One British couple gave up their life in the UK paying a hefty mortgage and countless bills for a fresh start travelling on cruise ships.
Katrina and Kevin Middleton sold their £310,000 house in Scotland last month and decided to ‘see where life takes them’ by moving on to cruise ships full-time.
They both have flexible jobs that allow them to work remotely, with Katrina, 29, being a CRM marketing manager from the comfort of her luxury cabin and Kevin, 43, working as an IT consultant.
Sailing back-to-back since September 2025, the pair have visited the Caribbean, Mauritius and Miami.
Voyaging around the world to dreamy destinations actually works out much cheaper for the couple, who have swapped worries about bills and petrol for ocean views.
At first, they unlocked cash by downsizing from a £310,000 home to a £200,000 house in September last year.
But their monthly outgoings in the UK were proving to be extortionate. Their bills racked up racked up to a whopping £6,510 a month as it included their £1,300pcm mortgage, £2,500pcm on two cars, and £600 energy bills.
Katrina says cruising actually works out cheaper for the couple than living back in the UK because they no longer have to worry about bills or petrol.
Married couple Katrina and Kevin Middleton (pictured) sold their £310,000 house in Scotland last month and decided to ‘see where life takes them’ by cruising full-time
Katrina says cruising actually works out cheaper for the couple than living back in the UK because they no longer have to worry about bills or petrol
Meanwhile, on the ship they only around £4,500 a month, which includes the cruise itself, Wi-Fi and excursions.
A downside to the lifestyle however, is they have to stick to UK working hours which can differ greatly to the time zone they might be in, forcing them to wake up at ‘silly o’clock’ to log on.
Katrina describes the move as ‘the best decision we could’ve made’ and insists, ‘we’re definitely a lot happier’.
‘My love for cruises started a long long time ago but I think we love the fact you unpack once and you get to see the world and there’s so many different travelling opportunities,’ she says.
‘We realised this is more affordable and we’re actually saving money while travelling. We knew we didn’t want to stay in Scotland so we realised cruising is giving us this opportunity.’
She explains how they have no plans to return to traditional living and are already planning cruises for 2027.
Katrina admits, ‘It was a bit daunting at first. It’s the fear of the unknown whereas now I’m really excited to get going and just wanting out of Scotland.
‘I think people have an opinion on cruising when they’ve not even been on a cruise that it’s for older people, it’s boring and you’re stuck on a ship but it’s not like that at all.
‘We went to Mauritius and places that have always been on my bucket list and just never thought I’d actually get to but cruising made it possible.’
They only take annual leave if there is a port stop they really want to see and they have a spreadsheet to keep track of what time zone they are in so they can complete their UK working hours.
Katrina describes the move as ‘the best decision we could’ve made’ and insists, ‘we’re definitely a lot happier’
Katrina and Kevin’s monthly costs at home vs on a cruise At home
Mortgage: £1,300
Council tax: £200
Energy bills: £500/£600
Cars (PCP, insurance, tax, charging): £2,500
Groceries: £300
Broadband: £60
Coffees and eating out: £300/£400
Pilates/fitness classes: £150
Other bills: £1,000
Total: £6,510
On cruise
Cruise fare (accommodation, all food, entertainment): around £4,000
WiFi: around £350-400ish (depends on the deals)
Excursions: anywhere from £0-£300.
Total: £4,400 – £4,700
Katrina says, ‘I think people think you’re not actually working and you’re just sitting by the pool having a cocktail but when you’re working, you’re working.
‘People think there’s more distractions but it depends where you place yourself on a cruise ship.
‘There’s always distractions but you find a quiet spot and we’ve found we’re more productive and then when the day is done we feel like we switch off a lot better than when we’re home.
‘When you’re home you never fully switch off and you’re still in that environment. On the cruise there’s less stress.’
Back in the UK, Katrina says she felt ‘restricted’ with her ‘little’ annual leave days and feels at home she ‘wouldn’t be able to see half of the amount of sights and places’.
Despite the dreamy lifestyle, Katrina admits she sometimes finds it difficult due to missing her family as well as comforts such as home cooked meals.
Katrina said: ‘I am close with my family so I definitely miss my family and little things like your home comforts.
‘Cruise ship food is unreal but nothing beats a home cooked meal. Even like the coffee and tea and little things like that.
‘There are not a lot of negatives at all. We’ve met so many amazing people and had amazing experiences.
‘I’d recommend others to follow our path. It’s good we’re encouraging other people to look at it but you still get a lot of people who are still so small minded about it all.
‘We’d always recommend testing [your remote set-up] out on a shorter cruise and making sure it’s for you and you’ve got everything you need.’
Source link
CHECK OUT: Top Travel Destinations
READ MORE: Travel News
