Will Retirement Condos On A Florida Cruise Ship Sink or Swim?

Waterfront Lifestyles International, a boutique maritime lodging company, has begun taking reservations for retirement condos on a mid-size cruise ship that will make monthly cruises to the Bahamas.  Prices for individual condo cabins on the 300-foot Alegria range from $159,000 for a single room to a larger suite for $399,000 plus a monthly fee which covers all the operating expenses of the ship including crew, staff, fuel, maintenance, insurance, three meals daily, port fees, the medical center, and housekeeping. The program is a fractional ownership of the ship and the company has a program where purchasers may buy their unit right now and rent it until they retire, thus eliminating both the purchase payment and the monthly Resident’s Care fee until they actually move aboard…sounds like a condo-hotel program.

 

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The ship plans weekend cruises and special trips to the Bahamas and Central America on regular occasions.  The boat will have similar amenities to larger cruise liners and includes a membership to a local country club for golf and tennis access.  The ship will be ported in Port Canaveral (where Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean ships are as well) and operated, managed, and maintained by Marine Growth Ventures.  While the ship in Port Canaveral is the company’s first vessel, it expects to locate additional retirement ships in Tampa, Jacksonville, Palm Beach, and Sarasota.

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