Austin Wells loves to travel the world but he doesn’t like long flights or jet lag. That’s why, Wells, who is 28 and lives in San Diego, leased a residence on board a luxury boat for 300,000 dollars.
He will move and work remotely from the cruise for
at least three years as it sails around the world. It comes complete with medical
services, a farmer’s market, private kitchens, an exercise center, 24-hour
room service, a co-working space and a spa.
His room is on a mega cruise ship named the MV Narrative, made up of more than 500 private rooms and apartments, which will be home to around 1,000 residents who will live on board permanently.
Wells — whose job at Meta’s augmented and virtual reality division, Reality Labs, is fully remote — will work U.S. West Coast hours when the ship sets sail in Europe in 2025. That will result in working some very unsociable hours, including late evenings and early mornings.
"But I will be able to see a city noon to afternoon and then start my workday around 6 or 7 p.m." he told CNBC.
- What is the MV Narrative?
The MV Narrative is an upscale residential ship now under construction in Split, Croatia, from where it will set sail in 2025.
There will be 11 types of residences on board, with the
largest — “Global” at 200 square meters — on two levels, with up to four
bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large balcony, a dining room that seats six and a
walk-in closet.
Some apartments will be on a deck with a
Champagne and whisky bar, cigar lounge and a small pool.
Other facilities will include 20 restaurants and
bars, a 1,000-square-meter gym and spa open 24 hours a day, three swimming pools,
a school, library, bank and office spaces. The ship will also have a theater
for performances and movies.
The MV Narrative will dock at ports for around
three to five days, which is longer than average for liners, allowing residents
to explore.
A sample itinerary will include three days docked
in Rome, then three days in Naples, followed by stops at smaller places such as
the seaside towns of Sapri and Marsala, and reaching Venice before
sailing on to Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, Greece and then Turkey.
The ship will also go to the Arctic Circle. In total, it will spend three years or so traveling the world
- What it costs
Wells spent around $300,000 on a 12-year lease for
an entry-level “Discover” studio, which at 25 square meters includes a foldaway
bed, desk and separate shower room.
Most leases are either for 24 years or for the life
of the vessel — around 60 years.
The MV Narrative is more affordable than other residential boats. The World, for example, is a lavish liner where a penthouse apartment costs around $20.5 million dollars, and there are only around 150-200 people on board at any time.
While the MV Narrative’s units are still pricey — at around $1 million to $8 million for a life-of-vessel lease —it launched fractional ownership options in November 2022, with a 25% share starting at around $600,000, allowing residents to stay on board for three months a year.
“All-inclusive living fees” start at around $2,100
a person per month, covering things like food and drinks from the ship’s
restaurants and bars, laundry, fitness classes and medical checkups.
- Who’s buying
Austin Wells will be one of the youngest adult residents
on board — around 30 years old when he moves in. Residents will range from mid-life
entrepreneurs to families with children.
Children can attend the ship’s “world schooling”
program, which blends online learning with small group teaching, field trips
and workshops with experts from the countries the ship docks at.
Retirees and those close to retirement are also
buying apartments. One future resident is an ER nurse with about 30 years of
working experience who will work in the MV Narrative’s medical team part time.
Adapted from CNBC
