A couple from Florida sold all their property and went on a trip around the world
John and Melody Hennessey sold almost everything they owned three years ago, including their main business and home. They plan to spend the rest of their lives traveling around the world, convinced that it could be half the cost of their life on land.
At first, the couple bought a motorhome to travel around the United States. But then 76-year-old John got tired of driving, says 64-year-old Melody, according to Sky News.
Then they saw an ad on Facebook for a 274-day cruise with Royal Caribbean, and their journey to a permanent life at sea began. Currently, the couple is traveling through the Dominican Republic as part of the latest in a series of long voyages that have taken them to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.
John and Melody Hennessey's new life is not only more exciting, it's also cheaper.
"Now we have a phone bill, a ship's bill, and a few credit card bills when we go ashore, but that's it," says John. - "We no longer have a mortgage or housing costs. We no longer have vehicle insurance, property insurance, utility bills. The list goes on and on. We probably spend about half of what we did when we lived on land."
The couple's life is currently scheduled by the month as they move from ship to ship. They have booked cruises through December 2024.
Soon they will move to a permanent residence on the Villa Vie residential cruise ship, one of the first of its kind, where 30% of the people on board will be permanent residents.
The ship will sail around the world every three years, mostly following the warm weather, but life on board Villa Vie will not be cheap.
The cost of an inside cabin starts at $99,000 (£78,000), and a villa with a balcony and ocean view at $249,000 (£198,000), and that's not including the nearly $8,000 (£6,369) monthly fee.
The ship is still under construction, so while they haven't set foot in their new home yet, they've seen digital renderings that have given them a good idea of what to expect. It will be larger than a traditional cruise ship cabin, with a kitchenette and a pull-out bed in the living room for guests.
"We wanted to buy a cabin so that we could decorate it the way we want. It will probably be our home for at least 15 years on the ship," says Melody.
Located on a former Fred Olsen cruise ship, Villa Vie Odyssey is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation and will set sail in May 2024, starting from Southampton.
"Every operator has their own world cruise," says founder and CEO Mikael Petterson. - "And they're getting longer and longer and longer. So why not go above and beyond and create the perfect world cruise where you don't stop, you just keep going?"
Mikael has a background in cruising and is the former CEO of Life at Sea Cruises, which promoted three-year round-the-world sailings. But the project was canceled before the ship could sail. Michael stepped down before the ship ran aground after expressing concerns about the choice of ship.
"We have learned a lot from this experience," he told Sky News. - Currently, about 85% of the residents are Americans, but Villa Vie has just welcomed its first British couple. Those who live on board will be able to bring their families on board for free - after paying port fees - and a certain number of cabins will be reserved for them.
The ship will have a business center and private offices, allowing digital nomads to work from anywhere in the world.
Mikael says that almost half of the cabins are occupied by single people, one third by business owners and those who can work from anywhere in the world. Since the average age of the ship's occupants is almost 60, there is a dentist and a doctor on board for routine procedures. For more serious health issues, there is a hospital, as well as a two-person morgue in case of a worst-case scenario.
Melody and John say that the biggest challenge on board for them is "over-relaxation". They try to walk around the ship as much as possible, and on a day in port, they can walk up to eight miles exploring.
The ship will be in ports for a little longer - three to five days at a time - and the couple may even stay longer and fly on to meet their new floating home later.
John's son is 54 and daughter Melody is 43, but they are not worried about losing touch with them. Several cabins on board Villa Vie will be reserved for friends and family to visit, and since the itinerary is planned for years to come, Melody says some family members have already decided when they are going to join them.
The couple is not worried about being bored. "We are just people of the water. We're both boaters, and we love being in the ocean," says Melody.
