MOVE Onto a World Cruise Ship? Villa Vie Odyssey Finally Sails!

[@arleenwallace3550]

It’s a dream for my husband and I within the next year or so.

[@GeoffreyW-l4p]

Wait for a different company. This one will fail.

[@arleenwallace3550]

@@GeoffreyW-l4p I disagree. We shall see. I will remain positive and secure our dream.

[@GeoffreyW-l4p]

Good for you. As Forrest Gump said " stupid is as stupid does". But by all means you have the right to follow your dreams.

[@dchiddengems]

That's wonderful @arleenwallace3550 ! We hope we share some things that will help you along in your decision and transition.

[@JennyatSea]

I actually did rent a cabin on this ship for three and a half years. I spent a year and a half preparing for the journey ,rented my home out and liquidated businesses, flew over to Europe and waited three months while the ship experienced numerous delays. I incurred thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses waiting , and then two days before we were scheduled to move on to the ship (was false alarm) the owners of this company terminated my entire contract because I had voiced my displeasure and was unhappy about the many Change month delay and the many things that had been changed on the cruise since the day I purchased .

[@ac-ir9gs]

@@JennyatSea yes, we know. Move on, Karen

[@gerriebell2128]

The longer and more you tell the world about “what they did to you,” the more you will continue to be miserable. If they owe you money, yes, work to get it back and then be done with it. The sooner you can move on and “get a life”, the more chance at happiness you have. The vengeance in badmouthing this company every chance you get will NOT make you happy. On the contrary, it will backfire. Stop acting like a woman spurned. What I’m describing is not said in defense of the company, it’s a very well-known principle of life. There are two sides to every story, and nobody has heard the other side, only yours. So I recommend the “quit while you are ahead” approach.

[@ac-ir9gs]

@@gerriebell2128 fantastic advice. you're much kinder than I.

[@gerriebell2128]

@@ac-ir9gs it was actually your comment that prompted me to say something at all, that really, somebody needed to say and personally, I think needed to be heard.

[@ac-ir9gs]

@@gerriebell2128 yes there is a place in the world for jerks like me 😂

[@MsKiekies]

I can not imagine spending a lifetime in such a small, cramped room. There isn't enough space for anything in there - I would think madness will be an issue... cabin fever is gonna run riot!

[@dchiddengems]

It's definitely not for everyone. We cruised a lot and it took us a while to get used to longer cruising. Fortunately that prepared us a little bit.

[@MrWorldcruiser12]

@@dchiddengems This Beauty was well maintained when owned by Fred Olsen Cruises. With a loyal following but the cabins what small and tiny. Even after rebuilding. Its actually one of the smallest cabins afloat in the cruise industry thats why Fred Olsen sold it.

[@djt_Art_Travel]

She sailed, but is now anchored off Belfast. To return to Belfast tomorrow!! Belfast is her 1st port if call!!!! Really 😮

[@dchiddengems]

That's how we looked at it! LOL :-)

[@seebunlim]

Hmm, I missed this video. I am fascinated by this concept and would definitely love to try it, but not now because I have a rescue cat who gets miserable if he can’t go outdoors (yes he has been neutered but I adopted him when he was already an adult). I am also prone to motion sickness but there’s medication for that! So for now I will enjoy your adventures vicariously! Happy sailing! ❤

[@dchiddengems]

Thanks so much for your kind words! We hope our adventures will inspire you! By the way there are a few cats here and they are adorable!

[@seebunlim]

@ thanks for responding! Yes, I follow Captain the cruising kitty! He’s so sweet and well behaved. My cat howls like a werewolf if he doesn’t get to go wandering all over the neighborhood 😬. We’d probably get tossed overboard within a couple of days 🤣🤣. I really enjoy watching all the videos, so I’m happy for now!

[@janegerow5974]

Don’t jump the gun. Let’s wait until it’s in open ocean 😅

[@ac-ir9gs]

😂

[@lb6056]

And even then, just wait for all of the “unexpected” stops for maintenance issues and the passengers having to put themselves up in hotels at the various ports at which they break down.

[@ac-ir9gs]

@@lb6056 idk.. I think she is seaworthy

[@henrikbredal7517]

What you think is irrelevant .​@@ac-ir9gs

[@dudettegirl3261]

​@@ac-ir9gsthe former owner stretched her in dry dock in Germany in 2009. Cut her in two in the back, added pool, decks and lounge. Then welded together. She risks a catastrophic pressure leak if another boat rams her or a docking accident. 80 million roughly versus 800 million to build bigger.

[@antoinebardem4877]

Those cabins have not been (really) refurbished in over 30 years and it shows... their prices are a bit steep for such outdated accommodations.

[@thegareth7878]

And interview on the BBC suggest some had spent the time in Belfast building out there cabin as is the intention so maybe it’s not an accurate representation

[@ToddRileyRealEstate]

There was an extension to the ship where they cut it in half and inserted a new section in 2007. That section has "newer" cabins.

