You can buy an apartment on a cruise ship for $100 and travel the world all year round

The new permanent residence cruise ship plans to begin sailing around the world in May 2024. The cost of cabins at Villa Vie Residences starts from $100, reports Insider.

Photo: IStock

Over the past year, oceanfront condominium concepts have flooded the market. Relatively new companies such as Victoria Cruises Line and Life at Sea Cruises say they will give travelers the opportunity to spend years at sea, sailing and living on refurbished ships. However, both of them faced shocks, such as delays or changes in courts.

Storylines is taking a different approach by building its own residential ship, although the company has also had to delay its sailing date.

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At the moment, The World is the only operating company of its kind. And she has been working for 20 years. But good luck buying: 10 to 12 luxury condos come up for sale each year, each priced between $2 million and $15 million.

But if everything goes according to plan Villa Vie, the floating apartment industry could get a strong competitor on May 15, 2024, when startup Villa Vie Residences' vessel begins its global voyage from Southampton, England.

Villa Vie reports that from there its ship will set off on a three-and-a-half-year voyage around the world. It will stop at 425 ports in 147 countries on its maiden circumnavigation.

Travelers will spend 87 days in Northern Europe, 105 days in North America, 68 days in Africa and 76 days in South Asia. There will also be multi-day stopovers at some ports, including a 12-day dry dock in Singapore.

Price issue

There's no need to purchase a stateroom just to join this trip—instead, travelers can book pay-as-you-go segments ranging from 35 to 120 days.

They start at $4360 for the latest 35-day transatlantic crossing from Barcelona, ​​Spain to West Palm Beach, Florida.
Cruise giants like Royal Caribbean also sell segments of their cruises around the world.

But for those wishing to purchase housing, 15% of the ship's 630 cabins are available. Prices range from $100 for an interior cabin to $000 for a balcony stateroom. But that doesn't include monthly fees, which start at $250 for a double inside cabin. It doesn't have to be a lifetime commitment—these homes can be rented out or sold.

Irina Strembitskaya, the startup's director of sales, says there will be between 800 and 900 guests on board at any given time.

The company has added more than 50 customers since sales began in mid-September, according to sales reports.

Buyers of both short-term routes and cabins must secure their place with a refundable deposit of 10%.

And what's inside

On board, the startup says, travelers will have the typical amenities of a world cruise, such as educational programs, restaurants serving global cuisine, swimming pools and entertainment.

But unlike most cruise ships, Villa Vie says the ship will also have a business center with a library and offices (Wi-Fi will be included) and a “culinary arts center” with cooking classes. For furry friends, the ship's plans also include a "pet spa." And for fitness enthusiasts, there is a gym and a golf simulator. The company says there will also be a medical center with doctors and nurses.

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Several cruise lines have cut housekeeping services. This accommodation ship will offer them weekly, with an additional bi-weekly laundry service.

Ghost ship

But like other residential cruise startups, there's one problem: Villa Vie has 7 months left before landing and doesn't have a ship yet.

Mikael Petterson, the startup's founder and CEO, said the company submitted an offer on Oct. 6 to buy the vessel in service "from an active operator of several cruise ships."

Due to the processes involved in purchasing a cruise ship, Petterson said he expects to have the ship completed by the end of this year. But the CEO said he had "put more than enough time into the schedule" to accommodate the disruption.

“We don’t need a runway as big as Life at Sea,” he said. “What we need to do is make sure we launch this ship, do it the right way, with the right funding, and not rely on customer deposits to get things done.”

Petterson, a consultant to cruise startups, has been a consistent figure in the residential cruise industry. Before founding this company, he and Strembitskaya worked with Life at Sea Cruises and Storylines.

Villa Vie plans to use funds from private investors, loans, partners and Founders Club members to finance this purchase. To join the latter, you need to invest a minimum of $25.

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After the acquisition, the team expects to spend two to three weeks and several million dollars updating the vessel.

This will include updates such as the addition of a golf simulator and minor upgrades to the cabins, the company said. Strembitskaya said that since Villa Vie wanted to purchase a ship that was in service and in “good condition,” this should not be too much of a problem.

So, if all goes according to plan, Villa Vie Residences could soon become a viable and significantly more affordable competitor to The World.

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