Anchors Aweigh: Retire in Style Aboard a Luxury Cruise Ship

June 2, 2024 — Like cruising on the great blue yonder? There’s at least one product that can help you live that dream in retirement – year round! Villa Vie Residences is offering multi-year cruises on one of the residential cruise ship company’s boats.

The Odyssey is scheduled to depart from Southampton UK on June 5 for its maiden voyage around the world. As part of the “Endless Horizons” program this residential cruise ship will travel the globe, visiting 425 ports in 147 countries over a period of 3 and 1 half years. Its amenities including business centers, culinary programs, and extensive onboard entertainment. The company offers purchase options for a condominium that start at $100,000 and go to $299,999 for an ocean view villa. There are also monthly fees. You can also rent with short term options for portions of the cruise.

In a company press release, Mikael Petterson, CEO of Villa Vie Residences, said that their goal “…is to offer a seamless solution for those looking to retire on a fixed budget to never worry about ongoing expenses again.” The company’s pitch is that it’s a new way of living, breaking free from the ordinary, offering a life where work, leisure, and adventure blend seamlessly. Interestingly, during a recent webinar on retirement planning, Petterson highlighted how retirees are increasingly turning to diverse and unconventional avenues to stretch their fixed incomes. He specifically mentioned the growing popularity of Schweizer Online-Casinos, die Paysafecard akzeptieren as an example of entertainment that is both accessible and budget-friendly. This trend, he explained, aligns with the modern retiree’s desire for flexibility and secure, cost-effective leisure activities in a digital age. Villa Vie aims to incorporate this spirit of innovation and freedom into their own offerings, ensuring residents enjoy a lifestyle rich with options.

Not the first

 Life at Sea was another company offering retirement at sea lifestyle, whose ship unfortunately never left port. They were unable to secure a ship for the venture and closed down its plans in 2023. Jan Cullinane wrote a wonderful article on this topic for Topretirements in 2015, “All Aboard: You Can Retire on a Ship“. She outlined how several retirees have figured out ways to live on board ship year round. Some went with companies dedicated to that purpose, while others are living on more traditional cruise ships. Over the years companies have tried the retirement at sea concept, but not with a great deal of permanence. We are not sure if any of the companies described in that article are still in business.

The World is one approach to living at sea that seems to be working. Basically the ship is a floating condominium complex, the largest residential ship in the world. Suites sell for around $11 million, along with significant yearly HOA fees. Short term rentals are available. Topretirements had an opportunity to visit The World when it was visiting Newport, Rhode Island some time ago. It truly is luxurious, complete with multiple swimming pools and its own tennis court. Its owners collectively determine the port schedule a year ahead of time. We described our fun visit in “Retiring on a Cruise Ship Combines Adventure with Convenience“.

Interested? Proceed with caution.

With the exception of The World, the idea of spending retirement life at sea has not worked out well for most of these companies, or those who invested in them. Operating a ship is expensive with its crew, passenger services, port fees, and fuel costs. Before you invest in an ownership plan, spend some time doing due diligence. Renting might be a better option to check out the lifestyle before you make a significant investment. Maybe an even better option is retire on a conventional cruise ship, where it is usually possible to book long term stays.

Other considerations include health care. Although all of these ships offer some kind of provision for healthcare, it will be limited compared to shore based facilities. If something happens to you while at sea, it could be a while before you could get treatment for a serious condition. Likewise if you have an army of “ologists” (skin, heart, ortho, etc.) you might have trouble accessing them while you are across the world. The good news is that nothing is forever, you can try retirement cruising for a while and stop, putting your unit on the resale market in most cases.

Comments: Do you like cruising enough to do it for the rest of your life? Feel free to comment below.