Have you ever thought about escaping the day-to-day grind of terrestrial living and spending your golden years — or even your prime — at sea?
A program from a Florida-based cruise concept line wants you to consider saying “bon voyage” to your home on land and instead own a cruise ship cabin and travel the world year-round.
The Ditch Your Anchor initiative is a product of Villa Vie Residences, which is inviting Americans to pursue an ownership opportunity aboard its Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship.
Starting at $99,999, interested parties can purchase the full ownership rights to a villa unit on board the Odyssey. Monthly fees would range start around $1,999 per person based on double occupancy, or $2,999 for a solo traveler, at this introductory level.
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The “radical” idea might seem a bit far-fetched and out of reach for many, but Villa Vie insists that the totality of the cost of home ownership would quickly outpace what someone might spend through the Ditch Your Anchor program.
Buyers who choose to pursue this unconventional home ownership path could find that the savings pile up, especially with many amenities provided. Residents on the ship won’t have to pay for maintenance, home insurance or property taxes. Utilities, internet, laundry services and housekeeping are all included, as well as food and dining and beer and wine with meals.
“A couple can spend the next ten years maintaining a house. Or they can spend the next ten years circling the globe,” Villa Vie officials said. “The cost may be closer than most people think.”
The cruise line provides a breakdown of potential expenses that come with home ownership versus the retirement-at-sea route.
| Expense | Traditional Retirement | Ditch Your Anchor |
| House Payment / Rent | $500,000+ | $99,999 |
| Property Taxes | $50,000 | Included |
| Home Insurance | $25,000 | Included |
| Home Maintenance & Repairs | $75,000 | Included |
| Utilities & Internet | $36,000 | Included |
| Vehicle Ownership | $100,000 | Included |
| Vacations & Hotels | $100,000 | Included |
| Housekeeping | $25,000 | Included |
| Laundry | $10,000 | Included |
| Transportation Between Destinations | $50,000 | Included |
| Food & Dining | $120,000 | Included |
| Beer & Wine with Meals | $15,000 | Included |
| 10-Year Lifestyle Cost | Approximately $1.1 Million+ | Approximately $580,000 + Cabin Ownership |
It’s worth noting that individual costs provided in the breakdown are estimates provided by the cruise company itself—your individual mileage will most certainly vary.
Still, the company is trying to spin the idea as both cost-effective and experience-focused, ideal for not just retirees, but those those who work from home, “empty nesters” or people simply looking for a constant stream of new adventures. With the soaring cost of home ownership on land, owning a piece of a cruise ship might also be the closest many people will ever get to “owning” their own home.
You can decorate your villa however you want, and you can even purchase an adjacent property to expand your own residence.
Can Villa Vie units be sold or rented?
Villa Vie says that the purchased cabins can also be privately sold or rented like land-based properties, can be used as short-term rentals when you’re not using them, and come with trade-in or buyback options based on length of ownership.
Ultimately, the selling point of the program is offering a certain type of lifestyle that many people might not be aware they can experience right now, rather than ten years from now.
“Residents can spend spring in the Mediterranean, summer in Northern Europe, autumn in Asia, and winter exploring South America or Antarctica without booking flights, changing hotels, maintaining a home, or unpacking a suitcase,” Villa Vie writes in a news release.
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Villa Vie says it’s time to think about retirement differently, and not just as a “finish line.”
“If your dream retirement involves traveling the world, meeting new people, experiencing different cultures, and maximizing your time rather than maintaining possessions, perhaps the question isn’t when you can retire,” said Villa Vie Residences founder Mikael Petterson. “Perhaps the question is whether you’ve already saved enough.”
The Ditch Your Anchor ownership program is available now while villas are available. The $99,999 introductory price is for interior facing units which don’t have exterior windows. Prices can exceed $430,000 for the most luxury of the ship’s villa suites.
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