Oceanic Retirement Communities of America (ORCA) announced that it has started taking reservations for its programs will allow seniors to own a condo on a private residential cruise ship that also provides both the Independent and Assisted Living accommodations typically found in land-based facilities. The ORCA Lifestyle Cruising Program will provide the healthcare aspects of traditional retirement facilities on private resident-owned cruise ships to be home ported in various coastal Florida cities.
Seniors would enter the program just as they would a typical Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) with a nominal entrance fee and subsequent monthly Residents’ Care fees, but would live aboard the cruise ship until eventually health issues would necessitate their moving into a skilled nursing facility ashore. Unlike a CCRC, a senior would have ownership of their unit and have the ability to pass it along to their estate. The first ship will enter service sometime late Summer or early Fall and will take frequent cruises to the Bahamas and Central America. Enrollment pricing in the ORCA Lifestyle Cruising Program varies from $259-499,000 for 2 people. Monthly Residents’ Care Fees are about the same or a little less than conventional retirement facilities.
"People retire to Florida for three things mainly … warm sunshine, golf, and the water," states Mel Medina, President of ORCA. "This is a unique package that provides for all that plus a wellness capability."
