
She moved onto the ship on June 16.
Lane didn’t want to disclose exactly how much she paid, but the company said an interior villa like hers is priced at $129,999, which is a one-time fee. Residents pay monthly fees as low as $3,000 which covers everything – meals, beer and wine, housekeeping, laundry, WiFi, daily activities and full access to all ship amenities and facilities, according to Villa Vie.
“All the chores you do in life? Done!” said Lane. “If you put your to-do list on a piece of paper and you cross off anything that wasn’t a fun activity, then you end up with the life we have now.”
Lane said she has children and grandchildren who were all “on board” with her decision to live as a retiree at sea.