Have you ever dreamed of living on a cruise full time? For the fortunate, the opportunity may be closer than you imagine.
The new Life at Sea Cruises cruise, the MV Gemini, which will depart from Istanbul, Turkey, on November 1, 2023, has this proposal and is expected to pass through 135 countries, including Brazil. For three years, the “resident” can travel around the world for an amount that can cost the same as renting a three-bedroom apartment in the expanded center of São Paulo, starting from US$ 2,500 or around R$ 13 thousand per month, according to an estimate from real estate agency QuintoAndar.
To support such a long trip, the ship will gain extra accommodation in addition to those traditional for cruises: a business center with meeting rooms, 14 offices, library and lounge for a coffee stop. The entire space, with free access, will have internet access so that the ship's residents can work remotely while having fun. In addition to the work structure, Gemini will also have a 24-hour hospital that will offer free consultations, but medications and procedures will be charged separately. Family and friends will be able to visit passengers and stay in their cabins, but will need to pay port fees.
Reservations opened on March 1st and, according to Mikael Petterson, managing director of the company Life at Sea Cruises, the ship is almost 50% booked.
Another ship responsible for condominiums on the high seas is the MV Narrative, which offers complete homes, from one to four bedrooms, for those who want to live on a cruise ship. The expectation is that the ship will be built in 2023 and launched in 2025, with the size to receive more than a thousand travelers/residents. In total, there will be 547 furnished residential units – from studios to two-story penthouses. The ship is scheduled to begin a three-year journey across six continents, spending an average of three to five days in each destination. In other words, residents will be able to get on and off the ship at each port stop.
To live aboard this ship the cost is also quite high, between US$ 875 thousand (R$ 4.5 million) to US$ 8 million (R$ 43 million). To live on the MV Narrative ship you still need to pay a fee to cover food, entertainment and maintenance costs, which start at just over US$5,400 (R$28,000) per month for a couple. There is also the option to purchase in a multi-ownership model, which allows up to four people to share the unit, whose initial value of participation is US$ 589 thousand (R$ 3 million) for the useful life of the vessel, in addition to US$ 26.7 thousand (R$ 140 thousand) for quarterly fees.
The ship will have 20 restaurants and bars, a microbrewery, three swimming pools with solariums, a garden, library, 18 decks and a pet area. In addition to this structure already expected on this type of vessel, the MV Narrative ship will offer all the amenities of a land-based community, including a school, cinema, running and dance track, offices, bank, post office, doctor's office, gym, theater, golf and even a marina for private boats. It is for the “residents” to live a “normal life” while living at sea.
Living a unique and exciting adventure
Angelyn and Richard Burk, a couple from Seattle (USA), decided to live on a cruise ship permanently after discovering that it was cheaper than paying for a mortgage. The idea came when the couple was planning their retirement. They were worried about the high costs of living and the expenses of owning a home – and that's when they came up with the idea of investing in a cruise ship.
According to Richard, they calculated that, on a cruise ship, they would have all the basic expenses included, such as food, water, electricity, internet, cable TV and room maintenance.
This is how they embarked on a unique and exciting adventure and since then, they have been living on cruise ships, traveling the world and getting to know new cultures and places. For them, this is an incredible way to live, as they can enjoy all the amenities of a luxury hotel while traveling the world.
But living on a cruise ship permanently can have some challenges, such as lack of space and the need to constantly adapt to new environments. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider that cruise ships have rules and regulations that need to be followed by passengers. But despite this, the couple claims that this is a life choice they do not regret making. For them, living on the high seas is an adventure worth living.
