57 continually working on getting the ship to where it needs to be.” At the time of going to press Villa Vie Odyssey was scheduled to launch on 20 August. Once launched, the refurbished ship offers three restaurants, five bars, four lounges, a spa and fitness centre, a library and an extended pool with two Jacuzzis. The ship has been customised to include all the comforts and amenities of home. “The biggest difference compared to traditional cruise ships is that Odyssey will be home for residents rather than a traditional vacation space,” says Petterson. “This means there’s been more focus on designing for people’s everyday needs versus what you see on cruise ships with weekly turnarounds. There’s less of the glamour and flashy entertainment and more practical amenities, like the business centre, the friends and family cabins, hair salons and self-service laundry facilities. The onboard experience needs to be dynamic and well considered.” One of the key focuses of the renovation was the pool deck, which was in a state of disarray after being open to the Scottish elements for four years. “The entire pool deck has been ripped out and rebuilt,” says Petterson. “We’ve merged the two pools, connecting them with a watered walkway. My original vision was for people to be able to swim from one to the other, but as water weighs a lot, we’ve instead created a surface of water to join the pools, making the area bigger than it was.” Another big project was to create a business centre to give residents somewhere to work while onboard. The business centre features Starlink and Viasat 3 internet, allowing residents to stay in contact with friends and family at home and enable non-retired residents to work remotely from wherever this ship is in the world. During its voyage Villa Vie Odyssey will call at 425 destinations in 147 countries. This will include a 95day journey through the Japan and Philippine Sea beginning in August 2025, visiting Tokyo, Sapporo, Kobe and Hiroshima in Japan, Taipei and Kaohsiung City in Taiwan, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, and more. “I can’t wait to explore places like Madagascar, Maldives, Japan and Asia, as well as spend the summer onboard with my family,” says Petterson. “The work doesn’t stop though, so I don’t think I’ll be relaxing too much. But, for our residents, the ship will provide a new standard for global exploration, offering an exceptional blend of opulence, immersive travel and personalised service. This is not a vacation; it is a lifestyle!” The business centre (left) has been created from scratch to enable non-retired residents to work remotely while onboard, while the pool deck (top) required a complete rebuild in order to achieve Petterson’s vision
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