Starting this fall, travel enthusiasts can visit the destinations of their dreams for as little as $79 a day aboard Victoria Cruises Line's luxurious ocean liner, the Victoria Majestic.
Seeing the world has never been more accessible with Victoria Cruises Line, (https://victoria.cruises/ ), offering a unique but affordable lifestyle at sea opportunity featuring a long-term, live-aboard residential cruise experience.
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Think of it as a renter's ticket to paradise.
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 Majestic Ocean liner, operating as an elegant and exclusive houseboat, launches in September 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 travelers 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.
Rental costs depend on the length of stay. Victoria Cruise Line has a rental calculator for potential travelers to conveniently figure out the prices for their journey (https://victoria.cruises/cabins/). You can also check out information about the company's long-term loyalty programs (https://victoria.cruises/about/loyalty-programs/).
For instance, if you rent for 37 months or longer (indefinitely), the company's price for an inside cabin is $79 per person per day.
What do you get for $79 a day?
This includes three quality meals, not only in the buffet restaurant but also in the ship's main Paris restaurant, free room service, free drinks, fruit, and sweet and savory pastries available all day. So, if you don't want to splurge on premium drinks and theme restaurant meals, travelers can live comfortably for $79 a day.
"See the sights...you always wanted to experience around the world without a huge investment. Rather than having to invest in a condo on a ship or in a longer-term trip for years, Victoria Cruises Line offers our customers a more flexible lifestyle at sea," said Olavs Zvinelis, CEO of Victoria Cruises Line. "We only ask for the rent every month. There is no need for our customers to pay a year or more in advance. This makes it easier for customers to plan as our rental option is more wallet-friendly. Also, as part of our loyalty program, the longer you rent, the bigger the discount."
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 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. Our oldest resident will be 92 years old. Our concept is aimed at the 60-plus age group who are not in a hurry and can travel and live comfortably on board," Zvinelis said.
He added, "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. There are a lot of people interested right now. Since they have many questions for such a lifestyle change and have to consider everything before making a reservation, it takes time."
As another beneficial aspect of Victoria Cruise Line's rental option, if a resident wants to go home after a shorter time, the company doesn't charge a full monthly rental fee. In this case, the passenger only pays 30% of the rental fee.
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.
"We have added a couple of new ports, and the route around Europe has changed. In the modified route plan, European shipping starts from the north. Passengers will be able to see this in the virtual route plan we are developing with the help of Google Earth.," Zvinelis said.
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 offers 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).
- 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.
In addition to their forward-thinking rental concept, another innovation setting apart Victoria Cruises Line is the ship's inside cabin view for its interior cabin occupants. The ship's inside cabins feature an LCD monitor enabling passengers to 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.
Other intriguing features Victoria Cruises Line is planning include continuous live coverage of the ship's journey via onboard cameras. There will be a live menu item on the website for this feature at a later date after the ship launches.
Victoria Cruises Line also has ambitious plans to launch a reality TV show where a film crew will explore the lives of some of Victoria Majestic's passengers. The company has been negotiating with movie and streaming companies for the past year to produce 40 to 50-minute-long episodes
"In the show, it will not only be possible to follow the lives of the passengers, but viewers can also get a glimpse into the world of cruise ships, which will be a very special experience for everyone. We also want to attract passengers to future projects with this production as they can see what life is like on a residential ship. We are planning one season, and if the audience likes it, we will probably do more seasons," Zvinelis said.
For its passengers, life at sea aboard the Victoria Majestic will feature a continuous program of activities including gourmet food, wine tasting, sporting events, remote learning, and many more colorful activities. During their time on board, residents can participate in many activities, and most are completely free of charge as the rental fee covers almost all costs and there are no hidden extra charges.
"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!" Zvinelis said.
Victoria Cruises Line will provide access to local culture and music on the journey, where local bands have the opportunity to perform for guests in the ship's 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 1-7 days), and then the ships' system will calculate an average and this determines the time spent in port.
"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.
If Victoria Cruises Line's first boat is a success, they will look to expand their fleet while keeping the focus on maintaining a high quality of service.
"Our value for money is by far the best, even compared to classic cruise ships," said Zvinelis. "Rather than the ownership or long-term 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."
