Villa Vie Residences, the world cruise brand that enables passengers to buy a stateroom or rent one long-term onboard Villa Vie Odyssey, has rolled out some new options in a bid to boost guest numbers.
Villa Vie Odyssey is the former Braemar that sailed for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines and was acquired by Villa Vie Residences in 2023. The ship has capacity for about 600 guests, but is currently sailing her first world voyage with roughly 125 guests.
That leaves plenty of empty cabins on a ship that was embroiled in controversy through the second half of 2024, when delay after delay impacted her launch. Villa Vie Odyssey finally set sail in October 2024, some three months later than scheduled.
New alternatives announced on January 28, 2025 include a Seasonal Ownership plan, a financing program for two cabin-purchase options, and a new offer to take a trial cruise on the residential ship before agreeing to buy a cabin.
Under the Seasonal Ownership plan, cruisers pay $24,999 per person to receive 120 credits per contract. Credits can be redeemed for cruises in inside, ocean view, or balcony cabins ranging from 30 days to nine months. Annual fees of $7,999 per contract also apply.
The companyโs new financing option is valid on the full ownership and Endless Horizons plans. Under full ownership, guests buy a cabin for rates starting at $139,000 per person in a contract valid for 15 years.
Endless Horizons, which is designed for retirees, requires a cabin purchase starting at $349,999 per person with unlimited access to an ocean view villa.
The financing plan includes a 25% deposit and another 25% due 180 days before embarking the ship. The remaining balance is paid in 20% annual installments.
Villa Vie Residencesโ new Try Before You Buy offer essentially is a 7-day cruise onboard the ship with single occupancy fares of $1,499 and double occupancy fares of $1,998 for ocean view accommodations.
“We’re making the dream of traveling the globe by ship more attainable. With our new Seasonal Ownership and Financing Options, travelers can now experience this extraordinary lifestyle with minimal commitment and maximum flexibility,โ said Mikael Petterson, chairman of Villa Vie Residences.
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It isnโt the first time that Villa Vie Residences has carved out new options to gain guests. In November 2024, it introduced the Tour La Vie program, which offers guests one- to four-year options in an ocean view villa.
The one-year deal costs $49,999 per person, double, and $79,000 per person, single. Rates rise with the cruise length chosen, with the four-year cost topping out at $159,999 per person, double, and $255,999 per person, single.
Ship Sails Maiden Voyage After Months of Delay
Villa Vie Residences, based in Fort Lauderdale, invested in a renovation of Villa Vie Odyssey after its purchase in 2023, the same year that the world cruise company introduced itself to the industry.
It billed itself as offering a โPerpetual, Circumnavigating the World Every 3.5 Yearsโ voyage. The residential ship is slated to call at 420 ports across the globe on each voyage.
The renovation at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, revealed several mechanical issues with the 32-year-old vessel.
Among the problems were faulty grey water tanks, which hold used water from the kitchen, showers, laundry facilities, and other sources. After that was corrected, a major operational issue with the shipโs rudder stock was found. Rudders enable ships to turn, so the problem further postponed the shipโs launch.
Meanwhile, dozens of guests who had bought cabins on Villa Vie Odyssey were waiting to embark the ship in Belfast. Two of those guests chronicled their long wait on their YouTube channel called Midlife Cruising.
The ship finally sailed from Belfast on October 3, 2024. Villa Vie Odyssey will hold inaugural events at Catalina Island, off Los Angeles, on June 18, 2025.