There are currently two primary cruise ships in active service that sell or rent cabins for permanent
or long-term residential living, with additional luxury residential ships planned or launching soon.
• The World (MS The World):
• Type: Ultra-luxury private residential yacht.
• Cabins: Features 165 private residences (from studios to 3-bedroom homes and 50% partnerships).
• Details: Owners must meet high net-worth criteria, buy properties (often millions of dollars), and vote on the global itinerary.
• Villa Vie Odyssey (Villa Vie Residences):
• Type: More accessible residential cruise ship.
• Cabins: Offers ownership (starting around $60,000 to $100,000+ depending on terms or up to $350,000+ for balconies) plus flexible rentals or rent-to-own programs from around $3,499 per month.
• Details: Includes meals, housekeeping, and Starlink internet, with a second ship (Villa Vie Legacy) announced for the future.
Upcoming Projects
• Other luxury residential cruise concepts and companies—such as Storylines (the MV Narrative) and Crescent Seas—are developing or launching additional ships where cabins can be purchased or leased.
What It REALLY Takes (And Costs!) - Tips For Travellers
Residential Options: MS The World ($2.5M-$15M cabins, $113K-$1M annual fees); Villa Vie Odyssey ($130K-$440K buy-in, $48K-$132K fee...
• Ynetnews-——$5 million homes at sea: The cruise ships trying to become floating neighborhoods. New ventures are reviving permanent residential cruise projects, offering cabins ranging from under $100,000 to luxury million dollar residences...
• Cruise Fever-——Cruise Lines With Ships You Can Buy a Cabin and Live On Oct 27, 2026 — While living on a cruise ship might be a dream for many, there are actually several cruise lines that offer cabins you can buy or rent......
Never wanted to take a cruise. Longest I’ve ever been on a cruise ship was overnight between Sweden and Finland years ago. Did see a beautiful tall ship at dusk on the way.
I did some glancing around. If you bought a ~$400K suite on the Odyssey, you still had monthly expenses north of $10K a month.