Cruise Life Prep: Your Ultimate Checklist

Cruise Life Prep: Your Ultimate Checklist

by Chris and Michael from ChartingOurCourse.com

Moving onto a residential cruise ship is an incredible adventure, but the preparation can feel overwhelming. You're not just packing for a vacation; you're coordinating a move onto a floating home that travels the world. Based on our experiences from Charting Our Course, we’ve learned that a detailed plan is the key to a smooth transition. This is the checklist we wish we'd had.


The Ultimate Residential Cruise Planning Checklist

Here are the essential areas you need to address before you set sail.


1. How Will You Handle Your Mail and Physical Address?

You need a reliable way to receive mail, from official documents to the occasional birthday card. Simply forwarding mail to a relative isn't a sustainable long-term solution.

  • Establish a Domicile: Choose a state to be your official home base, preferably one with no state income tax like Florida, Texas, or South Dakota. This will be your legal address for voting, taxes, and banking.
  • Sign Up for a Virtual Mailbox Service: Companies like Traveling Mailbox or iPostal1 provide you with a physical street address. They receive your mail, scan the envelopes (and contents, if you wish), and upload them to a secure online portal. You can then decide to have items shredded, forwarded, or opened. According to us, Chris and Michael, this was a great tool for managing our affairs from sea.
 


2. What's the Plan for Your Healthcare?

Your domestic health insurance plan will likely not cover you once you leave the country or are in international waters for an extended period.

  • Secure Global Health Insurance: Look for long-term, global health insurance plans designed for expatriates or perpetual travelers. These plans cover you in multiple countries and often include medical evacuation.
  • Onboard Medical Services: Understand the capabilities of the ship's medical center. They are equipped for urgent care but may not be suited for managing chronic conditions.
  • Prescriptions: Work with your doctor to get an extended supply of any necessary prescriptions. Also, carry digital and paper copies of your prescriptions, including the generic names, as brand names vary by country.
  • Medical Records: Obtain digital copies of your complete medical history to have on hand for any new doctors you may see in ports around the world.
 


3. How Will You Manage Your Finances and Taxes?

Managing money from a floating home requires some digital savvy and forward-thinking.

  • Notify Your Banks: Inform your banks and credit card companies of your long-term travel plans to avoid having your accounts frozen.
  • Choose Travel-Friendly Banking: Use banks and credit cards that have low or no foreign transaction fees. It's wise to have cards from different payment networks (e.g., a Visa and a Mastercard).
  • Taxes: If you're a U.S. citizen, you must file federal taxes regardless of where you live. Consult with a tax professional who specializes in expatriate taxes to understand your obligations, as noted by the IRS.
  • Go Paperless: Switch all financial statements and bills to electronic delivery to reduce the amount of mail sent to your virtual mailbox.
 


4. What About Your "Stuff"?

Downsizing is one of the biggest emotional and physical tasks before embarking.

  • Sell, Donate, or Store: You can't take it all with you. As we detailed on our DC Hidden Gems YouTube Channel before we left, we went through every single item we owned. We categorized everything into four boxes: keep (onboard), store, sell, and donate.
  • Digitize Everything: Scan important documents, photos, and sentimental papers. Store them securely in the cloud using services like Dropbox or Google Drive. This protects them and makes them accessible from anywhere.
 


5. How Will You Stay Connected and Vote?

Being at sea doesn't mean you have to be disconnected from your life and civic duties back home.

  • Connectivity: Research the ship's internet packages. Many residential ships now offer high-speed satellite internet, but it's crucial to understand the costs and limitations.
  • Voting from Abroad: As a U.S. citizen, you can vote from anywhere. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides all the resources you need to register and request an absentee ballot, which can be sent to your virtual mailbox address.
 

Tackling these details systematically will make your transition to life at sea far less stressful, allowing you to focus on the amazing journey ahead.


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