If you feel the need for a break from the humdrum of everyday life and yearn to travel, your moment may have arrived: A cruise line is offering adventurers a literal life at sea for three years.
The Life at Sea Cruises voyage takes travelers on a 130,000-mile worldwide journey, with prices starting at an affordable $30,000 a person a year.
@dutchworld_americangirl Let’s talk about living on a cruise ship. Many of you forget to look at the bigger picture your room it’s just your bedroom the ship is your home. #livingonacruiseship #weliveonacruiseship #traveltips #cruisevlog #cruiseship #cruise #dayinmylifevlog #cruisecabin ♬ Sunroof - Nicky Youre & dazy
The cruise departs Istanbul on Nov. 1, stopping in 135 countries on all seven continents. The ship plans to anchor at 375 ports worldwide — 208 of which feature overnight stops — and visit 103 tropical islands. The itinerary is no slouch either: Travelers can expect to visit quintessential tourist destinations like Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, and the Pyramids of Giza.
The ship on this journey features 400 cabins that accommodate 1,074 passengers, and because Life at Sea Cruises aims to provide a floating home and remote workplace for passengers, the MV Gemini is being revamped to include a business center with meeting rooms, 14 offices, a business library, and a lounge. Passengers also have access to free medical visits at the ship's 24-hour on-call hospital.
The starting $30,000 fare is for a 130-square-foot inside stateroom (i.e., there is no window), which, for two people, totals $180,000 for the three-year journey. Payment options start at $2,500 a month and include all amenities. More expensive rooms are up for grabs, of course, including balcony suites that are double the size of the cheapest rooms and cost up to $110,000 a person.
The cruise line requires a $45,000 down payment at the time of booking and provides a 15% discount for single travelers. Passengers must also commit to the entire three-year itinerary, though the cruise line offers a matching service that allows couples, for example, to share their room with another couple and split the itinerary.
Under the right circumstances, the three-year life at sea could provide affordable lodgings while allowing remote workers to still earn a living and enjoy a big dose of adventure. But it's not for everyone, especially if don't have $45,000 to put down or are among the 40% of U.S. workers who can't work remotely.
Still, with monthly rents for one-bedroom apartments topping $2,000 in many major U.S. cities, for a bit more, you could have the time of your life and leave the rate race behind.
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