The startup’s COO, Robert Dixon, told Business Insider that the trip was designed to chase warm weather. But the itinerary calls for destinations to stretch as far south as frigid Antarctica and as far north as Longyearbyen, Norway.

Dixon said the cruise ship would also call at 355 of the 413 ports of call – in some cases for as long as seven nights, such as in Singapore – giving guests more time to explore the destinations.

Inside cabins start at around $181,790 per person, while the more luxurious suites cost $624,150 per person. The least expensive option costs around $166 per person per day.

Demand for longer cruises has increased in recent years, but they typically last months, not years. Oceania’s six-month 2024 world cruise sold out within 30 minutes of opening for reservations in 2022, the premium cruise line said at the time. Cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas and Silversea offer annual round-the-world cruises, most of which are four to six months long.

GlobeCruises promises a ship full of activities

GlobeCruises says the ship will feature amenities such as a gym, movie theater, nightclub and rentable offices. To kill time, guests can take a dip in the pool, open a new book in the library or relax in the spa.

Kendra Holmes, CEO of GlobeCruises, said she envisions at least two pools and restaurants and “as many bars and lounges as possible,” but no casino — which a popular part of some cruises.

The company also promises a dive certification program and homeschooling options for its youngest guests. The ship would also house entertainers and chefs from around the ports.

The concept is similar to Life at Sea

GlobeCruises’ plans are similar to those of the now-defunct Life at Sea Cruises, which canceled its planned three-year voyage in November 2023, two weeks before departure, after failing to secure enough financing to purchase a ship.

Dixon and Holmes previously worked with Life at Sea. Holmes was CEO of the parent company, Miray Cruises, until her departure about a week before the company canceled its world voyage.

Dixon told BI that he helped develop the concept for Life at Sea and later brought it to Miray. He said he left the team in late October 2023, a few weeks after Miray said it could not acquire a ship.

In January, 78 potential Life at Sea cruisers sent a letter to Markenzy Lapointe, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, asking him to investigate Miray Cruises for criminal fraud. The letter accused the company of using approximately $16 million of its customers’ money to pay for a ship it did not purchase.

In July, Life at Sea Cruises filed for bankruptcy.

The company’s demise is “a thing of the past,” Holmes told BI.

“I can’t wrap my head around it, but it’s horrible that it happened,” Holmes said. “We all put our hearts and souls into it, and at the end of the day it fell apart. I hate to say ‘shit happens,’ but shit happens.”

To avoid another failed launch, Dixon said GlobeCruises has partnered with ship management company Anglo-Eastern. The Hong Kong-based company has “expressed their confidence in the viability of our project.” (Anglo-Eastern did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.)

But there is one caveat: GlobeCruises still needs a ship.

GlobeCruises does not have a ship yet

Holmes said GlobeCruises would use investors’ money, not guests’ deposits, to pay for the future ship.

Dixon told BI he has already secured financing to “commit” to a ship and has narrowed the choice down to three options that are currently operational and would ideally accommodate 1,200 to 1,500 passengers

He said he aims to announce his final choice in early September and take ownership of the ship in February 2025, two months before the start of the voyage.

In the meantime, guests can reserve the world cruise by signing a commitment contract. A 20 percent deposit would be due 14 days after GlobeCruises announces its ship of choice, and held in escrow until the voyage begins, Holmes said.

“Ultimately, if we don’t get the investor support that we need and we can’t acquire a ship, we’re not going to sail,” Holmes said. “That’s something we’re focusing on this time around to make people feel more comfortable.”

Travelers who don’t want to pay the $181,790 minimum can book cheaper, shorter segments of the cruise. Holmes also suggested that guests take out travel loans instead of selling their homes and cars. Some Life at Sea buyers had sold off many of their belongings prior to the ultimately canceled trip.

Rival cruise ship Villa Vie could soon set sail

Holmes said several potential Life at Sea guests have signed contracts for her new project. (She declined to say the exact number.)

Villa Vie Residences, a never-ending cruise startup, has also attracted some travelers disappointed by the recent demise or delays of other residential cruise concepts, such as Storylines and Victoria Cruises Line.

Villa Vie was founded by another Life at Sea alumnus, Mikael Petterson. But unlike the newer startup, Petterson’s company already has a ship that can depart “any day,” he told BI in an email on Monday.

Despite the two companies’ shared history, Dixon said there is no bad blood. He said he wants Villa Vie to succeed.

“I want people to join Pettersson’s journey,” Dixon told BI. “It’s going to be a door opener for the whole industry. It makes it easier for us because there’s a bit of trust in this whole concept.”

Are you sailing on a residential cruise ship like Villa Vie or do you have a tip? Contact the reporter at [email protected] or on X @brittanymchang.