More people are embracing maritime travel as a viable retirement option. This is a way to combine adventure, security and health services at a cost that could be surprisingly affordable than traditional nursing homes.
Villaby Residence, a US-based cruise line, makes this dream come true with a program that popularizes it. In October 2024, the company launched its first cruise on the Odyssey, promising its passengers a global journey. Residents can choose to buy a cabin, rent one or lease it for life through the “Endless Horizons” program.
Cruise ship retirement revolution
The company’s latest innovation is the Golden Passport. This is a new product that opens a scheme to more passengers. Prices vary depending on age and increase from 85,305 euros above 90 to 341,223 euros for people aged 55-60. My passport likes all alcoholic beverages, including meals, housekeeping, laundry, annual health checks, meals and port taxes and service charges. Residents can also invite family and friends on board for a daily rate of 110 euros each day.
“As people retire, one of their biggest fears is to make a living more than their money. With a golden passport, that uncertainty disappears. One payment secures a lifetime of adventure,” says Mikael Petterson, founder of Villa Vie Residences. Although inheritance tax rates are creeping up in many countries, more options are beginning to emerge to enjoy money while still alive.
Currently, the Odyssey is the only vessel operated as permanent residence, but the Golden Passport can travel across Villavier’s future fleet. Each complete journey is expected to last around three and a half years, allowing residents to stay longer if necessary.
The company’s CEO, Kathy Villalva, highlights a unique opportunity. “Life moves fast and people are not traveling the world when opportunities arise. Golden Passports enable that dream in ways you’ve never seen before in the cruise industry and make it affordable.”
Retirement on cruise ships that are cheaper than living on land
Sharon Lane, a former high school foreign language teacher from California, purchased an interior villa on the world’s first permanent cruise, the Villa Vee Odyssey. “Not only was it affordable for me, it actually means I don’t have much money to live here like this, and I can take care of me instead of taking care of everyone,” Lane told NBC Los Angeles.
This voyage has become the last pimples, the ultimate luxury, the final prize from life, freedom from world politics and tax officers, and a way to see the world at once.
