01-07-2025
Pensioner uses life savings for a cruise which goes round and round the world 'with no end'
Sharon Lane sold everything she owns to get a place on the ship which will be at sea continuously for a minimum of 15 years
A 77-year-old woman has told how she sold everything she owned for a place on a cruise ship where she plans to spend the rest of her life. Sharon Lane said the moment she stepped on to the Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship she felt full of joy.
She has now signed up to stay on the cruise ship for at least the next 15 years. It will sail around the world again and again with no end port. It will stop off at glamorous spots across the globe and, unlike other cruise ships, the majority of passengers on the Villa Vie Odyssey - the First Perpetual World Cruise - are long-term residents.
Sharon had been looking for a life at sea and said when she found the liner she felt relieved. She has signed up to spend at least the lifespan of the vessel - 15 years - onboard. Most passengers sign up to spend the rest of their lives on the ship.
She plunged her life savings into buying her cabin last year and, after a delay of several months, set sail on her new life at the end of September 2024 when the Odyssey cruised through her hometown of San Diego, reports the Mirror.
Sharon said she was keen to see the world but also the chance to meet interesting people.
Villa Vie Residences' CEO Mikael Petterson explained: "We have a very diverse community including a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a White House chief of staff, an astronaut, and many scientists and doctors onboard who share their knowledge and experiences."
And if it's something you might fancy doing in your retirement, there are cabins available. But they aren't cheap.
The lowest cost accommodation is an 'inside' cabin that is going for $129,000 (£93,000) for 15 years, with an extra $2,000 (£1,495) per person monthly fee for double occupancy, and $3,000 (£2,180) for single occupancy.
If those prices stay the same, a single occupancy cruiser would fork out £392,400 in cabin fees alone across 15 years.
However, the figure is low in comparison to the World, which is the only other cruise ship currently at sea. Prices for that begin at $2.5 million.
Included in the deal are food and soft drinks, alcohol at dinner, Wi-Fi, medical visits, 24/7 room service, weekly housekeeping, and bi-weekly laundry service.
The lack of laundry is something Sharon, from California enjoys. She said: 'I don't have to do my laundry anymore. I don't have to do grocery shopping.
"Living on the ship is much less expensive than living in Southern California."
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Other amenities for passengers, according to Villa Vie's website, include a pickleball court, different shows and performances, wellness classes, and social events, from elegant dinners to casual meet-ups.
Villa Vie owners can rent their cabin out to others, which means short-term passengers can come and go from the Odyssey.
The Odyssey usually stops in each port for a couple of days, where optional shore excursions are organised for an additional fee. The eight-deck Odyssey can accommodate 924 people, but it has been reconfigured and streamlined to a roomier 450.
The ship's voyage did not get off to a smooth start, as it became stranded in Belfast for four and a half months last year. The Odyssey arrived in the Northern Ireland capital back in May 2024 to be fitted out before it was scheduled to sail off on the 30th of that month.
Due to issues with the rudders and gearbox, the vessel ended up staying put for four and a half months. It finally set sail on October 3.