[@dchiddengems]

We have have done you a disservice. We showed the ship before the refurbishment was complete. Sorry about that. All cabins are being refurbished, but even beyond that, when you purchase a cabin you then get to decorate it yourself.

[@CruisingKim]

I would love to live on a cruise ship unfortunately, my husband would not. So which state room did you guys choose inside state room ocean view balcony?

[@dchiddengems]

Keep working on him! :-) No spoilers...we have a video coming up where we tell you which cabin we decided on. Hope you stay with us. Have a great day!

[@CruisingKim]

@@dchiddengems oh I can’t wait to see it!

[@1962Aero]

It hasn't set sail yet. They are moving and and then dropping anchor overnight from what a resident has said. Hopefully tomorrow they will start their journey.

[@djt_Art_Travel]

No, they return to Belfast today. Her 1st port of call!!! No, not joking

[@1962Aero]

@@djt_Art_Travel I read somewhere about some paperwork needed to be done so yes, back to Belfast and then hopefully???

[@dchiddengems]

Yeah it as complicated. She left port, had a launch party, media was sent out, then she anchored for a bit. Fortunately that's all behind her now.

[@randypoisson8823]

It hasn’t actually “set sail”. Please folks, do your due diligence.

[@jjjenkins3163]

Actually it has

[@randypoisson8823]

@@jjjenkins3163 now it has, but at the time, it was only relocated to anchorage. Technically, you could say that it still hasn’t as of this moment, because it only went to Brest to refuel and be serviced. Although they were told otherwise beforehand, residents were NOT allowed off the ship.

[@PatrickWagz]

@@randypoisson8823 how about now?

[@dchiddengems]

Yeah it was a bit complicated. It set sail, had a bon voyage party, then parked for a bit. It finally continued on thank goodness.

[@djt_Art_Travel]

May I ask? Are you an Affiliate with VVR, in that you would receive $commission if your posts generate sales of cabins? VVR is introducing an affiliates scheme. Thanks

[@GeoffreyW-l4p]

How much is Villa Vie paying you? How can you say it has sailed the world as planned??? And how on earth can you say is it is a symbol of luxury!!!

[@dchiddengems]

Hey! Thanks for the comment. We're for sure NOT being paid or sponsored by anybody. It's a luxury to be able to travel this way, in our opinion, but we agree it's not a 5 star hotel. The ship is older and smaller, which we like, but will get upgraded along the way, like has already happened with the pool deck, business center and some other areas. It has had delays, for sure, and even more hiccups after the departure, which we acknowledge and is well-documented. It's a new venture and for sure not for everybody, and even for those who are all-in many surprises have and continue to come along.

[@mrsprivate1678]

A game changer it can’t even leave port .

[@dchiddengems]

Yeah it took a minute. Fortunately it finally made it.

[@MkMosby]

I googled Villa Vie out of curiosity after recent news reports, checked out their website and found this video. I have cruised on many ships over the past 20 years and I’m surprised that the public spaces on this ship appear so bland and lacking in character. To me it looks like a floating Holiday Inn. The presenter asks us to imagine living aboard this ship but I couldn’t imagine spending more than a week or two on board. In my opinion, there are much better options for cruisers looking to do longer trips. I would not use the word luxury for what is shown in this video or the website for that matter. I would be curious how the business model works and what assurances there are that the standard of food and amenities will be maintained over the years if the company struggles financially. Some cruise lines went bust during Covid and many have subsequently reduced the quality of services / added chargeable extras to cut costs and improve margins. That said, I appreciate that some will be happy to make trade-offs for the opportunity to live at sea or may feel this is the style of ship they would enjoy as their home. Good luck to them with their journey, but it’s not for me.

[@arleenwallace3550]

@@MkMosby there is a luxury residential cruise ship being built that I believe will be completed in 2028. Cabin prices will begin at 11 million dollars.

[@Stacia-ep9vr]

When you see the initial payment and monthly + fees, yes there are better ways to cruise the world. I know several residents feel like they are apart of the decision process for the long term. But, it has already been shown they are not being considered. So paying into a long term commitment with little voice, may backfire after a short term. For the same $500K to $1M you could buy an apartment on the Med and cruise around Europe for 2 years, then sell it and do the same in Asia and South America.

[@dchiddengems]

Glad you found us. Yes we understand how it might look to some. The ship had actually been refurbished by the prior owners, but we weren't crazy about some of their choices either. We may have done you a disservice though, because we showed you the ship before it was finished. A lot has been done since, and their are further plans to do more things like change carpets etc, to bring it into current style.

[@cruisinglover]

@@dchiddengems *nota bene ... its there... not their. Unlike you to make mistakes with spelling. I have noticed you are replying to alot of old comments on this vlog from a month ago, in the last few days? Can you elaborate on what refurbishments, exactly have been done/completed since this vlog was originally posted? In the last month for example?

