There are some people in life who can’t stand to be on a cruise for more than a few days, while there are others who are perfectly content with spending a month cruising the seas and stopping at some of the world’s greatest port cities. But how many do you think there are who would be willing to spend three full years onboard a luxury cruiser, seeing the world and escaping to the water between stops?
That’s the proposition Life at Sea Cruises is putting up with a three-year voyage onboard the MV Gemini, which sets sail from Istanbul on November 1 and will sail to 375 ports around the world. That’s 135 countries visited across all seven continents, covering more than 130,000 miles over the three years and taking in everything from Rio de Janeiro and India to Mexico and China.
The all-inclusive itinerary will cost you at least US$30,000 (AU$45,000) per year. Which, in the grand scheme of things, really isn’t that much to pay for a travelling luxury home that’ll have you seeing the world. There’s free high-speed Wi-Fi on board, so you could even take your day job with you.
If you want some better digs than entry-level staterooms you’ll want to look at the various cabins on offer. Balcony Suites are the top-tier offering onboard the cruise and they are priced at around US$109,999 (AU$164,899) per person.
Evidently, Life at Sea Cruises is hoping at least 1,074 people out there would be willing to take up such an ambitious cruise. That’s how many people can fit on board the MV Gemini, which has 400 cabins, remote working facilities, a full-scale business centre, 14 offices, a business library and a lounge.
And that quota shouldn’t be hard to fill. After all, $45,000 per year is cheaper than renting a two-bedroom apartment in Sydney right now so you could just escape to the seas and come back when everything has – hopefully – calmed down.
The ship will also have its own hospital on board with free medical visits, while other amenities include a swimming pool, a gym and wellness centre, an auditorium, dance and music lessons, and various restaurants and bars. There will be numerous events held throughout the trip, from singles mixers to themed stops including Christmas in Brazil and New Year’s Eve in Argentina.
Keen passengers must sign up for all years although the cruise line is offering a “matchmaking scheme” where people can basically timeshare a cabin for those three years and come and go through the itinerary as they place. For example, if two couples go in on the cabin together, one can do 1.5 years and the other can do the rest.
