For one year, cruisers are offered the “Escape from Reality” package; for two years, it’s the “Mid-Term Selection” package; three years is the “Everywhere But Home” package, or cruisers can choose the four-year “Skip Forward” package.
Unhappy with the results of the election—whether for president, Congress, or your local school board? One cruise company has the perfect antidote.
Villa Vie Residences, a cruise line offering long-stay residential cruises, announced several multi-year packages onboard its ship Villa Vie Odyssey. The company’s release announcing the packages, called “Tour La Vie,” did not directly mention the U.S. elections, but the cheekily named package options offer some hint into how its marketing the products as escapes from the country’s electoral realities.
For one year, cruisers are offered the “Escape from Reality” package; for two years, it’s the “Mid-Term Selection” package; three years is the “Everywhere But Home” package, or cruisers can choose the four-year “Skip Forward” package.
Packages include accommodation with twice-weekly housekeeping service, high-speed internet, gratuities, and meals. Rates start from $49,999 per person (double occupancy) for the one-year package up to $159,999 per person (double occupancy) for the four-year package. Villa Vie also offers full or fractional ownership options, unlimited access options, or a “pay as you go” option that allows for shorter stays. Friends and family can also join as long-term stay guests for a per-night rate that’s based on the ownership or cruise length package.
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Villa Vie Odyssey is an older ship that began service in 1993 as Cunard’s Crown Dynasty. The ship was extensively refurbished before entering the fleet of the luxury Fred Olsen Cruises in 2001, and again refurbished before undergoing a top-to-bottom refit after its 2023 acquisition by Villa Vie to operate as an ongoing, residential cruise liner.
Long-term cruising offers a rather extraordinary way to leave the United States without being subject to the visa and residency requirements of another country—virtually all of which require a visa or permanent residency permit for stays lasting longer than a few months. Villa Vie Odyssey is registered in Nassau, The Bahamas, but the operator is based in Florida.
Although named “villas” in the marketing copy, many cabins onboard appear to be the typical 140 square-foot cruise cabin—both inside (no window) and outside (with a window), although some larger cabins and suites with balconies are also available. Long-term owners can also paint the walls and hang their own art within the ship’s safety guidelines.
Villa Vie Odyssey is expected to complete a circumnavigation of the globe once every 3.5 years, calling at 425 destinations in 147 countries, often remaining in each port for several days to give residents ample time for exploration. The ship will spend early 2025 circling the South American continent from the Pacific to the Atlantic, returning to the Caribbean, transiting the Panama Canal, through Central America to California, Hawaii, and Alaska by summer. The ship will continue to Asia for the fall and reach Australia by early November, spending much of next winter in French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Fiji.
U.S. citizens abroad also maintain the right to vote while outside the country—typically voting absentee in the state they were last resident in. Some states, however, may limit a resident abroad from voting in certain state or local elections during an extended stay outside the country.
U.S. citizens must also continue to file annual tax returns with the IRS, whether living abroad or onboard a cruise ship long-term. Travelers who anticipate leaving the country for long periods, but maintaining full-time employment in the United States or have income from U.S. sources should consult a tax advisor prior to their journey.
Yes please. Help me escape the insanity enveloping the USA.