For most people, a cruise lasts a few days or weeks before life returns to normal. A growing number of travelers, however, are choosing a very different path. Instead of treating a cruise ship as a vacation, they are turning it into a permanent address.

That idea became reality for Sharon Lane when she moved aboard Villa Vie Odyssey, a residential cruise ship designed for long-term living. One year later, the vessel is still her home, and the experience offers a rare look into what daily life is actually like on a ship that circles the globe year-round.

From housing costs and onboard routines to friendships, global travel, and the challenges of life at sea, permanent cruising presents a lifestyle that differs greatly from traditional retirement and conventional homeownership.

A Ship Designed for Permanent Living

Instagram | villavieresidences | The Villa Vie Odyssey is a residential cruise ship designed for full-time living rather than short vacations.

Villa Vie Odyssey is not a standard cruise vessel. Operated by Villa Vie Residences, the ship allows people to purchase cabins and live onboard full-time rather than booking short vacations.

The 642-foot ship spans eight decks and entered service as a residential vessel in September 2024. Before launch, the project faced several obstacles. An earlier long-term cruise concept collapsed before a ship had been secured, and additional delays pushed back the vessel’s departure schedule.

By the time Sharon Lane boarded in June 2025, many of those operational issues had been addressed.

Unlike travelers counting down the days until they return home, residents onboard see the ship itself as home.

“This is our home. This is where we live,” Lane said during a video interview with CNN Travel one year after moving aboard.

She also made it clear that this was never intended to be a temporary adventure.

“I’m not on a trip,” Lane said.

Why Sharon Lane Chose Life at Sea

Lane, a former school teacher from California who is in her late 70s, viewed the ship as a retirement solution rather than a travel experience.

After comparing expenses, she concluded that living onboard could cost less than remaining on land while providing constant access to destinations around the world.

Travel had always been part of her life. During the 1990s, she spent two years living in South Africa. Over time, she developed a strong appreciation for ocean travel and eventually became passionate about cruising.

The appeal was not simply visiting ports. The attraction centered on life at sea itself.

“This is a home,” Lane said. “I’m just living on and loving the ship.”

Her long-term plan is straightforward: remain onboard for as long as Villa Vie Odyssey continues operating. Although the vessel recently underwent renovations, it already has roughly 30 years of maritime service behind it. Last year, Villa Vie estimated the ship could continue sailing for another 15 years.

The Cost of Permanent Cruise Living

The financial side of residential cruising differs from both traditional homeownership and vacation cruising.

Lane invested her life savings into the move. To reduce costs, she initially selected one of the least expensive accommodations available—an interior cabin without windows.

“I don’t spend a lot of time in my room,” she explained.

According to Villa Vie Residences, five-year cabin ownership begins at $59,999, while full ownership starts at $99,999. The company also offers several occupancy arrangements.

Monthly fees remain a significant part of the cost. In 2025, rates were approximately $2,000 per person each month for double occupancy and $3,000 for single occupancy.

These fees cover a wide range of services, including meals, soft drinks, internet access, medical visits, housekeeping, laundry services, and room service. Pricing has changed since the ship first launched, and the company now offers discounted options for older residents.

Instagram | villavieresidences | CEO Mikael Petterson is making onboard living more accessible with expanded rental options for future owners.

Villa Vie Residences CEO Mikael Petterson also noted that rental opportunities have expanded.

“We’ve also expanded rental opportunities,” Petterson said, adding that the option allows “more people to experience life onboard before deciding whether ownership is right for them.”

Despite rental growth, ownership remains the dominant model.

“Owners outnumber renters about 3 to 1 currently,” Petterson told CNN.

More than half of the residents travel alone, making solo living a common choice onboard.

The residential cruise market remains extremely small. Currently, the best-known alternative is The World, a residential cruise ship that caters to a much wealthier clientele.

Ownership aboard The World reportedly starts around $3.5 million, placing it far beyond the reach of many retirees.

Several additional residential ship concepts have been announced, including NJORD, which describes itself as an “exclusive community at sea.” However, those projects have not yet entered active service.

As a result, Villa Vie Odyssey occupies a relatively unique position within the emerging residential cruising market.

Daily Life on Board

Life aboard Villa Vie Odyssey blends routine with movement. While the ship continuously travels across oceans, residents still establish habits, schedules, and favorite places.

Meals often become social events.

“Dinner lasts a long time here, because we use mealtime as social time,” Lane said. “You sit with people and you eat your meal, and you take an hour and a half, maybe two hours.”

The ship offers organized entertainment, including karaoke, dancing, movie screenings, theater productions, and trivia competitions. Residents also organize activities themselves.

Some passengers work remotely. Others maintain blogs or social media accounts documenting life at sea. Even pets travel onboard with certain residents.

Lane participates selectively.

“Some people go to karaoke, or they go see a movie, or they go dancing, or they go to a play, and I don’t. That’s not me,” she said.

She briefly enjoyed the ship’s weekly trivia events but generally prefers quieter activities.

Creating a Home at Sea

Unlike vacation passengers, permanent residents personalize their cabins over time.

Lane spent much of her first year gradually adjusting her living space. Rather than decorating immediately, she focused on understanding the ship and developing routines.

“I didn’t see any reason to rush it,” she said. “I wanted to settle into the ship, figure out how things worked, find a routine to my life.”

Two months after arriving, she moved into a different cabin after finding a better pricing arrangement that reflected age-related discounts.

The new cabin included windows, providing a noticeable improvement over her original interior room.

