I’ve bought an apartment on a cruise ship – it’s cheaper than home and I get to travel the world too
A MAN has revealed how he bought an apartment onboard a cruise ship – and says it is cheaper while being able to travel the world at the same time.
Austin Wells from San Diego paid $300,000 (£246,465) for a studio with a 12-year lease onboard the MV Narrative – a mega cruise ship with 500 private rooms and apartments.
His 237 square foot entry-level room will include a foldaway bed, pantry, desk and separate shower room.
People who live on board permanently will get access to medical services, a farmer’s market, private kitchens, a gym and spa, 24-hour room service and a co-working space.
There will also be 20 restaurants and bars on board, a swimming pool, a school, a library, a bank, a cinema as well as a champagne and whisky bar.
Wells, 28, told CBNC: “The thing that most excites me is I don’t have to upend my daily routine, in order to go see the world.
“My working hours will be shifted towards evenings, nights and very early mornings, but that does open up the ability for me to see a city midday to afternoon.
“This is probably the first time ever that there is even the ability to have a standard job and even consider working and living from a floating apartment complex.”
Wells is from San Diego, California, where the average rental price is $2,500 (£2,053.88) per month.
Meanwhile his room onboard the ship will set him back around $2,000 (£1,643.10) per month – saving $500 (£410.77) on rent alone.
He said he also hopes to make friends onboard, as he will be “travelling the world with them too”.
The MV Narrative is the brainchild of Storylines bosses Alister Punton and Shannon Lee who wanted to offer ‘more affordable’ apartments for life at sea.
The cruise ship will be home to around 1,000 residents when it launches in 2025.
A penthouse apartment on other luxury cruise ships can cost $20.5 million (£16.8 million).
The cruise ship will be divided into 11 different types of homes including a Global residence, which will consist on two levels and have four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large balcony, a dining room and a walk-in closet.
While MV’s luxury units are cheaper, they’re still pricey at $8 million (£6.5 million) with partial ownership options starting at $600,000 (£492,930).
Residents will also be given the opportunity to rent out apartments, with Wells’ capable of fetching $4,500 (£3,696.97) a month.
Storylines boss Punton expects the ship to be docked at each port for around three to five days.
While the full itinerary hasn’t been released, passengers can expect to explore bucket-list destinations such as Rome, Naples and Venice as well as the seaside towns of Spari and Marsala.
From there, the mega cruise ship will sail onto Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Greece and Turkey – other plans include a visit to the Arctic Circle.
The cruise ship is currently under construction in Split, Croatia and is due to set sail in 2025.
Meanwhile holidaymakers can also spend their time on a Disney cruise complete with an adult-only pool and live fireworks.