Man explains how buying a 'floating apartment' was the best decision he ever made

Rising rents and the cost of living are major concerns for many adults. While changing the situation may be tough, some are finding creative solutions. Austin Wells, a 28-year-old from San Diego, has leased a room on a luxury cruise ship, believing it’s cheaper than living on land. Plus, he can travel the world without disrupting his routine, according to CNBC.

"The thing that most excites me is I don’t have to upend my daily routine, in order to go see the world," the San Diego man told the outlet on a video call. "I’m going from this model where you want to go somewhere, you pack a bag, you get on a flight, you rent a room, to now my condo, my gym, my doctors and dentists, all of my grocery stores travel the world with me." Wells will live onboard the cruise for at least three years as it goes around various places as well as continue to work remotely at Meta’s augmented and virtual reality division, Reality Labs. He would work at US hours even as the ship sailed to Europe.

“My working hours will be shifted towards evenings, nights and very early mornings. But that does open up the ability for me to maybe see a city midday to afternoon and then start my workday around 6 or 7 PM," Wells pointed out. "This is probably the first time that there is even the ability to have a standard job and even consider working and living from a floating apartment complex." The ship, MV Narrative, comes with facilities like a co-working space, 24-hour room service, a farmer's market, a spa, medical services, a private kitchen and an exercise center as per the outlet. The ship has 500 private rooms and residences and would be home to about 1000 people.

The ship is set to sail in 2025 and offers 11 types of residences, with the largest, "Global," measuring 1,970 square feet. There are also usual things like a whisky bar, events spaces, a pool and more on the ship. The cruise also includes a school, library, bank, and theater, but unlike traditional cruise ships, entertainment won't be the main focus, according to co-founder and CEO Alister Punton. The ship will stay at the docks for about 3 to 5 days to allow residents to explore cities during their time onboard. A 12-year- lease for an entry-level 237-square-foot apartment would cost Wells $300,000. The room includes a foldaway bed, pantry area, desk and separate shower room.

Most leases on the ship however are for 24 years or the life of the vessel, that is 60 years as per the outlet. The rental prices in California where Wells currently lives are around $2500 per month while that on the ship will be $2000 per month, per The Sun. Wells hopes that he would get to make some friends onboard as well, as he would be traveling the world with them too.