About a month after Life at Sea Cruises canceled its debut three-year voyage because it couldn’t secure a ship, another company has done just that. Villa Vie Residences, which plans to sail the world in 3.5 years, announced last week that it has purchased a 924-passenger ship that is expected to launch in May.
The 30-year-old MS Braemar, which will be renamed Villa Vie Odyssey, was purchased from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, a Britain-based and Norwegian-owned cruise line. The ship has previously sailed with the Crown Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line brands. It will undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation that will begin early next year and take roughly eight weeks to complete. After it launches, the ship will stop at ports in about 150 countries.
“It’s a continuous cruise that will really never stop,” said Mikael Petterson, Villa Vie Residences’ founder and CEO. “Our goal is to make this more of a lifestyle and residence, more than your typical cruise.”
The price for the 1,301-day journey starts at $89 per day, per person and includes food, biweekly laundry service, weekly housekeeping and internet service. Shore excursions, spa treatments and bar services are available at an added charge, Petterson said. Staying on the Villa Vie Odyssey during its first circumnavigation comes out to $115,789 (before taxes and fees) at the lowest price point, but guests can book shorter-term reservations.
Petterson said much of the client base is business owners who work remotely or retirees. Some want to sail through the entirety of the ship’s first circumnavigation, he said, while others have opted for a shorter reservation. He said there have been 160 reservations so far.
“It’s less of a cruise or a vacation,” he said. “It’s people’s homes where neighbors become family.”
Guests can purchase reservations by segments; there are 16 total, spanning 35 to 131 days. Some of the areas the ship will sail through include Northern Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Japan and the Philippine Sea, the South Pacific, Africa and the Mediterranean.
As for accommodations, there are three types to rent, with the cheapest being a 140-square-foot interior cabin that includes a virtual window mimicking an outdoor view for $89 per person, per night. Ocean-view villas with windows overlooking the water are $119; a balcony villa with a 60-square-foot private outdoor space starts at $199. The ship has 485 cabins.
Cabins can also be purchased: $99,000 for an indoor suite and up to $249,000 for those with balconies. Owners would pay a monthly fee and could rent the space to other guests. The cabin’s value, Petterson said, has been determined based on the ship’s estimated life, which is 15 to 20 years.
The ship will feature eight decks that will house three restaurants, a communal kitchen, a large pool with four Jacuzzis, a business center, and space for live music and film screenings. The kitchen will be open for guests to make their own meals or take part in interactive cooking classes. The ship’s medical center will offer free visits, though procedures will cost extra.
The ship will take passengers through 425 ports, including stops in the Bahamas, Greenland and Madagascar. The first segment, which will sail through Northern Europe for about three months, will start from Southampton, England. The ship’s longest segment will last 131 days across Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, from June 24, 2027, to Nov. 1, 2027, and it will port in countries including Spain, Greece, Italy and Tunisia.
The ship’s last stop after completing its first circumnavigation will be West Palm Beach, Fla. Petterson said that this won’t be for long and that Villa Vie Odyssey will continue these laps around the world.
Much of the staff at Villa Vie Residences has come from the now-defunct Life at Sea Cruises, including Petterson and more than 20 employees of Miray International, the parent company of Life at Sea. Petterson said that plans for Villa Vie have been progressing for the past five years and that he left in May to focus on these plans.
Life at Sea Cruises announced in November that it was canceling its three-year cruise because it couldn’t secure a ship after plans had already been delayed several times. Some passengers had sold their homes ahead of the expected sailing, USA Today reported. The cruise was originally set to sail with a ship already owned by the company, the MV Gemini, but several employees echoed concerns from engineers about the vessel’s sustainability and safety, Petterson said.
Villa Vie is funded through donors and investments, Petterson said, and the operation waited until it purchased a ship before accepting deposits from passengers. Guests are required to provide a 5 percent deposit that is set to increase to 10 percent by early next year. Payments are due 90 days before the sailing segments start.
