For thousands of years, humans have preferred to live in caves. Places that are safe, warm, and familiar. A place called home.
Then came low Earth orbit satellite internet. And suddenly, your “cave” doesn’t need to be tethered to a fiber optic cable, four walls – or even land.
Technological shifts like this don’t come around often. Think of the wheel. The printing press. The internet. AI. And dare I say it – the iPhone 6 (it just seems so crude how our ancestors had to use tiny iPhones).
High-speed internet has unshackled us from our urban dwellings and cubicle farms. You no longer need to be connected to a big city to make money. You can now work from a tropical island, a cabin in the Arctic, or, in my case – recently a Royal Caribbean ship sailing across the North Atlantic. In 2023, I ran calls and even hosted a live Startup Club show on Clubhouse from that ship.
The big issue? I couldn’t find a quiet place to take my meetings. It was so crowded and noisy that I just couldn’t find a good location.
Ultimately, I decided to kick my family out of our room. They were… less than thrilled.
That was my first taste of the future – and I wanted more.
Recently, a new company called Crescent Seas has announced plans to launch five new ships designed specifically for people who want to live and work full-time at sea.
According to them, Crescent Seas “redefines world travel by offering exclusive private residences aboard elegantly appointed ships.”
Translation: luxury cruise life meets WeWork, with a splash of adventure and luxury. They have confirmed that they will also provide facilities for creators.
Get ready to “Podcast”!
Like WeWork though, they have confirmed additional fees will be applied to access these facilities.
Their first project? Converting the Regent Seven Seas Navigator into a floating condo with 204 apartments.
-Credit: Bespoke Luxury Marketing/Crescent Seas
I sailed that ship a couple of years ago around Spain, Italy, and France. My wife and I booked a 500-square-foot suite and joked about how amazing it would be to live on board full time. Turns out — it’s not a joke anymore.
Crescent Seas plans to invest $50 million to transform the Navigator into a full-time residential ship. Think less “cruise ship” and more “luxury condo with a view that changes daily.”
When asked about how it would be different from a traditional cruise ship, “One of the objectives of the redesign is to have the ship be more luxurious and residential friendly. Many of the units will be updated and converted into units that provide more basic amenities for long-term residential use. Plus, the common area on the ship will be redesigned to enhance the recreational areas.”
Living at sea isn’t entirely new but has been very exclusive until now. Many of these ships are opening alternatives for travel minded budgets. The ship The World launched in 2002 with a similar concept — but it catered mostly to retirees with a $10 million net worth and no real need for decent Wi-Fi. Times have changed.
The Navigator, with Starlink-level internet and a younger, remote-working demographic in mind, could be a game-changer. And it’s not alone.
Storylines, another ambitious project, is set to launch in late 2027 or early 2028 with co-working areas, shared cooking, and 20+ bars and restaurants — all included in the monthly fee. Which means you can forget the dishes and focus on launching your next startup while sipping wine off the coast of Greece.
I really like what Storylines has done to accommodate offices, work areas, and meeting rooms. They understand the importance of providing facilities so that residents can not only enjoy their life but also work to create a meaningful impact in the world.
My wife and I have started mapping out what it could look like to live and work from the sea. For the longest time, spotty internet was the dealbreaker. But now? Most major cruise ships have Starlink. We’ve already booked four cruises over the next 12 months.
We have just launched a new Facebook Group called Live at Sea. If you’re curious, dreaming, or already halfway packed, come join the conversation. It turns out your “cave” doesn’t have to be stationary anymore.
Startup founders want to change the world. We’re not just sailing into the sunset, we are navigating towards our new ventures and finding ways we can make a difference on this planet.