Interesting news about 3½ year world cruise, after a 4 month delay…What are the costs for this cruise?…

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Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey ship awaits setting sail while repairs are completed.

For some odd reason, I’m fascinated with the status of the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey ship, still in port in Belfast waiting for repairs to be completed to set sail on its 3½ year Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey world cruise. Here is the article:

Passengers set for world’s first continual cruise after repair delay in Belfast

By Reuters

BELFAST, Sept 30 (Reuters)—Cruise passengers are to set sail from Belfast on Monday on a three-and-a-half-year world voyage after being stranded in the city for months as the ship underwent unexpected repair works. Some plan to make it their forever home.
Passengers of the Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey, described as the world’s first continual cruise, can either buy their cabins for the entire operational life of the ship or rent them to travel segments of the journey. The ship, which can carry 650 passengers, was originally scheduled to depart from the Northern Irish capital in May but was delayed for repairs due to issues with its rudders and gearbox.
After a series of sea trials, the Odyssey announced on social media on Friday that it had received approval from Britain’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Public Health and was looking forward to welcoming passengers aboard.
“It has just been dragging on (for a) long time,” said John Frim, from Canada, who, together with his wife Monica, opted for the cruise to mark their 50th wedding anniversary. “(But) we’ve never lost faith in the concept.”
Monica added, “We’re not happy about the delay… but when you think about it over three-and-a-half years, what’s four months?”
The cruise company blamed the guests for the unexpected delay by paying for their accommodation in Belfast and elsewhere in Europe.

VOYAGE TO ALL 7 CONTINENTS

The inaugural voyage will last 1,301 days, visiting all seven continents and stopping at 425 ports from Rio de Janeiro to Singapore. The ship has restaurants, a pool, a spa, a business center, and medical facilities.
Even though passengers have been stuck in Belfast waiting to board, they have tried to enjoy their time in the city.
“I will always have a fond place in my heart for Belfast,” retired American wealth manager Holly Hennessy said. “Meeting so many different kinds of people, living in an urban environment, being careless, and being away from American politics has been wonderful.”
Some passengers hoped to stay on the cruise for the rest of their lives, such as Melody and John Hennessee, who were also from the United States and told the BBC that the ship would now be their home. Others fell in love as they waited for the repair work to be completed. Canadian Gian Perroni and American Angela Harsanyi met at the Belfast hotel, where some passengers stayed, and announced their engagement last week.
“It probably couldn’t get any better than that, right?” Harsanyi told Sky News. “We’re getting married between the Panama Canal and Costa Rica.”
The cost for a 3½-year world cruise on the Villa Vie Odyssey varies depending on whether you rent or buy a cabin:
  • Renting
    Prices start at $89 per person per day for an inside cabin, $119 per person per day for an outside cabin, and $199 per person per day for a balcony cabin. This includes food, biweekly laundry service, weekly housekeeping, and internet service. Shore excursions, spa treatments, and bar services are available at an added charge.
  • Buying
    Prices start at $99,000 for an internal cabin and $249,000 for a balcony. There’s also a monthly fee ranging from $21,000 to $48,000 per year. Buying a cabin guarantees it for 15 years, which is the estimated life of the ship.

Could any of you see yourselves renting or buying one of these cabins? Undoubtedly, many passengers have sold their homes and are using their equity to purchase since leaving one’s home for such an extended period may not be practical. Others may rent their homes to family members or a rental agency. Others may tap their retirement savings or other assets to pay the cost.

And some more wealthy individuals/couples may pay the entire amount in cash or on a credit card (for the points).

I suppose passengers choosing to embark on this type of cruise may not consider it any more outlandish than what we’ve done for the past 12 years. However, they’ve had the advantage of not having to move their luggage any more often than every 3½ years. Interesting, eh?

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 9, 2014:½

As we stood at the cliff, the ocean swirled at the shoreline. Although it was difficult to see here, the color was a beautiful aquamarine. For more photos, please click here.

Our friends, Lea Ann and Chuck, are enjoying their nine month world cruise…Would we do that?…

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May be an image of map and text

When our friends, Lea Ann and Chuck, whom we met on a cruise in 2017 sailing from Sydney to Seattle, came to visit us while we were staying in The Villages in Florida, they were excited to share their enthusiasm about booking Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas Ultimate World Cruise.

While we were in Florida last summer, Lea Ann and Chuck visited us. It was wonderful to see them and hear about their upcoming world cruise.

Our mouths were agape when we heard they’d decided to embark on the nine-month cruise. We asked them endless questions while wondering if we’d ever want to commit to such an extended period on a cruise ship.

