A new program from Villa Vie Residences offers participants the opportunity to swap their homes for life on the seven seas. Could it lure prospects away from senior living operators?
The Golden Passport program allows adults aged 55 or more years to experience retirement from onboard any of the vessels in Vila Vie’s fleet as part of a continuous circumnavigation of the globe, a journey that lasts three to three and a half years and explores all seven continents with extended two- to three-day port stays sprinkled in.
“Life moves quickly, and the regret most people share is that they didn’t travel the world when they had the chance,” Villa Vie Residences CEO Kathy Villalba said in a statement. “The Golden Passport makes that dream possible — and affordable — in a way the cruise and travel industries have never seen before.”
Affordability is in the eyes of the passport holder. Golden Passport fees are sorted by age tier and begin at $299,000 for participants aged 55 to 59 and go down to $99,000 for those aged 90 or more years. All packages include housekeeping, dining, internet, entertainment, annual medical check-ups, laundry and alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine, with meals. All fees, such as service charges and port taxes, also are included in the price.
With the average entrance fee for an entrance-fee continuing care retirement community hovering around $400,000, the program might be a tempting alternative to a traditional CCRC. But there still are drawbacks to living on a cruise ship, among them delays.
“As people retire, one of their biggest fears is outliving their money. With the Golden Passport, that uncertainty disappears — one payment secures a lifetime of adventure,” said Mike Petterson, the founder of Villa Vie Residences. “Our age-tiered pricing ensures that Endless Horizons is no longer just a dream for the few, but an attainable reality for many.”
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