GlobeCruises LTD
A startup is inviting travelers to live on a cruise ship for three years as it sails around the world.
GlobeCruises says its 1,095-day voyage will depart Barcelona on April 12, 2025. From there, it would visit 413 ports in 171 countries before concluding in Southampton, England, on April 13, 2028.
Along the way, travelers could experience the night markets of Taiwan, the beaches of Brazil, the wildlife of Tanzania, and the landmarks of Spain.
The startup's COO, Robert Dixon, told Business Insider that the voyage was designed to chase warm weather. But according to its itinerary, destinations will stretch as far south as chilly Antarctica and as far north as Longyearbyen, Norway.
Maglara/Getty Images
Dixon said the cruise would also dock overnight at 355 of the 413 ports — in some cases for as long as seven nights, like in Singapore — giving guests more time to explore the destinations.
Inside cabins start at about $181,790 per person, while the more luxurious suites cost $624,150 per person. The cheapest option costs about $166 per person and day.
Demand has been growing in recent years for extended cruises, but their duration is typically several months, not years. Oceania's 2024 six-month world cruise sold out within 30 minutes of reservations opening in 2022, the premium cruise line said at the time. Cruise lines like Regent Seven Seas and Silversea operate annual around-the-world sailings, most of which are capped at four to six months.
GlobeCruises LTD
GlobeCruises says its vessel will have amenities like a gym, a movie theater, a nightclub, and rentable offices. To pass the time, guests could take a dip in the pool, crack open a new book in the library, or relax in the spa.
Kendra Holmes, GlobeCruises' CEO, said she envisions at least two pools and restaurants and "as many bars and lounges" as possible, but no casino — which is a popular feature of some cruises.
The company also promises a scuba diving certification program and homeschooling opportunities for its youngest guests. The ship would host entertainers and chefs local to the port stops, as well.
Life at Sea Cruises
GlobeCruises' plans are similar to those of now-defunct Life at Sea Cruises. The latter canceled its planned three-year voyage in November 2023, two weeks before its departure, after failing to secure enough funding to purchase a ship.
Dixon and Holmes previously worked with Life at Sea. Holmes served as CEO of its parent company, Miray Cruises, until her departure about a week before the company canceled its global voyage.
Dixon told BI that he helped develop the concept for Life at Sea and later brought it to Miray. He said he left the team in late October 2023, a couple of weeks after Miray said it couldn't acquire a vessel.
In January, 78 would-be Life at Sea cruisers sent a letter to Markenzy Lapointe, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, asking him to investigate Miray Cruises for criminal fraud. The letter accused the company of using about $16 million of its customers' funds to pay for a ship it didn't purchase.
In July, Life at Sea Cruises filed for bankruptcy.
GlobeCruises LTD
The company's demise is "in the past," Holmes told BI.
"I can't dwell, but it's terrible it happened," Holmes said. "We all put our hearts and souls into it, and at the end of the day, it fell apart. I hate to say 'shit happens,' but shit happens."
To avoid another failed launch, Dixon said GlobeCruises has partnered with ship management firm Anglo-Eastern. The Hong Kong-based company has "expressed their confidence in the viability of our project." (Anglo-Eastern did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.)
But there is a caveat: GlobeCruises still needs a ship.
GlobeCruises LTD
Holmes said GlobeCruises would use investor money — not guest deposits — to pay for its future vessel.
Dixon told BI that he has already secured funding to "commit to" a ship and has narrowed the choice to three options that are currently in operation and would ideally accommodate 1,200 to 1,500 passengers
He said he aims to announce his final pick in early September and take ownership of the vessel in February 2025, two months before the start of the voyage.
GlobeCruises LTD
In the meantime, guests can reserve the world cruise by signing a commitment contract. A 20% deposit would be due 14 days after GlobeCruises announces their ship of choice, and held in escrow until the sailing begins, Holmes said.
"At the end of the day, if we aren't able to get the investor support we need and we aren't able to acquire a ship, we're not going to sail," Holmes said. "That's something we're focusing on this time to make people feel more comfortable."
Travelers who don't want to pay at least $181,790 can book cheaper and shorter segments of the cruise. Holmes also suggested guests get a travel loan instead of selling their homes and cars. Some Life at Sea buyers had sold many of their belongings ahead of the ultimately canceled voyage.
Angela and Stephen Theriac
Holmes said several would-be Life at Sea guests have signed commitment contracts for her new project. (She declined to share the exact number.)
Villa Vie Residences, a never-ending cruise startup, has also attracted some travelers who've been burned by the recent demise or delay of other residential cruise concepts, such as Storylines and Victoria Cruises Line.
Villa Vie was founded by another Life at Sea alum, Mikael Petterson. But unlike the newer startup, Petterson's company already has a ship that could embark "any day now," he told BI in an email on Monday.
Despite the two companies' shared history, Dixon said there's no bad blood. He said he wants Villa Vie to succeed.
"I want people to go on Petterson's adventure," Dixon told BI. "It's going to be a door opener for the whole industry. It makes it easier for us because then there's a bit of confidence in this whole concept."
Are you sailing on a residential cruise ship like Villa Vie or have a tip? Contact the reporter at bchang@businessinsider.com or on X @brittanymchang.
