British Woman Embarks On New Life Working Remotely From A Cruise Ship

A new residential cruise ship, the MV Narrative, is set to sail around the world, offering residents a chance to live a life of luxury on the seas.

One of those residents is Mimi Bland, a mindfulness coach from Buckinghamshire who has sold her £500,000 home to fund her new life of adventure at sea.

Mimi is one of several affluent people from the UK who have purchased one of the luxury residences onboard the MV Narrative for a new life of excitement and fun.

She plans to work as a mindfulness mentor while on board, using some of her savings to help fund her new lifestyle.

Mimi said: “I cannot wait to set sail on the next phase of my life. I want to carry on working for as long as I can and I will do my mindset mentoring with residents on the ship and also with clients back home who see me online. We are all living much more flexible lives and I realised I didn’t want to be pinned down to the same property for the rest of my life with ever-rising bills. It is much more fun to take off to the seas.”

Life at sea

The MV Narrative is operated by the maritime firm Storylines. Currently, under construction in Croatia, it’s set to launch in 2025.

It’s one of several cruise ships you can live on permanently, and one of the more affordable options.

MV Narrative will travel around the world continuously, circumnavigating the globe every three years. Much slower than a traditional cruise, the ship will dock at ports for between three to five days to allow residents to explore local sites.

The MV Narrative is designed to provide its residents with a truly luxurious experience, with a range of facilities that are unparalleled in the world of cruise ships.

Mimi’s space on board cost £850,000. This will give her access to 20 bars and restaurants, three pools and sundecks, a microbrewery, a 10,000-book library, a cinema and an art studio. There’s also a 10,000-square-foot health centre, a fully equipped hospital and even an anti-ageing clinic!

Sports fans can use an outdoor running track, the latest golf simulators and pro shop and a marina with personal watercraft.

The ship also features a solar-powered hydroponic garden, which is part of its commitment to sustainability.

The ship has room for 1,000 residents, who will live in 547 fully furnished residences.

The people quitting the UK to live at sea

Mimi is not the only British resident who has purchased a residence on the MV Narrative. Others include a forty-something software tycoon and his wife who is a former head teacher. The couple from Derbyshire plan to spend up to nine months of the year on board with their 17-year-old daughter.

Among the residents, there’s also a marketing executive from Southport, Merseyside, who has holiday properties in Spain and has a passion for yacht-based travel.

Storylines CEO and founder Alister Punton said: “We all have this image of cruises – that they are long holidays for pensioners and people in their twilight years going around the world as couples. Storylines’ superyacht is not like that at all – it is a residential cruise liner for working people and young families who have realised during Covid that they can work from anywhere and they don’t want the hassle and expense of being tied to one property.”

The cost of living on a cruise ship

As well as the cash from selling her three-bedroom home, Mimi is also using some of her savings to afford the £850,000 price tag for one of the luxury residences on MV Narrative.

She plans to spend a further £50,000 a year to cover all her meals and access to all the incredible facilities on board.

The cost of running her home and luxury lifestyle with car and up to five holidays a year is £70,000 a year. So Mimi will be £20,000 a year better off living a simpler and more fulfilling life on the ship while still working.

The £850,000 purchase price is for one of the smallest apartments on board though. These studio apartments are akin to inside cabins, with no windows and just 237 square feet of space.

The largest and most luxurious penthouse apartments have two storeys, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large private balcony and a price tag of £6.5 million.

Bedroom in luxury apartment on MV Narrative — Storylines Luxury Apartment

Bathroom in luxury apartment on MV Narrative — Storylines Luxury Apartment

An eco-friendly way to see the world

The MV Narrative has an emphasis on sustainability, with cleaner-burning liquefied natural gas and the use of solar power. This is in line with the growing trend towards eco-friendly travel and is something that many of the ship’s residents are likely to appreciate.

Mimi Bland is one of those residents who values sustainability and eco-friendliness. She has said that she wants to live a simpler and more fulfilling life on the liner while still working and that the ship’s commitment to sustainability was one of the factors that attracted her to it.

A sense of community

In addition to its commitment to sustainability, the MV Narrative is also designed to provide its residents with a sense of community.

The Storylines ship will have a whole community of like-minded people, so that residents are never lonely. This is particularly important for those who plan to spend extended periods on board the ship, as they will want to build relationships and socialize with other residents.

For Mimi Bland, who split with her husband more than 20 years ago and has not remarried, the MV Narrative represents a new chapter in her life – one filled with adventure, discovery, and excitement.

She explained: “In my new life, the crew take care of everything and I get to run my business, see the world and meet other executives who are also looking to have a good time.”

To conclude

The launch of Storylines and its luxury residential community at sea represents a new option for those who want to start a new life. With the ever-rising costs of living in the UK, those who can work remotely have more options than ever as to what their life could look like. And exploring the world on a luxury cruise ship is certainly one to consider.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.