So what’s the cheapest for a three-month sabbatical after retirement… a Cunard cruise, a Park Lane hotel or a luxury village for the over-65s?

Have you ever dreamed of taking a sabbatical when you retire from the household, say goodbye to everyday tasks and put your feet on the ground for a few months?

If you decide to escape, what would be the best value: a world cruise; a five-star hotel in London; or live in a luxury apartment in a retirement home?

Three tempting alternatives, all priced differently, with varying levels of price inclusions and optional extras.

Let’s see.

THE LUXURY WORLD CRUISE

107 nights – £49,466 for two

On January 9, you can leave Southampton on the glamorous new Cunard cruise ship Queen Anne.

The route takes you to sunny America, Australasia, Southeast Asia, the Gulf and the Mediterranean, where you will return home when spring has sprung.

During the 107-night circumnavigation of the world, in addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, afternoon tea is served every day by white-gloved waiters in the Queens Ballroom, and if you’re still hungry, you can anytime Order room service overnight or day, everything included in the travel price.

In addition to the four large dining rooms (divided by cabin class) and the buffet restaurant, there is a choice of many other dining options, which cost extra.

The entertainment ranges from the well-stocked library to pub quizzes, patio games, lectures and art classes to dancing to the orchestra in the ballroom, concerts and plays in the theatre, gala dinners and the Captain’s cocktail party.

On a tour of New York, the Panama Canal, Sydney and Hawaii, you’ll visit 28 destinations in 18 countries and relax at sea for 68 days, with time to lounge by the pool.

The cost for two people sharing an ocean view cabin with a good-sized window is £37,298 (cunard.com), which works out to £348.60 per cabin per night, for two. But there are other costs to consider.

Although service charges – which apply to shorter cruises from $16 pp (£12.50) per day; £25 per pair – are included in the price of world travel, the use of the internet is not, and costs $1,444.50 (approximately £1,136) for the basic package for just one device – approximately £10.60 per day.

You’ll also need to take out compulsory travel insurance, offered from a not inconsiderable £11,032.70 for a couple by Holiday Extras (holidayextras.com), Cunard’s recommended insurance company.

It all adds up to £49,466.70, approximately £462.30 for two per night.

5-STAR HOTEL IN LONDON

107 nights – £50,386

If you prefer to stay put while being served in style, with plenty to see and do within easy reach, then a long stay in a five-star hotel in the capital is just what you’re looking for.

Check in at the Hilton Park Lane and you’ll never have to make your bed again, a concierge will help with sightseeing advice and theater bookings and you’ll have the freedom to dine indoors or outdoors with a wide choice of restaurants nearby – but unlike a cruise, meals are an additional cost.

The hotel’s brasserie offers two courses for £22 and three for £26. All rooms have a kettle, coffee maker and mini fridge, so you can save on hotel breakfast (up to £44 per person) by making your own.

You have Hyde Park and Green Park on your doorstep and free museums such as the V&A, National Gallery, Tate Britain and Wallace Collection within a 30-minute walk, or a short bus ride (free with older people’s bus passes from other regions of England).

And hotel guests can use the fitness room, sauna and steam bath free of charge.

Savvy bookers get the best room rates through the Hilton Honors program, which you can join for free and get the benefit of free internet, bottled water and other perks, plus earn points toward future stays.

For a stay at the Hilton Park Lane on the same dates as the Cunard cruise, January 9 to April 27, 2025 – 107 nights in a double room with park or city views, the total cost is from £39,686.26. For example, add a modest £50pp per day on meals (£10,700) and it all comes to £50,386.26 – from around £471 per night for two people.

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

107 nights – £56,280

A more permanent option that is becoming increasingly popular among affluent seniors is renting instead of buying an apartment in a luxury retirement home.

Auriens Chelsea, a complex of 56 apartments for affluent people over 65 in the chic London district, has the appearance of a chic hotel, with attentive staff on hand. The private restaurant’s chef is a former chef at the Savoy. And the restaurant and bar manager is from the Mayfair club, Annabel’s.

Daily cleaning of your apartment can be arranged, along with other extra services.

There is a gym and spa on site, and the beautifully maintained garden, designed by a Chelsea Flower Show gold medalist, is a peaceful place to read with a cup of coffee.

Residents can be as private or social as they wish and are offered a program of events and activities such as joining the choir, book reviews and piano recitals.

Located on King’s Road, Auriens is just a stroll from the Royal Court Theatre, Cadogan Hall and Peter Jones Department Store on Sloane Square, or across the river to Battersea Park.

For this carefree living in a one-bedroom apartment, rent starts at £16,000 per month, including maintenance, utilities, council tax, broadband, telephone and TV package and television license – but excluding meals.

That is € 192,000 per year.

To compare the cost of living in Auriens (auriens.com) for the same period as the Cunard world cruise or 107 night hotel stay, we can divide the annual rent by 365 (£526.27 per day) and multiply by 107. result is £56,280.93 for two people plus restaurant bills (Sunday roast in the restaurant costs £60pp), or the cost of food to be prepared and eaten at home.

So the least expensive way to spend just over 15 weeks in comfort is the Cunard (cunard.com) full board world cruise at £462 per night per couple.

Close behind is the hotel stay at the Hilton Park Lane (hilton.com), but the food is more sparse, at £471 a night for two.

And in third place is the Auriens Chelsea retirement community, a long-term commitment without meals at £526 per night.