Technically, you can stay on a cruise ship as long as you can afford to pay for the cabin, but most passengers stay for the duration of a specific "voyage," which typically ranges from 3 to 14 nights. However, for those looking for long-term living, many modern cruise lines now offer "World Cruises" that last between 90 and 180 days. Furthermore, a growing trend in 2026 involves residential cruise ships like The World or new start-ups where you can actually buy a cabin as a permanent residence, effectively allowing you to live on the ship indefinitely. If you are booking back-to-back cruises on a standard ship, you must technically "check out" and "check in" at the end of each segment for customs purposes, though you can often keep the same room. The limit is usually determined by your visa restrictions for the countries the ship visits rather than the ship's rules. For most, the "stay" is a vacation, but for a wealthy few, the ship is a floating home that never stops moving.