autoevolution
 

$1 Million Permanent Sea Residence on the MV Narrative Is “Affordable,” Also Sold Out

In 2016, two Australians with a background in real estate launched Storylines, a new maritime company situated at the unexpected crossroads between luxury real estate and extended cruise experiences. MV Narrative, the company’s first ship, is scheduled for its maiden voyage in 2025 and will mark a new step in a niche of the market that was only scarcely explored before.
MV Narrative is an in-construction luxury sea residence, scheduled to set sail in 2025 18 photos
Photo: Bodrosplit / Storylines
MV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV NarrativeMV Narrative
MV Narrative is not a passenger ship or a cruise ship, even though it might look like one – and is definitely specced like one, with onboard restaurants, wellness areas, entertainment options, and even a hospital. It is a permanent residence at sea and, by comparison to other similar projects, like Somnio or The World, where the smallest livable unit starts at $2 million, not including a bunch of unspecified yearly expenses, it is… affordable.

That’s how MV Narrative was initially described, and it still is today. Suites onboard this ship start at $1 million to buy, and the cheapest option is also the smallest. At 237 square feet (22 square meters), it is comparable to a smaller tiny house, but it comes with a price tag that could get you ten such tinies of the fanciest, most custom kind. And you’d still be left with money to splurge on other stuff.

All units onboard MV Narrative are semi-customizable, with the company offering 11 floorplans, including for the basic unit. Business Insider notes that this one is so tiny that it features a Murphy queen-size bed in the bedroom, there is no bathtub in the bathroom, and you only get a hotel-like mini-bar to mix your nightly caps or throw together some snacks. At this size, it’s cramped like a hotel room, too.

MV Narrative
Photo: Bodrosplit
On top of the $1 million price tag, there is an annual fee of $2,600 per guest, so you have to factor that in when calculating the cost of each unit. Still on the topic of units, at the opposite end is the two-story, four-bed 1,970 square-foot (180 square-meter) condominium, which retails for $8 million, not including those annual fees.

Despite these incredibly high figures, the Storylines founders describe the residences as “affordable.” MV Narrative is “affordable retirement at sea,” though not in the sense that you retire from work (hence, you’re old), but in that you “retire” from the noisy world, doing whatever you want, exploring and going on adventures, and still working, if you feel like it.

“The way that we managed to keep it affordable is because our suites start from 237 sq ft. They are not small but they are not large,” Punton was telling CNN earlier this year. “We keep the entry level pricing at a sweet spot that is available to most people. That was the number one thing for us, that it had to remain affordable.”

Somehow surprisingly, Punton is not talking about only one-percenters or the world’s most eccentric multi-millionaires who might be looking for the next kick or an investment opportunity. Business Insider says that interest in this type of alternative living solution is very high and that most floorplans are already sold out. Storylines did estimate earlier this year that it would sell out on all options by the end of 2022, so it seems like it’s on track. Buyers include everything from investors to retirees (of the actual kind), digital nomads (of the very successful kind), and families in their 40s, with or without kids.

MV Narrative
Photo: Bodrosplit
The appeal of MV Narrative isn’t in the so-called “affordable” price, but in what comes as part of the package. No one is really paying just for the suite, regardless of size, but for the experience, which includes every little thing you could possibly imagine. There’s even a solar-powered hydroponic garden, a green farmer’s market that will partly cover the supplies for the daily menu of those onboard.

Owners have a say in most aspects of MV Narrative, whether it’s the design, which is still underway, or the amenities that will be included. There is a school and several educational centers for the kids, wellness areas (with a fancy-named anti-aging clinic), gyms, pools, library, offices and conference rooms, cinemas, restaurants and bars, shops and casinos, a post office, a microbrewery, and a marina. Every aspect of daily life has been included, regardless of the 1,000 guests’ age and hobbies.

MV Narrative will set sail in 2025 and stay afloat for the next three and a half years, with extended stays in port of calls of the guests’ choosing. Ownership is for 12, 24 or 60 years, with the possibility to rent the unit when not in use. Storylines says that it’s a home on water, but a home of the most luxurious kind, where you won’t ever have to worry about a thing – and it certainly sounds like it is.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories