At the legendary Harland & Wolff shipyard in Northern Ireland, where the Titanic was once built, the great cruise ship stands Villa Vie Residences and resting before departure. The boat, as per CNN began construction in 1993, will visit 147 countries and 425 destinations – 100 of which are tropical island resorts.
The cruise was supposed to leave on July 30, but two months later it is still standing
The Cruise Without End: “Endless Voyages”
Barring further delays, around 300 passengers, or “residents” as they are also known, are expected to be on board to start the journey that will visit 425 ports on all seven continents, circumnavigating the globe every three and a half years.
The cruise has no scheduled end, and passengers can choose between “pay-as-you-go” – that is, payment for a shorter period, or ownership of a cabin.
However, there is no commitment to stay on board for the entire period, but guests can choose between spending a month or their entire life on the boat. The ship itself is replaced every 15 years “in perpetuity” in order to continue to house the guests – that’s what Villa Vie Residences writes on its website.
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Company promise – 365 days of summer
In addition to the lifelong promise of a roof over your head, the company has also made other statements. Namely, they guarantee travelers “1,301 days of summer”.
The global itinerary, divided into 16 “segments” spanning 1,301 days, has been carefully designed to capture the spring and summer seasons in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Residents, if they so choose, may never feel the cold of winter again.
The guests sent home to wait – for 2 months
But the dream of a sun-protected life seems to be postponed again and again.
Back in November 2023, Life at Sea Cruises canceled its first scheduled voyage shortly before departure – leaving passengers stranded and with tens of thousands of dollars in backlogged refunds.
The ship’s CEO, Mikael Petterson, told one of the ship’s press meetings that customers waiting to board in May were initially sent away on other European cruises – CEO Mikael Petterson told us on one of the ship’s press meetings.
But when the so-called “rudderstock situation” occurred, they were flown home with the message that they would be allowed to return when a date was set. Persson estimates that around 12 people are waiting in Belfast.
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