Although she sold many possessions before moving aboard, she still worked to make the space feel comfortable and personal.

Finding Quiet in a Floating Community

Instagram | elizabethatsea27 | Lane loved reading in a bright hallway where massive windows let her literally watch the ocean drift by.

One of the more surprising aspects of life onboard is the balance between social interaction and privacy.

The ship provides a built-in community, yet residents can easily spend time alone when desired. Lane eventually discovered a favorite reading spot in a hallway located between the sports bar and the business center.

“There’s a light above your head for your book, and there are these huge windows,” she said. “You can actually, literally, watch the ocean go by.”

Sea days remain her favorite moments.

“I read my book, and I look out, and I enjoy the scenery,” she said.

The vessel’s size allows residents to find quiet corners despite living among dozens of fellow travelers.

Travel Is Only Part of the Experience

The ship regularly visits destinations around the world, including ports in Japan, Hawaii, Australia, and many other locations.

Residents can participate in shore excursions, although these activities require additional payment. Lane does not leave the ship frequently. Her interest centers more on ocean views than sightseeing.

A long-term back injury also makes transfers between the ship and tender boats less appealing because of wave movement.

Still, some destinations prove difficult to resist.

During a visit to Japan, she joined an excursion to see Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, rain and cloud cover limited visibility, leading her to describe the experience as “a bust.”

Yet the most memorable moments often came from ordinary interactions rather than famous attractions.

One standout memory occurred in Hobart, Australia, where she spent time speaking with the owners of a small family-run hardware store.

“We’re just living life and seeing that people on the other side of the world are pretty much just like us,” she said.

“It was fun. It was no big deal, except I won’t forget it.”

Building Relationships Across the World

Community plays a major role in residential cruise life.

According to Petterson, around 80% of Villa Vie Odyssey owners come from the United States and Canada. Australia and New Zealand represent another large segment of the onboard population.

He described the ship as “a thriving global community.”

Friendships often form quickly because residents share meals, activities, and extended periods together.

Lane recalled one dinner conversation involving an Australian couple and a Scottish couple. The group bonded over crime novels and eventually discovered they all admired the same author.

Another unique connection exists among residents who boarded the ship on the same date.

“It’s like graduating from high school,” Lane joked. “We have the same graduation day, except we graduated from land-based to ocean-based.”

Still, relationships at sea can be bittersweet.

Some residents remain onboard permanently, while others stay only for shorter periods before returning home.

Lane described departures as one of the more difficult aspects of life onboard because close friends occasionally leave the community.

Fortunately, many friendships continue through video calls and future reunions when former residents rejoin the ship in different regions.

Operational Challenges at Sea

Permanent cruising also comes with logistical complications.

During Odyssey’s early months, several port calls were canceled due to weather conditions, regulatory requirements, and operational difficulties. Some destinations required tender boats to transport passengers between shore and ship.

To improve these transfers, Villa Vie developed custom walkways designed to reduce movement caused by waves and ocean swell.

“These walkways are now in active use,” Petterson explained.

He noted that installation can take up to four hours, making them practical only during extended anchorage periods and favorable weather conditions.

The company expects to use them increasingly in destinations such as the Maldives.

Global events can also influence routes. The impact of the Iran conflict affected fuel costs, transportation networks, and regional access, creating additional planning challenges.

“We’ve had to remain flexible and occasionally adjust routes or port calls based on global events,” Petterson said.

Lane acknowledged fuel concerns as an important issue.

“Without fuel we’re not moving, so that’s important,” she said.

At the same time, she expressed confidence that operational challenges could be managed as they arise.

Living Without Everyday Chores

Instagram | elizabethatsea27 | Living at sea for a year gave Lane a chore-free lifestyle that she describes as pure heaven.

One aspect of residential cruising that appeals to many residents is the reduction of routine responsibilities.

Housekeeping occurs weekly. Laundry service is provided every two weeks. Meals are prepared onboard, and room service operates around the clock.

After a year aboard, Lane said she had not missed cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry. She described the freedom from household maintenance as “heaven.”

The lifestyle also creates a sense of separation from many everyday concerns found on land.

“If the real world is driving a car to the gas station and seeing the prices are huge now, if the real world is going to the supermarket and standing in a long line, if the real world is paying bills, and worrying about what’s happening in places, then no, thank you,” she said.

Even so, residents continue following global news and discussing major events because family and friends remain spread across different countries.

A Different Vision of Retirement

In June 2026, Lane marked her first anniversary aboard Villa Vie Odyssey alongside fellow residents who had reached the same milestone.

“Many had dinner together,” she said. “There was also a ship wide announcement wishing us all a happy anniversary.”

A year after moving aboard, her opinion of permanent ocean living remains unchanged.

“I believed in it then, and I believe in it now,” Lane said.

The concept continues to attract people seeking a slower pace, reduced household responsibilities, and a chance to experience different parts of the world without repeatedly packing, moving, or starting over.

Villa Vie Odyssey offers a rare example of what full-time residential cruising looks like in practice. Residents trade traditional homes for a constantly moving address, gain access to a built-in community, and experience destinations across multiple continents while maintaining everyday routines.

The lifestyle is not without challenges. Fuel costs, route changes, weather disruptions, and the temporary nature of some friendships all shape life onboard. Yet for people such as Sharon Lane, the advantages outweigh the inconveniences.

After one year at sea, the ship is no longer viewed as transportation or a vacation destination. It functions as a neighborhood, a residence, and a way of life that continues wherever the vessel appears on the world map.

Helen Hayward

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