15-“Year” Cruise Costs Up to $440,000 and Visits 147 countries, and Hundreds Have Already Signed Up

Villa Vie Residences founder Mikael Petterson tells PEOPLE that the experience was created so people could travel “without ever leaving home”

NEED TO KNOW

• Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey cruise ship offers 15 years of continuous travel with evolving itineraries every 3.5 years
• Residents can personalize their villas and enjoy amenities like the onboard spa, fitness center, library and more
• “Odyssey gives people the chance to explore the world without ever leaving home,” founder Mikael Petterson tells PEOPLE in a statement

One cruise line is offering travelers the unique opportunity to live on a cruise ship and travel the world — for fifteen years.

Villa Vie Residences’ Odyssey ship is offering cruisers the ultimate life of adventure with its 15-year sailing, dubbed “The First Perpetual World Cruise.” While some cruises have offered extended sailings that range from weeks to months, the Odyssey is continuously sailing for 15 years, with an itinerary evolving every 3.5 years to keep things fresh for residents, per its website. 

The cruise line’s founder, Mikael “Mike” Petterson, tells PEOPLE in a statement that the idea for the experience was created not with a “vacation” in mind, but rather as a way of “rethinking how we live.” 

“Our residents wake up to a new backyard every day, but more importantly, they wake up with a sense of freedom and community that’s hard to find anywhere else," he adds. "Odyssey gives people the chance to explore the world without ever leaving home.”

While some might look at the voyage and consider it quite the ambitious project, Petterson says the idea was “simple.”

“What if you never had to go home because you were already there? Odyssey turns the entire world into your neighborhood,” he concludes.

Per Villa Vie Residences’ website, the Odyssey offers a variety of villas and “ownership options” for residents to consider. The windowless “Inside Villa” starts at $129,999, while the largest “Villa Suite” is currently priced at $439,999.

Residents are also required to pay a monthly fee ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on the type of accommodation. They will receive a “free weekly cleaning and laundry services” with their villa as well. 

While many cruisers are careful not to make a mess in their staterooms on a typical sailing, Odyssey residents are encouraged to treat their villas like their homes, with the website noting: “Decorate the way you wish, invite guests, rent or even resell at a later date.”

As for dining options, residents can eat at the main dining room which offers a “daily changing menu cycle of 14 days” as well as buffet options, or they can take advantage of the other venues on the ship, including a restaurant, cafe, pub and bar.

Additional amenities onboard include a lounge, library, fitness center, spa, pool, pickleball court and more. There’s also a business center with private offices and high-speed internet. 

The ship’s itinerary is broken up into segments, with its current segment running from Feb. 20 to April 30 as it sails along the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. The next segment in Asia includes stops in Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines and more from May 1 to July 31. 

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In an interview with Forbes published on Wednesday, March 18, Petterson noted that while the Odyssey has a maximum capacity of 720 passengers, they never have “more than 600” aboard the vessel.

He also noted that the average age for its passengers is 59, with the youngest residents being in their thirties and the oldest in their nineties. 

The outlet reports that passengers are allowed to bring cats on board, but not dogs, and unlike other cruise ships, they can bring their own alcohol too. There is also a full-time doctor on the ship.

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