Ever dreamed of waking up in a different destination every few days?
And what if you could do that from the comfort of your own home?
That’s set to be reality for the residents of Storylines’ MV Narrative, a cruise ship designed to be a permanent home for a community of around 1,000 seafarers.
Currently under construction, the 741 foot/225m long ship will transport its residents around the globe, stopping in a different city every few days.
MailOnline Travel caught up with Alister Lee, the founder and CEO of Storylines, to find out exactly what residents can expect onboard.
Alister, whose background is in real estate, says: ‘Our tagline is that you’ll live a happier, healthier life with Storylines. And it’s not a throwaway line, we actually mean it. We’ll have the largest Wellness Centre at sea, a longevity clinic and an anti-aging clinic.
‘And then the residents will be around other good people, there’ll be a happy mindset, travelling in the sun, all of these things compound to have a positive impact on your life.’
Although the ship isn’t scheduled for delivery until early 2028, Alister reveals that Storylines has already sold around 35-40 per cent of its residences. Accommodation varies from 226 sq ft/21 sqm studios, priced from $625,000/£470,500 to four bedroom homes spanning 1,432 sq ft/133 sqm priced from $8million/£6million.
Storylines’ MV Narrative is a cruise ship designed to be a permanent home for a community of around 1,000 seafarers
Currently under construction, the 741 foot/225m long ship will transport its residents around the globe, stopping in a different city every few days
MailOnline Travel caught up with Alister Lee (above), the founder and CEO of Storylines, to find out exactly what residents can expect onboard
Residents so far hail from ‘around 20 different countries’ and a whole range of ages are represented, says Alister.
He tells MailOnline: ‘We’ve got people in their 20s and 30s with younger families and people who have businesses and are planning to work remotely. Then we’ve got retirees as well.
‘We didn’t want to create a space that was just one section of the community. We want people to experience a full community and not be segregated. When you have different generations in one location, it also generally leads to people living happier, healthier lives.’
And, perhaps surprisingly, not all of the ship’s prospective residents have even been on a cruise before. Alister says: ‘There’s quite a big contingent of people who never have. Because this is going to be a home.
‘It looks like a cruise ship but that’s where the similarity pretty much ends.’
While the ship’s lifestyle, community and health benefits are major draws for many residents, Alister claims that it will also be cheaper than living on land.
‘You can live onboard Storylines for under $100,000/£75,000 for two people, all inclusive, all year,’ he explains. ‘Get rid of your car, get rid of your car insurance and utility bills. You can really live a five-star luxury lifestyle without many monthly outgoing expenses and wake up in a new destination every few days.’
Residents will have around 20 different bars and restaurants to choose from on Storylines but of course they won’t be confined to the ship. Alister says: ‘We’ll be in port every three to five days so people will be able to go out for dinner. They’ll be able to make friends in the local community.’
Residents so far hail from ‘around 20 different countries’ and a whole range of ages are represented, says Alister
Perhaps surprisingly, not all of the ship’s prospective residents have even been on a cruise before. Pictured above is the resident library
Aside from restaurants, MV Narrative will have an art studio, an ‘oceanside marina’ with direct access to the water and a running track
So far, residents have met each other at community events held by Storylines where Alister says they tend to get along like ‘long lost buddies’
Aside from restaurants, MV Narrative will have an art studio, an ‘oceanside marina’ with direct access to the water and a running track.
And there’s one extra facility that Alister said was a deal breaker for many of the ship’s U.S residents. He explains: ‘I’m from Australia so I didn’t know what pickleball was but I learned very quickly. We actually redesigned the sun deck space so the pickleball court could fit.’
Although the ship’s itinerary will be planned in advance, Alister says residents will get to pick stops every so often via an app.
Children on ship will attend a school with onboard teachers and field excursions in the destinations they visit.
‘The students we’ll turn out from that school will speak a couple of languages, they’ll have a network of people from around the world they’ll call friends,’ says Alister.
So far, residents have met each other at community events held by Storylines where Alister says they tend to get along like ‘long lost buddies’.
And that’s good news for Alister who will be one of the first residents onboard MV Narrative.
He says: ‘I’ve spent a long time building what I personally believe will be the best lifestyle community on earth. Will I be living there? Absolutely.’
