I bought a home on a cruise ship and will sail the world by myself

When it comes to retirement, many boomers will downsize and invest in over-55 or retirement communities where they can simplify their lifestyles.Others go much more adventurous.Count Debra Kilgore, 63, among the adventurous.

She bought a $1.9 million home on a cruise ship that will perpetually sail the world, with residents voting on where to go next, and she will live on it alone.“I’m really looking forward to being on the ship by myself,” Kilgore tells Realtor.com.The mother of two adult children and two grandchildren is long divorced and enjoys solo travel, which she says gives her more flexibility.“You can go anywhere you want, and not worry about what someone else wants to do,” she says.Kilgore owns a motorhome that she loves taking around the U.S.

with just herself and her 9 year-old dog, Choo Choo Bella.“She has been to Canada, all the Hawaiian islands, and most of the continental U.S.,” she says of the dog.But Choo Choo Bella’s grandest adventure awaits when Kilgore sets sail aboard Storylines’ MV Narrative, a residential cruise ship scheduled to depart in 2027.Pets are allowed.

There is a vet onboard! Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update.Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story.

Kilgore, who lives in Parker, AZ, on the Colorado River, has been fascinated by the idea of living on a cruise ship ever since a friend of hers bought a unit on the first residential cruise liner, The World.That highly secretive residential yacht set sail in 2002.Reportedly, residents must be worth at least $10 million to gain entry and be sponsored by someone already living aboard.Kilgore says when she heard that her friend was living aboard the ship, she thought, “Oh, how fabulous.” At the time, she was raising four children, running a business (a resort called Bransons), and una...