Residences at Sea
An address that never repeats itself.
A private residence aboard a ship that never stops sailing. You keep one home, one set of belongings and one community — and the world arrives outside your window, port by port, for as long as you choose to stay.
What it actually is
Not a long cruise. A home with a moving postcode.
The ship circles the globe continuously. It takes about three and a half years to complete one lap, then it starts the next one on a different route. Residents live aboard permanently, seasonally, or in blocks — there is no requirement to be on board, and your home stays yours whether you are in it or not.
The practical difference from cruising is that nothing gets packed away. You unpack once. Your clothes stay in the wardrobe, your books stay on the shelf, and the people at breakfast are the same people who were there last month. Housekeeping, meals, laundry, internet and the medical centre are all part of what you pay each month, so there is no bill at the end and no tipping.
The ship spends two to seven days in most ports, and longer in the ones worth it. That is enough time to actually see a place rather than being marched off a gangway and back on again by six.
Three ways aboard
Buy it, lease it for five years, or just rent for a while.
Different people arrive at this differently. Some want the asset and the permanence. Some want a five-year chapter and then a rethink. Some want to try three months before they decide anything at all. All three are open.
| Route | How long it lasts | To start | Each month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent residencyBuy the rights to your home outright | For the working life of the ship | from $119,999 | from $1,999 |
| Five-year residencySame home, fixed five-year term | Five years | from $59,999 | from $1,999 |
| RentalStay as long as you like, then leave | Three months upwards, no maximum | — | from $3,499 |
| Rent-to-ownRent now, with part of it credited towards buying | Convert whenever you are ready | — | from $3,499 |
Monthly figures cover meals, drinks with meals, housekeeping, laundry, internet, entertainment, port charges and service. Rental rates are all-inclusive and quoted per person on two people sharing.
Your home
Six kinds of home, spread over eight decks.
| Home | Decks | Character | Buy | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inside | 2, 3, 4, 6 | The entry point. No window, but larger than a standard cabin on most ships. | Yes | Yes |
| Porthole | 2, 3 | Daylight through a classic round port. Low in the ship, so the steadiest ride. | Yes | Yes |
| Ocean View | 4, 6, 7 | Full picture window. The most popular category, and the one that sells first. | Yes | Waitlist |
| Balcony | 6, 7 | Your own outside space. Worth it on the long ocean legs. | Yes | Waitlist |
| Deluxe Balcony | 8 | Top deck, wider balcony, more floor area. | Yes | Waitlist |
| Home Suite | 7 | Separate sitting room. The largest layout aboard. | Yes | Waitlist |
Waitlist categories are not currently released for short-term rental. We can register you for first refusal when they are.
What the monthly fee covers
One payment a month. Then nothing else.
- Three meals a dayAcross the ship’s restaurants, every day you are aboard.
- Wine and beer with mealsIncluded at lunch and dinner service.
- Housekeeping twice a weekPlus laundry service, at no extra charge.
- Starlink internetFast enough to work from, anywhere the ship is.
- Onboard medical centreDoctor and nurse aboard; first consultation is free.
- Gym, spa and poolEight jacuzzis, fitness centre, treatment rooms and library.
- Entertainment and eventsTalks, classes, live music and resident-run groups.
- Port charges and serviceNo gratuities, no port taxes added at the end.
Family and guests
Twenty-eight days a year for the people you miss.
Owners and long-term residents get twenty-eight guest days every calendar year, in a home set aside for visiting family and friends. Fourteen of those days cost nothing at all. The remaining fourteen are charged at $33 per person per day. You can use the whole allowance in one go when the ship is somewhere your family fancies, or break it up across several visits.
Beyond the allowance, guests can stay at the standard visitor rate of $129 per person per day, which covers their meals and everything else on board.
Grandchildren in the Caribbean in February, then your brother for a fortnight in the Norwegian fjords in July, is a fairly typical year.
How ABIS works
We find the home, check the paperwork and get you aboard.
1 — The brief
How long you want to be aboard, which decks and categories suit you, what you are prepared to spend, and whether this is instead of a house or as well as one.
2 — Source and check
We find what is available now, including resale homes that never reach the public list, and we go through the operator’s contract, fee terms and resale rules with you before you sign anything.
3 — Complete and board
Contracts, payment, insurance, visas, shipping your belongings and joining the ship at a port that suits you. We stay with it until you are unpacked.
There is no charge to you for any of this. ABIS is paid by the operator on completion, and we will tell you that again in writing before you commit to anything.
Next step
Find out what is actually available this month.
Homes are released in small batches and the good ones go quickly, particularly Ocean View and Balcony. Tell us roughly what you are after and we will come back with the live list, the real numbers and the dates the ship is somewhere you could join it.
Kevin Welch · Business Development Director · KW@abisgrp.com · +34 692 814 314
ABIS Investment Group introduces buyers and renters to the operator of the residential vessel. We are not the operator and we do not hold client money. All prices are set by the operator, are quoted in US dollars per person unless stated otherwise, and can change without notice. Euro and sterling figures shown anywhere on this site are indicative only and depend on the rate on the day you pay. A residence at sea is a home and a lifestyle purchase. It is not an investment, it is not a security, and no financial return of any kind is offered or implied. Home availability, deck allocation, voyage dates and ports of call are subject to change and to the operator’s own terms, which you should read in full before you commit. © 2026 ABIS Investment Group.