John and Melody Hennessee have embarked on a lifelong adventure, cruising around the world, and they believe it could be half as expensive as their previous life on land. The couple, originally from Florida, sold almost all of their possessions, including their business and home, three years ago and bought a motorhome to travel the United States. However, John, 76, grew tired of driving, according to Melody, 64. Then they saw an advertisement on Facebook for a 274-day cruise with Royal Caribbean, and their journey to a permanent life at sea began.
Currently, the couple is cruising around the Dominican Republic as part of a series of long-term sailings that have taken them to various places such as Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. They find their new life more exciting and also cheaper. John explains, “We now have a telephone bill, a ship bill, and a few credit card bills for when we go ashore, but that’s it. We no longer have a mortgage or the expense of homes. We no longer have vehicle insurance, property insurance, or utility bills. The list goes on. We are certain cruising is cheaper. Right now it is probably close to half of what it was when we lived on land.”
Their life is currently planned in monthly chunks as they hop from ship to ship, and they are booked up until December 2024. However, they will soon be settling into a more permanent residence on Villa Vie’s residential cruise ship, which will circumnavigate the world every three years. But this luxury lifestyle comes at a cost. An inside cabin starts at $99,000 (£78,000), while a balcony villa with ocean views costs $249,000 (£198,000), not to mention the monthly fee of almost $8,000 (£6,369).
Although they haven’t physically set foot in their new home yet, they have seen digital renderings and have a good idea of what to expect. The living space will be larger than a traditional cruise ship room, featuring a kitchenette and a pull-down bed in the living room for guests. Melody says, “We wanted to buy a cabin so we can design it how we want. It’s going to be home for us, for probably a minimum of 15 years on the ship.”
Villa Vie Odyssey, the ship they will call home, is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound transformation and will enter service in May 2024. Mikael Petterson, the founder and CEO, explains that while many cruise operators offer world cruises, they wanted to create the ultimate world cruise where passengers never stop and just keep going.
The majority of residents on board Villa Vie are currently American, but the ship has recently welcomed its first British couple. Those living on board can bring their families for free, with a set number of cabins reserved for them. The ship will also provide a business center and private offices for digital nomads to work from anywhere in the world.
With an average age of almost 60, the ship will have a dentist and doctor on board for routine procedures and a hospital for more serious health concerns. There is even a two-person morgue for worst-case scenarios. Melody and John’s biggest challenge on board is “overindulging,” so they try to walk as much as possible around the ship and explore ports, sometimes walking up to eight miles in a day.
Despite their new lifestyle, the couple isn’t worried about losing touch with their family. Several cabins on Villa Vie are reserved for friends and family to visit, and with the itinerary planned years in advance, some family members have already made plans to join them. Melody says, “We are just water people. We are both boaters and we love being on the ocean.”