[@dchiddengems]

Ah thanks for catching that @cruisinglover . Yeah there were several we missed. Apologies. We try to respond to comments but sometimes life gets in the way. Oh gosh there have been so much done in refurbishments I fear I wouldn't do it justice. For example if we would mention the success with opening up pools...I wouldn't do the Chief Operating Officer justice because she would cover all the piping, heaters, chlorination system, and hundreds of things that were replaced to make that happen. Whew. Let me keep it simpler and mention HVAC repairs, drinking water and treatment systems, internet extenders in all rooms, replaced carpets, more rooms refurbished, the whole deck for the crew quarters. These are just things recently. The ship was still in it's infancy when we initially filmed, because the spa wasn't ready at the time, the cafes weren't operational, and so much more. To help, we will get all new footage when we arrive on the ship. Maybe we will do a before and after, or something which would be fun. Hope this helped.

[@PeaceTrainJump]

What's is your compensation for this promotion?

[@dchiddengems]

Hey! Thanks for the comment. We are not being paid, nor sponsored in any way. We're just interested in residential cruising..

[@YesItsMeGuys68]

It's living a VERY public life style indeed . ALWAYS surrounded by people ( in your village as it were ) until you return to your small bedroom. I suspect that all other owners , in no time , will know about everyone's personal lives pretty quickly . I see the vast conference center being empty 95% of the time as most of the ships owners are all retired already . They still have a few important bugs to work out before I would invest . The size of the ship is on the small side for trans ocean crossings . Could get pretty choppy aboard

[@dchiddengems]

Yeah @YesItsMeGuys68 it is a different kind of lifestyle and we're not sure it's for everyone! In fact we lean toward the introverted side so we think this will be a challenge for us. Perhaps it will push us to grow and be more social and that would be nice. Surprisingly we have seen the conference center being really busy already. If fact all the private offices are sold out too. Yeah it is a smaller ship, which is actually what appealed to us. If you look at our previous cruise videos you will see that smaller ones are typically our preference.

[@muradhasanjoy19]

I love the idea of living in a floating community. This is such a unique and exciting way to experience the world.

[@Teacher659]

Just like poop in a toilet.

[@dchiddengems]

@muradhasanjoy19 we think so too. Thanks!

[@lukaszm5674]

The rooms look very outdated, surprisingly...

[@dchiddengems]

That's our fault because we showed you some rooms before they had been updated. Also, for buyers they are left simple so we can decorate any way we like.

[@ToddRileyRealEstate]

They are 31 year old rooms and have not been updated.

[@richarddeason1845]

At this time I would pass Too many problems I hope they fix them

[@dchiddengems]

Totally understand. The vast majority of issues, and all the major issues have been fixed. It was a requirement to pass the rigorous inspections which is what caused the delay. Now they are working on improving the overall experience to the highest level possible. We are kept informed on all work.

[@alanhodgson8443]

I can’t see why it has taken so long to make the very few and small changes to the ship that was originally Braemar, a ship that I have had many cruises on board.

[@dchiddengems]

Hi @alanhodgson8443 unfortunately the Braemar had been put on dry dock during the COVID crisis and it wasn't taken care of. So the small changes turned into major changes unexpectedly needed. It's like buying a used car "as is". You just never know.

[@tomvansoelen6557]

]I will be surprised this old rust bucket lasts to the new year.

[@dchiddengems]

They've invested so much more and time into it, that we think it will. They ended up replacing nearly everything possible. It's odd that the old cruise line didn't take better care of the ship.

[@GeoffreyW-l4p]

God awful! Why haven't you mentioned ALL of the issues, and the fact that it's October 3rd and it is still a bored off Bangor. It's an old ship, FAR from luxurious, and the business model will fail. You will have egg on your face promoting this floating nightmare.

[@arleenwallace3550]

@@GeoffreyW-l4p remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day; just sayin.

[@dchiddengems]

Hey again. For sure, there have been issues. We're not promoting anything , and again aren't sponsored or paid, to be very clear. Sounds like it's for sure not for you, and we're sure not for many others, as well. How do you like to travel? We've been slow-traveling for a few years on land and love it, along with some extended cruises.

[@jorislintworm6186]

Sounds like hell.

[@dchiddengems]

Gosh we hope not. But definitely not for everyone.

[@jorislintworm6186]

@dchiddengems that's true. It's also a sort of guilty pleasure.

[@DraconZa]

Goodness have you done ANY research? 😂😂

[@WorldTNZ]

Obviously not.

[@dchiddengems]

Oh so much. We researched so much until we ultimately had to buy. ❤

[@Sweetpea1128]

Time will tell. Group dynamics is a real thing. All that glitters is not gold. 😉🛳️

[@henrikbredal7517]

Everything Mikael/Mike Petterson touches goes sour, rancid, or rots..

[@dchiddengems]

So true. It always comes down to people in the end.