Live on a cruise ship

The $1.1-billion Utopia is due to launch in 2013, and around half the cabins on board will be offered as ‘permanent residences’ – but only if you can afford between $3.7 million to $26 million to buy one!

It’s causing some ripples in the cruise industry, as many experts think that this plan to sell luxury homes afloat will be holed below the water by the continuing economic downturn – it’s hard enough to get a mortgage or a loan for a house, let alone a floating home, but the business says it is confident it can sell enough to break even. There are some enticing ideas related to the Utopia – if location, location, location is all that matters when buying a home, then the idea that one month you’ll be a neighbour to the Cannes Film Festival, and another you’ll be part of the Rio de Janeiro carnival celebrations when Utopia docks off the city’s coastline, is definitely appealing.

Utopia will be 971 feet long and 105,000 tons and she’ll be built in South Korea. She’ll have 200 cabins that can be rented for varying periods and another 200 that will be permanently sold – these homes at sea will start 1,400 square feet, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms rising to 6,600-square feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Ownership doesn’t give you a share of the ship though, you buy like a condo or a time-share so you’re not investing in the ship or in her common areas.

In addition, those who buy a cabin will have to pay extra monthly fees for utilities, security and concierge services and if they want access to private onboard clubs, but payment does include access to amenities such as the three swimming pools, tennis courts, an outdoor cinema, a miniature golf course, shops, restaurants and a ‘lazy river’ which circles the deck.