economie

A couple moved onto a never-ending, around-the-world cruise that’s been stuck at port for 3 months — see inside the Villa Vie Odyssey ship

September 4, 20240
Villa Vie acquired Odyssey, formerly the Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Braemar vessel, in December.

Lanette Canen

The cruise was initially scheduled to set sail in May following the company’s acquisition of Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ more than 30-year-old Braemar vessel, now renamed Villa Vie Odyssey, in December 2023.

However, Villa Vie has said issues like the aging ship’s rudder stocks and recertification have since delayed its departure.

Mikael Petterson, the founder and CEO of Villa Vie, told Business Insider in an email in September his “best guess” is that the residential vessel would set sail on September 9 or 10 with some changes to the itinerary.

“But it’s a moving target if it’s either of those days,” he said.

The uncertainty isn’t worrying would-be residents Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin.
The shared desks at the business center come with office chairs and table lamps.

Living Life on a Cruise/YouTube

Canen spent much of these two weeks at Villa Vie Odyssey’s business center, designed for residents like her who plan to work remotely at sea.

According to the couple’s video tour of the ship — posted on their aptly named “Living Life on a Cruise” YouTube channel — the coworking space has shared desks, private offices, and conference rooms.

Villa Vie said the ship is also equipped with Starlink, an increasingly common amenity on cruise vessels.

Bodin, however, preferred to edit their YouTube videos in the observatory lounge.
Coral Club, pictured, and Neptune Lounge have lounge seating arranged in a semi-circle around a stage.

Living Life on a Cruise/YouTube

According to the couple’s video, Villa Vie Odyssey has hosted live bands at the Coral Club and had a large Olympics viewing screen at the Neptune Lounge.

In the meantime, residents also have an open bar, like the one at Morning Light Pub.
The ship has a pool deck with two hot tubs and a spa with services like massages, manicures, and hair styling.

Living Life on a Cruise/YouTube

But unlike most cruise vessels, guests have access to the ship’s laundry room.

Laundry could be one of the only chores guests have to do, but even then, it’s not required.

Villa Vie said it’ll provide residents with laundry and housekeeping services twice a week.

No need to cook or clean either — the ship has 3 restaurants, 2 of which are complementary.
Canen said her obstructed view cabin is larger and has more natural light than she expected.

Living Life on a Cruise/YouTube

As for their bedroom, the duo will be slumbering in their “obstructed view cabin.”

The room is small, and a lifeboat obstructs its view, but they’ve already started to make it their home.

They’ve added risers under their bed to create additional storage. They also plan to remove the pullman bed to make space for a large world map, which they’ll annotate as they continue their global journey.

Canen and Bodin declined to disclose the price of their accommodation, but windowless inside cabins are currently listed at $100,000, while those with ocean views are $50,000 more.

They’ll also have to pay $3,500 in monthly fees.
Lanette Canen and Johan Bodin met eight years ago in Maui, Hawaii, where they both resided until they moved onto Villa Vie Odyssey.

Lanette Canen

Still, Canen said life on Maui was “way more expensive” than the Odyssey. “We’re traveling on a budget. It’s very affordable for the two of us.”

“Why do I live in Maui when I could travel the world?”