“Spent $1.1 Million on Cruise Ship Art”: Dave Ramsey Responds to Son of Grieving Widow

On most mainstream cruise lines, art galleries and art auctions are a staple of the onboard experience. In fact, the first art auction I attended was on a cruise ship.

While you rarely just stumble into an active art auction by accident (unless you’re just wandering around the promenade looking for something to do), you definitely cannot miss the reminders.

From flyers left in your stateroom to highlights in the daily itinerary planner, cruise lines like to promote these events. And attending them can be a really fun way to spend a sea day, especially when they throw in a complimentary beverage or even a chance to win something.

But a recent call on The Ramsey Show is getting a lot of attention, and it’s serving as a warning to impulse buyers or cruisers who might not have done their homework before bidding up on cruise ship art.

A caller named Jack dialed into the show to speak with financial experts Dave Ramsey and George Kamel. Jack then shared the shocking amount his widowed mother spent on cruise ship art after just a handful of cruises.

According to Jack, after his father passed away, his mother took a series of six to seven cruises.

While onboard, she started buying art like it was on clearance. By the time Jack and his brother realized what was happening, she had spent a staggering $1.1 million on cruise ship art.

From Frugal to “So Much Cruise Ship Art”

What made whole thing a head-scratcher was the fact that the widow was usually extremely tight with her finances.

Jack told Ramsey that she had always been a very frugal person.  She was the type who would literally “use the same tea bag twice.”

But the grief of losing her husband proved to be a possible trigger for this buying spree.

Because she hid the bulk of the art in her garage at first, Jack and his family had no idea how much money was put into the art at first.

Eventually, the art collection grew so big that it spilled over into the living areas.

“You can’t get into her house. There’s so much cruise ship art in the bedrooms and everything,” Jack said.

The Resale Market

The real issue comes down to what happens after the cruise ends. Now that their mother has stopped buying, Jack and his brother have been trying to liquidate the art collection through traditional land-based auctions to get some of her money back.

The result? According to Jack, they are only recouping 10 to 20 cents on the dollar, although it wasn’t clear exactly where the sons were trying to sell the art.

It’s important to note that the estimated appraisal values you hear on a cruise ship do not automatically reflect what the art is worth on the open market. You should buy an art piece because you just really like it and not because you’re trying to flip it.

Onboard purchases can have some retail markups, buyer’s premiums, and shipping fees. After all, you still have to get the paintings home.

But when you try to resell those pieces later, finding a collector willing to pay what you paid on the ship can be prove to be challenging.

As Dave Ramsey summarized to Jack: “This was her wicked weird way of grieving.”

Dave Ramsey’s Advice to the Family

Ramsey recommended that Jack bypass retail options and get in touch directly with the cruise line’s public relations or corporate customer service team.

He said to explain that the cruise line (which was not mentioned) may have inadvertently taken advantage of  the widow. Because the cruise line has ongoing art auctions across its entire fleet, he said they could take the inventory back, put it back on the ships, and resell it to future passengers.

“If my company had done this accidentally, we would probably consider at least at some percentage, 50% or something, taking the inventory back in and trying to help the lady out,” Ramsey stated.

Bottom Line

I love cruise ships, and I love the onboard activities that make cruising so much fun. Plenty of cruisers walk away from these auctions with beautiful pieces they absolutely love and proudly display on their walls for a lifetime.

I’ve also met some really great people working at the art galleries on a cruise ship, and they’re usually very helpful in teaching you a few things about an artist or particular piece.

But this story is a good reminder for the cruise community. Buy art because you genuinely love looking at it and want it in your home. Maybe it’s not the best financial investment.  And even if it is, you should at least be aware of what you’re buying.

And if you have an older or grieving loved one heading out on a cruise, it might be worth having a gentle conversation about keeping tabs on the vacation budget before they head up the gangway.