The best way to travel: San Diego resident bought an apartment on a cruise ship and talked about the pros and cons of such an investment

Austin Wells from San Diego, California loves to travel the world. But he doesn't like long flights, jet lag, or unsettled routines. That's why Wells, 28, has rented a residence aboard a luxury ship that he will move to and work remotely for at least three years while he sails around the world. Writes about it CNBC.

Photo: IStock

Medical services, a farmer's market, private kitchens and a gym are available on board, as well as XNUMX-hour room service, co-working and an Spa.

His room is on a mega cruise ship called MV Narrative. It has more than 500 separate rooms and apartments, designed for about 1000 passengers, who will live on board more or less permanently.

“What I love the most is that you don’t have to break your daily routine to see the world,” Wells said. - I'm leaving that model when you, if you want to go somewhere, you pack your things, get on a plane, rent a room. Now my apartment, my gym, my doctors and dentists, all my grocery stores travel with me.”

Wells works at Meta

Reality Labs' augmented and virtual reality division is working entirely remotely and plans to continue doing so as the ship visits European cities.

“My working hours will be shifted to the evening, night and very early morning. But it gives me the opportunity to see the city from noon to lunch, and then start my working day in the evening,” Wells said. “This is probably the first time there is an opportunity to have a standard job and think about it and living in a floating housing estate.”

What is MV Narrative

MV Narrative is a high-end residential ship built by Storylines, the brainchild of co-founder and CEO Alistair Panton, a former construction and real estate executive.

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Noticing that large ships tend to be scrapped, Panton and co-founder Shannon Lee saw an opportunity to rebuild them instead.

After some false starts (they bought and redesigned two ships that turned out to be unsuitable either for the way of life expected by the inhabitants or because they did not comply with new environmental laws), they commissioned a new ship. MV Narrative is currently under construction in Split, Croatia, from where she will set sail in 2025.

There will be 11 types of residences on board, the largest being the 1970-square-foot (183 sqm) Global, spread over two levels, with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large balcony, a six-seat dining room, and a walk-in closet.

Some apartments are set on a terrace with a champagne and whiskey bar, cigar lounge and plunge pool at one end, while others have viewing platforms and event space.

Other facilities spread across 18 decks will include 20 restaurants and bars, a 10-square-foot (000 sqm) gym and 930-hour spa, three swimming pools, a school, library, bank and office space. The ship will even have a theater for performances and films, although, unlike traditional cruise ships, extravagant entertainment will not be at the center of the journey.

Where will the ship go

MV Narrative plans to moor in ports for about three to five days, which Panton says is longer than average for liners, allowing the liner's occupants to explore cities. “Most people will make day trips and overnight trips, rent a car, leave for three or four days and meet the ship at their next destination,” he explained.

A rough itinerary might include a three day layover in Rome, then three days in Naples, after that stop at smaller locations such as the seaside towns of Sapri and Marsala, and eventually reaching Venice before sailing to Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Greece and then Turkey.

The ship will also go beyond the Arctic Circle. In total, he will spend three years or so traveling the world (the full itinerary has yet to be announced).

Wells plans to spend time on land as well.

How much is it

Wells spent about $300 on a 000-year lease on Discover's entry-level 12-square-foot studio, which includes a rollaway bed, pantry, desk and separate shower room. Most leases are for either 237 years or the entire life of the vessel—about 22 years—but Wells, as the first buyer, was offered a shorter option.

Panton wanted the MV Narrative to be more affordable than other residential cruise ships. For example, The World is a luxury liner on which a penthouse apartment costs about 20 million euros ($20,5 million), and only 150-200 people can be on board.

While apartments in MV Narrative are still expensive - from $ 1 to $ 8 million for a lifetime lease of the vessel. In November, the company launched fractional ownership options, specifically 25%, starting at about $600, allowing residents to stay on board for three months a year.

All Inclusive is paid on top of the purchase price, with a minimum of $2100 per person per month, and covers expenses such as food and drinks from the ship's restaurants and bars, laundry, fitness classes, and medical checkups.

“We remain price-competitive in the marketplace,” Panton said.

Residents will be able to rent out their apartments when they are not on board, whether they are full or partial owners. According to the Storylines calculator, a studio apartment like the one Wells bought could bring in about $4500 a month.

Who buys

Wells expects to be one of the youngest residents on board - he will be in his 30s when he moves. Residents will range from middle-aged entrepreneurs to families with children, he said.

According to the Storylines website, children can attend the ship's "worldwide learning" program, which combines online learning with small group learning, tours and workshops with experts from the countries where the ship docks.

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One of the future residents is an ER nurse with 30 years of experience who wants to work part-time on MV Narrative's medical team, Panton said. He hopes to recruit other professions such as acupuncturists and physical therapists.

“I always tell people that if you want, you can come and drink Pina Colada by the pool all day and not lift a finger. But it gets boring pretty quickly. So you can keep doing the work,” Panton explained. "That's the fundamental difference between us and a cruise."

The Storylines headquarters will also be located on the ship, and company executives will live on board. Panton will move to the ship with his wife and two children, one of whom is now two years old and the other five.

“As for me, I have been in this project for almost seven years now. And by the time we get on the water, it will be a decade. This is a long stretch of my life. And, of course, I want to live this lifestyle as much as anyone else,” he said.

Wells expects to make lifelong friends on board.

“The goal is for this ship to actually have a community of residents. This way you will make new friends, you will basically travel the world with them, which has the potential to be one of the deepest friendships you have ever had, ”he concluded.

According to Panton, there will be a second ship in the near future, when almost all of the residences aboard MV Narrative will be sold (about half have been bought at the moment).

“We have created a really big market here. And there are many people who want to take part and become part of this project,” he assured.

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