Travellers can live permanently on a cruise liner, but they'll have to be prepared to pay a hefty price.
The majority of passengers who travel on the Villa Vie Residences cruise ship - the First Perpetual World Cruise- are long-time residents, thanks to the mammoth voyages on offer. Last year, the American company hit the headlines after it became stranded in Belfast for four and a half months. While travellers are now happily cruising around the Globe, the delay caused anguish among many of the guests on board.
Despite this setback, the luxurious ship is leading the way in offering customers the chance to give up their lives on land and exchange them for a mammoth voyage on the seven seas.
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According to the Mirror, the cruise liner is now forging ahead with its plans to offer ultra-long cruises for those who are growing tired of Terra Firma.
Through the Endless Horizons programme, passengers can choose to own, rent, or lease a cabin for life, allowing them to live among home comforts while exploring the world. The new Golden Passport buys access to Odyssey as it makes its way on a route that will take in 425 ports in 147 countries over three-and-a-half years.
While details of the follow-up voyages have yet to be announced, purchasing a passport buys you access onto a Villa Vie Residences cruise for the rest of your life. The pricing system is based on how old customers currently are, meaning the longer you live, the better value the product.
The cheapest price going is reserved for those aged 90 or above, who can get themselves unlimited access to a cabin for £75,000. The most expensive tier is priced at £223,650 for those between 55 and 60. The cruise line has not yet introduced a tier for those younger than that.
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Dining, housekeeping, laundry, annual medical check-ups and alcoholic drinks with meals are included in the package. As an added bonus, residents can invite family and friends on board as long as they pay a £96 fee.
Kathy Villalba, CEO of the cruise line, said: “Life moves quickly, and the regret most people share is that they didn't travel the world when they had the chance. The Golden Passport makes that dream possible—and affordable—in a way the cruise and travel industries have never seen before.”
A married couple recently told how they had booked 51 cruises in a row because living life at sea is cheaper than a retirement home.
Marty and Jess Ansen embarked on their marathon journey last June when they boarded the Coral Princess. In the subsequent year and a half, they've spent their days dancing, eating, making "friends for life" and seeing the world.
The couple joked that they would welcome the captains on board rather than the other way round. Marty and Jess, from Australia, have become like "celebrities onboard", according to manager Ren van Rooyen. Others joining the ship for shorter cruises request to meet the duo, whose story has been inspiring people in their home country for the past 455 days.
Marty joked to A Current Affair that they're going to have to stay onboard a cruise ship for a while as they've become so accustomed to life at sea that they no longer know how to make a bed or cook a meal.
