Retire on the high seas? Why not? In fact, for some, it might bea way to stretch retirement savings, a cheaper alternative thangoing into an assisted living facility—and probably a whole lotmore fun.

A USA Today report finds that when it just gets too toughto maintain a household, keeping up with cooking, cleaning, andmaintenance, it might be worthwhile to throw your troublesoverboard and head for open water.

Not only could living on board a cruise ship offer excitement and travel, itdoesn’t come with the stigma of loss of independence, as assistedliving facilities often do, and it can also be just plaincheaper.

Then there are all the added benefits, like all-you-can-eatbuffets, on-board pools and gyms for what exercise you do want,companionship, entertainment and on-board doctors.

So how does it break down? According to the report, as of2017’s Genworth Cost of Care survey, anassisted living facility can run you $3,750 per month, coming toabout $45,000 a year. Cruises, on the other hand, tend to average$100 per night or even less.

For example, a 12-night cruise of the southern Caribbean,available for an average cost of $779 per person, is just $65 pernight—and for a senior couple traveling together, discounts of 50percent for the second passenger lower combined costsdramatically.

Then there are senior discounts, points for frequent cruising,and booking with a rewards credit card—all can keep costs down evenfurther, especially if you opt out of pricey extras like alcoholicdrinks or shore excursions.

While not all ships accept full-time residents, many cruiselines do make accommodations for seniors who want to becomelong-term passengers and remain on the same ship for months or evenyears at a time. Such options as Oceania’s Around the World Voyagecould also beckon—it’s a 180-day cruise happening annually fromJanuary to July.

You can save even more by moving from ship to ship to seedifferent parts of the world, embarking from different ports, andsimply putting your things in storage till you return — combinedannual costs of around $38,900 for ship accommodations and storageare more than $6,000 cheaper than assisted living.

Cruise ships have onboard pharmacies as well as medical staffand infirmaries, and what with housekeeping, prepared meals,entertainment and transportation services, you’re pretty much whereyou’d be at an assisted living facility.

Medical care isn’t covered, but then it isn’t at most assistedliving facilities either — and Medicare pays for covered servicesprovided on cruise ships if those services are obtained within sixhours of a U.S. port.

So if you’re still pretty active but just can’t deal with theheavy stuff any more, you might be better off at sea. Bonvoyage!