Although we revel in their enthusiasm, after they left, we talked, and both agreed we’d never be interested in such a long cruise. Nine months is a huge commitment, and for the following reasons, we wouldn’t be interested now or in the future:

  1. Cruising for so long could easily diminish our enthusiasm for cruising in the future. We love the anticipation of booking a cruise and the days and months before sailing when the excitement is at the forefront of our minds. For us, it would take away the mystery and magic of cruising.
  2. Living in such tight quarters for so long would not be easy for us. No, we don’t always use all the space available in a holiday home, usually only spending time in the bedroom, kitchen, and living room. But, being able to move around with ease and enjoying spaciousness is a huge part of our enjoyment. Cruise cabin space, even the balcony we always book, is limited and confining.
  3. Many of the ports world cruises visit are ports we’ve visited in the past. After all, we’ve been on 33 cruises, most with new and unfamiliar ports of call, many of which we wouldn’t be interested in visiting again.
  4. The food can become tedious and repetitious, besides often being fattening and unhealthy.
  5. The risk of getting sick when a captive audience for such an extended period is an issue for us. On at least half of our cruises, at least one of us, if not both, picked up a cold or virus, many lingering for weeks. Now, with COVID-19 and all its variants, we’d hesitate to embark on such a large ship for so many months. Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas, with a passenger capacity of 2476 plus 832 crew, is a breeding ground for many illnesses, especially when new passengers embark for the next leg of the journey at some ports, disembarking at the end of that leg. Plus, passengers can pick up an illness when they get off the ship for activities at various ports of call. When we were on the small boat in August 2023, Azamara Journey, with only a capacity of 702 passengers and a crew of 408, neither of us became ill.
  6. Cost: One would pay well over $117,599 (per person) for a balcony cabin. We wouldn’t be interested in an interior cabin with no windows, and those prices start at $59,900 (per person). Based on the above five points, it wouldn’t be worth paying such a sum for a long-term cruise.

Here’s an article from the New York Post about the cruise Lea Ann and Chuck are on right now, focusing on how many Gen Z passengers are participating:

“It’s been three years, and Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate World Cruise has finally set sail.

The epic nine-month-long holiday is a first-of-its-kind for the cruise liner, and they’re not surprised it’s gone viral on TikTok despite having hit the shores just over a week ago. (Related: Best cruise lines review).

“Many guests booked their tickets over two to three years ago during the pandemic, and we are thrilled to be hosting a range of guests from young solo travelers to couples and families,” Dave Humphreys, director of sales at Royal Caribbean International AUNZ, told news.com.au.

“We have an impressive number of Gen Z and millennial cruisers, with a significant number of guests between the ages of 18-30 joining us on various legs of this cruise.”

As the name suggests, it’s a pretty ‘ultimate’ experience, with the cruise traveling to more than 60 countries and 11 world wonders in 274 days.

The cruise is broken into four segments — Ultimate Americas Cruise, Ultimate Asia Pacific Cruise, Ultimate Middle East & Med Cruise, and Ultimate Europe & Beyond Cruise.

Depending on the destination and room you choose, prices can vary from $19,895 to $37,268 (per person)

But, if you want to do nine months, the price tag is much heftier. The cheapest is $88,000 for an interior stateroom and up to $1.2 million per person for a Royal Suite.

“Each guest who has booked the Ultimate World Cruise Package received business class airfare, premium transportation, and a pre-cruise hotel in their package up to $5892 per person,” Mr Humphreys said.

“The business class airfare applies to specific getaway cities. The package includes a beverage package, laundry services, inclusive gratuities, and a VOOM Surf and Stream package.”

TikTok has become inundated with passengers sharing their experiences, from the meals they’re eating, restaurants they’re visiting, and gym classes to glimpses of what their rooms look like and the entertainment and performances they’re attending.

“I am LIVING for your videos. Please, pretty, please don’t stop. Greedily. I will beg you to post more,” one viewer commented on a passenger’s ‘sea day in my life’ clip.

Mr. Humpreys said they also can’t wait to join some of these guests virtually along with the wider TikTok community.

“There will be 27,000 passengers on the various legs, of which over 600 are sailing for the full nine months,” he told news.com.au.

“We have almost 2,000 Australians joining us along the way, including 30 Aussies doing the full nine-month world cruise.”

He said guests were offered the flexibility to book one or more of the four expedition packages.

Mr. Humphreys described it as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience where guests can traverse the globe in one incredible journey.”It’s going to be epic.”

It’s fascinating to read about this and see Lea Ann and Chuck’s blog, which may be found here. We continue to see their updates and the sheer joy they are experiencing on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, February 3, 2014:

Louise suggested we put out some yogurt at night for the nocturnal bush babies. We placed a small bowl in a hanging wood birdhouse near a tree. Unfortunately, we were distracted yesterday morning and forgot to remove the little plastic bowl of yogurt. Going inside to get beverages, we returned to find these Vervet Monkeys lapping up the yogurt with the little bowl in hand. Tom scared them off (they can be destructive), and they dropped the bowl and ran off. For more photos, please click here.