Imagine exploring the world by day, but returning to your residence each night.
An innovative company, Victoria Cruises Line, is offering such a unique but affordable lifestyle at sea opportunity featuring a long-term, live-aboard residential cruise experience.
(Photo : Conservaco/ The Ignite Agency)
READ ALSO: How to Become a Cruise Ship Photographer in 4 Steps
The travel possibilities are endless. Adventurous travelers could sample delicious red Chianti in sunny Tuscany, take a tour of ancient Greek mythology, watch polar bears in Spitsbergen, Norway, catch an underwater glimpse of the marine wonderland of St. Kitts, be amazed by the stunning sight of giant elephant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands, or take a mystical Andean trek in the Mayan land of Peru.
These are just some of the more than 200 exciting destinations that Victoria Cruises Line will visit when the Victoria Amazing and Victoria Majestic Ocean liners, operating as elegant and exclusive houseboats, launch in May 2023 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Please note that the departure date may change due to occupancy rates.
With its headquarters in Limassol, Cyprus, Victoria Cruises Line offers travel enthusiasts an intriguing adults-only (18 years or over) adventure to rent luxury suites and premium staterooms for a minimum of six months, or long-term for an unlimited maximum period.
Victoria Cruises Line's around-the-world trip will take approximately 27 months with about 540 days spent at ports. The boats will spend an average of 1-7 days in each port, so its guests can explore not only the port city but also the surrounding villages at their leisure.
"Victoria Cruises Line offers our customers a unique lifestyle that is completely new to the shipping industry," said Olavs Zvinelis, CEO of Victoria Cruises Line. "We provide rental cabins at affordable prices to clients who want to live on a boat and travel the world without any strings attached. It's our mission to deliver a unique houseboat experience for our residents, who will live on board like a little family."
Zvinelis added that so far 50% of the ship's staterooms and suites have already been reserved by clients and the majority have chosen the unlimited, undefined rental period.
"We do not want to compete with the cruise industry because we have a completely different concept," said Zvinelis. "The houseboat lifestyle is not the same as short cruise cruising, where passengers take an average 'holiday' of between 3-14 days. We are looking for people who want to embark on a new lifestyle. They move on to a boat and travel while they are on it. Our oldest resident will be 92 years old. Our concept is aimed at the 65-plus age group who are not in a hurry and can travel and live comfortably on board. In terms of our development as a company, we aim for quality."
Top benefits and features of Victoria Cruises Line's distinctive life at sea offering:
- Discover the world by visiting 200-plus enticing destinations.
- Make a cruise ship your home and save dramatically on your living costs.
- Enjoy your new lifestyle free of commitments.
- Free and unlimited internet use.
- The Victoria Majestic and Victoria Amazing offer elegant comfort and luxury with attentive service and quality food.
- A wide range of staterooms and suites are available to rent on board with different floor space options.
- The average size of the interior staterooms is 215 square feet (21 square meters). You don't have to give up the view either, as you can admire the current landscape through a large LCD screen.
- Sea view and veranda staterooms are about 237 square feet (25 square meters) and suites average 280-1,270 square feet (26-118 square meters) in size.
- Sleep-Relax: King-size premium mattresses and elegant cotton bed linen are available, as well as hypo-allergenic pillows in various sizes to ensure maximum rest. All beds can be converted into a double bed or two single beds upon request.
- Comfort and luxury: Rooms also feature an LED TV, DVD player, a minibar, binoculars, umbrellas, hotel bathrobe and slippers, Egyptian cotton towels, Elemis Aromapure luxury bathroom cosmetics, premium massage shower head, daily fruit basket on request, concierge service at the touch of a button, and fresh flowers every day.
- Inside cabin view -- Each of the ships' inside cabins has an LCD monitor that is a "window to the world." On the interior monitor, passengers can view images from the ship's exterior cameras. So, the interior cabin occupants can experience sunrise and sunset in the same way as passengers in an ocean-view cabin.
"We provide our passengers a continuous program of activities during their time at sea, including gourmet food, wine tasting, sporting events, remote learning, and many more colorful activities when you join us on this wonderful voyage," said Zvinelis. "On Victoria Cruises Line ships, the prices for services are the same as on land, unlike onboard almost all other ocean-going cruise lines where they often charge up to ten times the usual price!"
Victoria Cruises Line also provides access to local culture and music on the journey, where local bands are given the opportunity to perform for guests in the ships' theater.
"Not only do we offer a classic show every day, but we also present unique shows to our passengers that cannot be seen anywhere else," said Zvinelis. "Classic cruises usually stop at the same ports of call season after season and there is no difference. Our company will include ports of call where no other company sails. The shore excursions that we offer our passengers are also special, as they include some that are multi-day trips to unknown places that you would not get to as a passenger on another cruise line."
The ship's culinary lineup is also impressive.
This includes:
- Restaurant Paris where six world-class chefs work hard to bring enjoyable, inspiring, and special dishes to tantalize even the most refined palate.
- Trattoria Omero Ristorante delivers unadulterated Italian dishes to entice the taste buds with traditional antipasti starters opening the show.
- At the poolside, the Grill Terrace offers a typical beach menu with an elegant finish, including tacos, burgers, hot dogs, and other barbeque delicacies.
- The Marcello & Fabrizio fine dining restaurant features a world-class culinary experience.
"Our ship does not follow any schedule, and we only have one itinerary that we sail on. The number of days in port will be decided by the passengers, and we will have a voting website for this," Zvinelis explained.
He said guests will enter how many days they would like to spend in the ports on their itinerary (between 1-30 days), and then the ships' system will calculate an average and this determines the time spent in port. During their time on board, residents can participate in many activities, and these activities are completely free of charge as the rental fee covers almost all costs and there are no hidden extra charges.
"Excursions are organized in the marinas by partner travel agencies, which can be taken by anyone. This is, of course, a paid service," said Zvinelis. "But if you want to go exploring on your own, you can do that, too. Residents can leave the boat for shorter or longer periods at any time if they need to return home for any other activity. Our guests can also have visitors on board, in which case a daily fee is payable per visitor, and visitors must be over 18 years of age."
The origins of Victoria Cruises Line began a few years ago when the company bought a shipping company in receivership. They managed to acquire the company's shares at a low price. After selling off the previous company's cargo ships, they were able to close the acquisition with a small profit and took the name Victoria Cruises Line. They had planned to launch their houseboat concept in 2021 but had to postpone it for a few years due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
"Our company is privately owned, and we are not a listed company. We have no bank loans or debts, and we are developing everything from our capital. We also will not be taking on any debt in the future," Zvinelis added.
Victoria Cruises Line's growing team of more than 1,000 employees has extensive experience working in the cruise industry.
"As all the players in the industry are offering the same thing to passengers, our colleagues are looking for a new working experience that is completely different from the typical cruise travel industry job," Zvinelis added.
If Victoria Cruises Line's first boats are a success, they will look to expand their fleet while keeping the focus on maintaining a high quality of service.
"We have no competitors. Our value for money is by far the best, even compared to classic cruise ships," said Zvinelis. "Rather than the ownership option, which is too costly for many, Victoria Cruises Line is proposing an intermediate solution: chartering. This will give people a much more affordable way to travel and live on a houseboat. In summary, a houseboat lifestyle can offer much more than a classic cruise."
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Flying Hotel That Never Lands': AI Sky Cruise Ship Will Use Nuclear Energy to Fly in Luxury
