Scottish firm Clydebuilt’s cruise ship Dark Island is a global citizen’s dream. That is, if you can dish out the money for one of the 236 ultra-luxury residential suites.
Planning for the construction of the Dark Island started in 2019, focusing on both environmental sustainability and the longevity of the ship. The long-term goal is for this cruise ship to last a minimum of 50 years, outnumbering the current average for most passenger ships (30 years).
Back in November of 2021, Clydebuilt had planned on selling 101 suites on an 8-deck ship, ranging in price from $8,000,000 to $110,000,000.
The updated design plans outline that the Dark Island will have 12 decks and 236 suites with a resident capacity of 724. The ship also has accommodations for 540 crew members.
Another luxury accommodation is the butler service, something Clydebuilt wanted to include to really capture a luxury hotel-like experience.
There is no direct mention if there has been an update to the suite pricing with the newly introduced design plans. However, pricing is based according to the location on the ship, the square footage, and the view.
You can take a look at what the future residential ship will look like in some rendering footage below:
Once completed, Dark Island will sit at 89,750 gross tons and 748ft in length. To put that into perspective, 748ft is twice the size of an American football field.
The Dark Island was initially supposed to set sail at the end of 2025, but is now being scheduled for its maiden voyage in 2028.
While the full itinerary for the maiden voyage has yet to be finalized, it has been reported that it will be an 800-day-long world cruise.
Guests will be able to vote on the itinerary for the second voyage, but the captain will make the final decision. This at least gives suite owners the chance to have some input about stops worldwide they are interested in, something not offered on most cruises.
There are also some wonderful accommodations that come with owning a suite on the Dark Island.
Living in residential suites on a cruise ship
At the moment, there are 1, 2, and 3 bedroom suites available for sale on the Dark Island. The size of the suites ranges from 420.6ft² all the way to 2,690ft². As an added bonus, every suite on the ship comes with a sea view.
Residents can personalize their suites with custom designs, reflecting their individual tastes in the interior decor.
Similar to having a homeowners association, there is a yearly service fee. The benefits that come with this are better than you might think!
The service fee covers everything from wifi to excursions & spa treatments, and best of all, every meal and select menu beverages in a restaurant of your choice.
The idea of the Dark Island is that guests can come and go as they please focusing more on the lifestyle environment compared to the vacation vibe of a typical cruise ship.
Read Also: How Much Does It Cost to Live On a Cruise Ship?
When one purchases one of the suites, it is possible to rent them out, but there is a minimum rental period of 6-months. Family and friends of suite owners will be able to stay on the ship but only for short-term stays.
Residential cruise ships have been around since 2002, when MS The World set sail. Some cruise lines have recently been exploring creating more affordable residential cruise ship suites, such as Villa Vie Residences and Storylines.
Clydebuilt’s Dark Island is almost at the extreme other end of these ‘affordable’ residential cruise ships, focusing on high-end luxury suites and accommodations. You know, like a butler!
Now, it’s just a waiting game to see if Dark Island will ever set sail. While the idea is that guests can come and go as they please, an 800-day cruise can sound intimidating.
As recently as November 2023, Life at Sea’s Fairytale had its three-year cruise cancelled. The big issue was actually the lack of a cruise ship; yes, you read that right, there was literally no ship.
Worth Reading: Different Type Of Cruises You Must Experience
Miray Cruises (the parent company of Life at Sea) failed to inform guests ahead of the 130,000-mile world voyage that the cruise ship they had planned to purchase had not worked out.
The good news is that, unlike Miray Cruises, Clydebuilt’s Dark Island is a new build. It will be a sigh of relief when there are construction updates instead of renderings.
