Latest news with #DarkIsland
Daily Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Millionaire cruise sells cabins for $86m each
Cruise companies are embracing the growing trend of people who want to live full-time at sea by building residential ships instead of pure holiday vessels. More and more people, particularly retirees, are choosing a full-time cruise ship life as a way of seeing the world without the nuisance of maintaining a home and other associated costs of living on land. Many even claim that full-time cruise living done right can be more economical because it includes accommodation, utilities and food at a set price all while enabling 'residents' to see the world at a fraction of the price of traditional holidays. Proactive cruise companies recognising the birth of a new sector have begun investing in the construction of residential ships where people can actually buy suites onboard. Residential cruise ships are appealing to those seeking a full-time cruise lifestyle because it removes the need the hop from ship to ship and live among traditional holiday-seekers. MORE: Woman drops $2.9m on cruise ship home MORE:True cost of living on a cruise ship revealed Prices vary for residential cruise ships but many companies are catering for the higher end of the market. Scottish company Clydebuilt is one such company looking to the future and aiming to lock in a cashed up clientele. Clydebuilt is in the process of building a 230m-long residential ship which will include 236 suites across 12 decks. The ship, Dark Island, is set to launch in 2028 and will feature suites of one-to-three bedrooms that range in size from 39sq m to 250sq m … but they come at a cost. Suites can be designed to a buyer's needs and specifications with prices starting at AUD $8.7 million depending on size, location and views from the ship. The most expensive accommodations top out at a hefty price tag of AUD $86.3 million but the cost doesn't stop there. MORE: Couple sell home to live on 15-year cruise MORE: Dark side of living on a cruise ship exposed Residents aboard Dark Island will also need to pay a daily fee which covers food, shore excursions and running costs. Residents in the two-person Glencoe suite will need to cough up an additional AUD $2400 a day or AUD $876,000 a year while those in the four-person Hebridean will by stung for AUD $6600 a day or AUD $2.4 million annually. 'Owning a suite is more than just acquiring a living area — it's a gateway to unparalleled freedom, luxury, and adventure on the open water among a community,' a Clydebuilt spokesman said. 'Founded on an absolute commitment to quality, Clydebuilt are dedicated to provide the ultimate experience living at sea. Purchasing a luxury, high-end suite aboard Dark Island is a fantastic choice for those seeking an elevated living experience.' Dark Island will include three restaurants, deck areas, a spa, driving range and putting green, theatre, gym, pool, library and shops. Scheduled events and classes will keep residents busy while at sea and the maximum capacity of 724 guests will be looked after by 540 crew. Dark Island's maiden voyage will see the ship depart Southampton in the UK for a three-year cruise around the world followed by an itinerary the follows the routes of historical explorers James Cook, Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan. Subsequent itineraries will then be subject to voting from residents. The ship will also have its own medical staff and facilities, including a stored helicopter for emergency use. Clydebuilt is just one of many companies going down the residential cruise ship path. Storylines' MV Narrative, another residential cruise ship, is scheduled to depart in 2027. Reportedly, residents must be worth at least $10 million to gain entry and be sponsored by someone already living aboard. US woman Debra Kilgore has no qualms about sailing the world by herself. In fact, she bought a AUD $2.9 million apartment aboard the ultraluxe MV Narrative. The MV Narrative has 530 furnished apartments, which range from 22-to-183 sqm and start at $US1 million for a studio and up to $US8 million for a split-level four-bedroom.
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Millionaire cruise sells cabins for $86m each
Cruise companies are embracing the growing trend of people who want to live full-time at sea by building residential ships instead of pure holiday vessels. More and more people, particularly retirees, are choosing a full-time cruise ship life as a way of seeing the world without the nuisance of maintaining a home and other associated costs of living on land. Many even claim that full-time cruise living done right can be more economical because it includes accommodation, utilities and food at a set price all while enabling 'residents' to see the world at a fraction of the price of traditional holidays. Proactive cruise companies recognising the birth of a new sector have begun investing in the construction of residential ships where people can actually buy suites onboard. Residential cruise ships are appealing to those seeking a full-time cruise lifestyle because it removes the need the hop from ship to ship and live among traditional holiday-seekers. Prices vary for residential cruise ships but many companies are catering for the higher end of the market. Scottish company Clydebuilt is one such company looking to the future and aiming to lock in a cashed up clientele. Clydebuilt is in the process of building a 230m-long residential ship which will include 236 suites across 12 decks. The ship, Dark Island, is set to launch in 2028 and will feature suites of one-to-three bedrooms that range in size from 39sq m to 250sq m … but they come at a cost. Suites can be designed to a buyer's needs and specifications with prices starting at AUD $8.7 million depending on size, location and views from the ship. The most expensive accommodations top out at a hefty price tag of AUD $86.3 million but the cost doesn't stop there. Residents aboard Dark Island will also need to pay a daily fee which covers food, shore excursions and running costs. Residents in the two-person Glencoe suite will need to cough up an additional AUD $2400 a day or AUD $876,000 a year while those in the four-person Hebridean will by stung for AUD $6600 a day or AUD $2.4 million annually. 'Owning a suite is more than just acquiring a living area — it's a gateway to unparalleled freedom, luxury, and adventure on the open water among a community,' a Clydebuilt spokesman said. 