These retirees enjoy life on cruise control

The waiters know her favorite dish. They serve the soup without asking her choice. Later, they automatically serve her tea instead of coffee. As she walks through the cruise-ship lounge on her way to the evening show, bartenders ask about her grandchildren.

Why is she so well known to the crew? Because she is on her ninth consecutive one-week cruise aboard the same ship.

At $499 per week, plus taxes and fees of $43.68 per cruise, it is cheaper to live aboard a ship than just about any other stylish form of retirement living.

I’ve often heard of people who live aboard a cruise ship, but I’ve never met one. It makes sense. By buying the bargain cabins that some big cruise ships offer on their weekly departures from Miami, you could theoretically live at sea for several months for less money than on land.

To confirm the mathematics, turn to a listing of discount cruises. I used a list carried by Southwest Airlines, on its site, www.southwest.com, then went to “Inside Southwest.com” and clicked on “book cruises.” When the cruise finder page opens, go to the link listed “cruise special offers.” (I used Southwest’s offers not because they are necessarily cheaper than others but because they are comprehensive and displayed in clear style.)

By choosing Miami departures, I was able to find several ships offering special seven-night bargains for $499 in inside cabins. They were on consecutive sailings extending for two months and more. After circling the Caribbean, the ships return on the morning of the eighth day and depart again that afternoon.

How does life aboard a cruise ship compare with the routines in a senior apartment house or in a retirement bungalow somewhere such as Sun City, Ariz.?

The food is better. There is professional entertainment. Your shipmates change every week, and you meet people of all backgrounds. During the day, if you stay aboard the ship, you can attend classes.

If you leave the ship on arrival at a Caribbean port, you can enjoy a stroll in exotic surroundings before reboarding. A ship’s doctor and a small clinic/hospital are available. A ship’s newspaper is free each morning. Multiple lounges and deck chairs are there for relaxation; a small library offers free books to read.

At $499 a week, plus $43.68 in taxes and fees, the yearly cost amounts to $28,219. Add $75 a week in tips, and you are still under $33,000. Last time I checked, the average senior facility cost at least $35,000 a year.

I have spoken with several cruise brokers who tell me they occasionally receive calls from senior citizens looking for several months aboard a ship making continuous cruises.

Although in many cases such bookings require special negotiation with cruise-line supervisors, a special rate will usually be arranged. Although a particular week may cost more than $499, a week’s price occasionally drops to $449 or lower. And although it’s best to cruise with a companion, avoiding a single-room supplement, some cruise lines will happily negotiate to snare these multi-week bookings.

The quest for economy has no limits; if a bargain can be found, Americans will find it.