'Founded on an absolute commitment to quality, Clydebuilt are dedicated to provide the ultimate experience living at sea. Purchasing a luxury, high-end suite aboard Dark Island is a fantastic choice for those seeking an elevated living experience.' Dark Island will include three restaurants, deck areas, a spa, driving range and putting green, theatre, gym, pool, library and shops. Scheduled events and classes will keep residents busy while at sea and the maximum capacity of 724 guests will be looked after by 540 crew. Dark Island's maiden voyage will see the ship depart Southampton in the UK for a three-year cruise around the world followed by an itinerary the follows the routes of historical explorers James Cook, Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan. Subsequent itineraries will then be subject to voting from residents. The ship will also have its own medical staff and facilities, including a stored helicopter for emergency use. Clydebuilt is just one of many companies going down the residential cruise ship path. Storylines' MV Narrative, another residential cruise ship, is scheduled to depart in 2027. Reportedly, residents must be worth at least $10 million to gain entry and be sponsored by someone already living aboard. US woman Debra Kilgore has no qualms about sailing the world by herself. In fact, she bought a AUD $2.9 million apartment aboard the ultraluxe MV Narrative. The MV Narrative has 530 furnished apartments, which range from 22-to-183 sqm and start at $US1 million for a studio and up to $US8 million for a split-level four-bedroom.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The £1.2bn project hoping to bring cruise ship building back to Scotland
Cruise ship building could return to the Clyde with the announcement of plans for a £1.2 billion residential vessel due to launch in 2028. The Scottish river was once home to more than 200 shipyards that produced such ocean-going icons as Cunard's Queen Mary and the QE2. Now a company called Clydebuilt, which is marketing suites costing up to £41 million on a ship named Dark Island, aims to create 3,000 jobs by basing construction on the waterway that connects Glasgow to the sea. After nine years working on the project, managing director Tommy McGinn says the all-balcony ship is 'production ready'. He is in talks with three yards, with 'one in particular quite keen'. McGinn, 66, was inspired by once seeing the Queen Mary 2 liner, which entered service in 2004, arrive in Greenock. 'I'm looking at it and I'm thinking, why on Earth is a Cunard flagship being built in France and not on the Clyde? That was the catalyst that brought us to where we are today, by looking at that ship and wondering, why not? 'Unemployment on the west coast of Scotland is so horrendous that something's got to be done. I think shipbuilding is the way to go – but with new technology and modern designs.' Investors are already on board but, before confirming the order, McGinn wants to sell 60 per cent of the 236 suites to ultra-wealthy individuals and major corporations. The smallest accommodation, Glencoe, starts at £4.2 million for the expected 50-year life of the ship, plus a £1,150-a-night service charge. At the top end of the scale, the £41 million Hebridean suite carries a hefty £3,182-a-night fee, based on four people sharing. What do you get for that? The 748ft-long Dark Island – a name said to evoke the beauty of the Outer Hebrides – will offer three restaurants and a 10-storey atrium plus theatre, spa, gym, library and pool. The maiden voyage for up to 724 passengers has been pencilled in as a three-year world cruise following the routes of explorers such as Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Francis Drake and James Cook. Of the many residential ships currently being touted, only two have been launched: the multi-millionaires' floating home, The World, and the much more affordable Villa Vie Odyssey, which overcame delays and teething problems to set sail from Belfast on its initial three-and-a-half-year global voyage, which has now reached Argentina. Reaction to McGinn's plans has been mixed, with sceptics questioning if Dark Island will ever be built, or even if the whole project is a flight of fancy. He told The Telegraph: 'You always get cynics but I've never asked someone to do what I'm not willing to do myself. We've taken the risk and ploughed our own money into it. We'll have a big push now to sell the suites. We need as much assistance as possible to get this built on the Clyde.' As to whether he would approach the Scottish government for financial aid, McGinn answered: 'No, it's got to be self-financed, not depending on subsidies, not depending on handouts. That's the way we're trying to go with this.' McGinn and his five-strong management team have already been approached by up to 30 suppliers, as well as potential workers and crew – including captains – though he cautioned: 'We're not promising jobs to anybody until we're ready.' Although ferries and frigates are still built on the Clyde, the multi-billion-pound cruise industry has moved construction to yards in Europe. McGinn said: 'I spoke to someone high up in Carnival Corporation [owners of Cunard] about six years ago who said there was no way they would consider getting any other vessels built in Scotland. So why not do it ourselves?' Computer-generated renderings of the vessel have been produced in collaboration with London-based superyacht designer Evan Marshall. 'The goal was to create a spectacular cruise ship harking back to the elegance of a bygone era,' Marshall said. 'Dark Island's exterior is sleek and elegant which is a departure from the current styling trend of most cruise ships.' Inside, designers and artists will 'integrate the essence of the Highland glens' throughout the decor, McGinn added. Dark Island won't only look good though, he said, as it will align with UN sustainability goals to lessen its effect on the environment. Life on board will include lectures, forums and talks by academics, while 540 crew members will attend to the guests. Itineraries will be decided in advance by a vote among suite owners, with the captain having the final say. While applauding the prospect of the return of commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde, QM2 designer Stephen Payne questioned some of the initial designs of Dark Island. He said: 'High lifeboats, balconies close to the waterline and restricted views from the bridge all signal warning bells that will need special consideration.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
