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Avora Lumina Tour: First Look Inside the Future Residential Cruise Ship
We recently had the opportunity to tour Regent’s Seven Seas Navigator, the ship that is planned to become Avora Lumina, a luxury residential cruise ship.
The funny part is that we were already on a 20-day cruise when we were invited to attend. So we arranged with Celebrity to disembark, left the ship, and flew from Florence to Barcelona for the tour. Because apparently, when you are considering living on a ship, flying off one ship to tour another ship makes perfect sense.
The night we arrived, we were greeted by a group of future residents, people seriously considering purchasing, and others who had already made commitments. Chris Cox, President of Avora Residences, and Kathy Villalba, Co-Founder and CEO, hosted the event along with the marketing team.
We went out for tapas and started connecting with our potential new neighbors on Avora. Kim and I have reserved a residence on the ship, which is scheduled to launch from Lisbon in January 2028.
The stories around the table were fascinating. One couple had been on Villa Vie Odyssey, while another had experience with The World. Let’s just say we learned a lot from both ships, and I will leave some of those details unmentioned. Every residential ship seems to have its own learning curve, its own personalities, and its own version of community life.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was the power of community.
We heard stories about Christmas tree decorating contests on Villa Vie, and even how one resident who was a seamstress took on a project to redo cushions on the ship. I was amazed by the level of community. Honestly, I was also a little worried about how tight-knit these communities can become. I am not sure Kim and I had fully prepared ourselves for that part.
There seemed to be a club for almost everything, from poker nights to scuba diving.
Kim and I are both in our mid-50s, and the idea of meeting new friends at this stage in life can feel almost impossible. The idea of meeting hundreds of people seemed daunting. After dinner, we both talked about the need to set some social boundaries when we get there. We want to enjoy the community, shared dinners, and new friendships, but also make sure we still have one-on-one time together.
One gentleman described it perfectly. He said that at times, “his social cup was full.”
We live in a pretty lonely world for the most part, so the idea that you might have to manage your social life is something we had not really considered before. Usually, people are trying to find more connection. On a residential ship, the challenge may be making sure you get enough quiet time.
The next day, we all headed over to the ship. After the usual formalities with passports and boarding passes, we were able to go onboard during the turnover period.
We were greeted by Regent executives, who walked us through several different suites, the pool deck, theater, dining room, casino, and other public areas. The casino is expected to be converted into work areas, which makes sense for a residential ship, although there was some talk about keeping a few of the tables for casino theme nights.
I was really blown away by how large the suites were.
Kim and I had originally booked the Navigator Suite on this ship years ago. Ironically, it was the same type of room we have now reserved for Avora, but because of Covid, that original trip was moved to another ship.
The Solstice Suite, as it will be called on Avora Lumina, felt just right. Kim described it as “perfect.” It has a separate bedroom, balcony, walk-in closet, bathtub, dining area, and living area. The Solstice is listed at 509 square feet, and it really feels more like a small condo than a cruise cabin.
You can see it in the tour video we put together here.
We also loved the mattress. Originally, we thought we would need to buy a new mattress, but we found out the suite already had a very comfortable Elite Slumber bed. That was a pleasant surprise.
After traveling on Celebrity Equinox, which was built in 2009, the Navigator felt more luxurious and, in some ways, even newer. You could really see the impact of the major 2016 refurbishment.
One example was the theater. On Equinox, the theater has more traditional, smaller theater-style seating. On Navigator, the room had more of a cabaret feel. It felt more intimate and less crowded. The dining room also felt much less packed.
I enjoyed seeing the spa as well. We were able to film both the ladies’ and men’s spa areas, which are very similar. Both include a steam room and a cedar dry sauna. There was also discussion about possibly reducing the size of the upper levels of the theater and adding things like a pool table or other resident-focused spaces.
Both Kathy and Chris seemed very interested in hearing what future residents wanted. That was one of the best parts of the tour. It did not feel like everything was already set in stone. It felt like they were still listening and trying to figure out how to make this ship special.
Another topic that came up was the idea of an “owner’s closet.”
Kim and I own Airbnbs, and when you travel to your own property, having an owner’s closet is incredibly useful. Someone mentioned wanting to store golf clubs. Others had their own ideas. It is a small thing, but when you are thinking about living on a ship part-time or full-time, storage becomes a big topic very quickly.
After a full morning of touring, we sat down for lunch in Compass Rose, which we were told will be renamed Meridian House. We were served on beautiful Versace tableware, with caviar, foie gras, and a few other things I could not spell even if you gave me three chances.
I asked Chris if they were keeping the plates, and he said absolutely. He also said they intend to work with The Apollo Group, which provides hotel and logistics services to cruise brands, including Regent Seven Seas, to help maintain a very high-end experience onboard.
There really were not a lot of negative things I could say.
The only thing that bothered me a little is that the balconies have more traditional metal railings instead of the glass balconies you see on many modern cruise ships. It is not a dealbreaker, but it does change the feel a bit when you are sitting outside.
The other challenge for us is that there is still no real place for our dog, Ginger. That will likely mean shorter trips for us, at least at first. Don’t worry, Ginger has our adult children and friends, who she seems to love more than us. Definitely more than me.
Overall, the tour made the idea of living aboard Avora Lumina feel much more real.
It is one thing to look at renderings and floor plans. It is another thing to walk the ship, sit in the dining room, see the suites, meet future neighbors, and imagine how your life might actually work there.
The ship is scheduled to set sail from Lisbon in January 2028 and begin its first global journey. At one point, I suggested that maybe they could just pick us up in Miami instead. Chris laughed and said, “I don’t think you are going to miss the inaugural sailing.”
He is probably right.
It does feel like it will be history. And after seeing the ship, meeting the people, and imagining what this could become, I think Kim and I will want to be there from the beginning.
Check out the tour video here. It was not professionally shot, and it was my first time using a gimbal with my iPhone, so let’s keep our expectations somewhere below Spielberg. But our team at Live At Sea did a great job putting it together, and I think it gives a real feel for the ship.
Feel free to share the video with anyone who is curious about living at sea. And if you have not already done so, join our Live At Sea Facebook group.
The Future of Residential Cruise Ships: Three Ships. Three Visions.
Which One Would You Choose to Call Home?
As the concept of living at sea continues to evolve, one question keeps coming back to me:
What makes the perfect residential cruise ship?
Is it intimacy? Size? Amenities? Stability? Entertainment? Access to small ports? Or is it something more?
I’m writing this while aboard Celebrity Equinox on a 20-day Mediterranean cruise. Like most large cruise ships, it offers incredible amenities, but I still find the crowds to be a bit much. Fortunately, we’ve been able to escape some of that by spending much of our time in The Retreat, Celebrity’s suite enclave.
That experience reinforced something I’d already noticed over the years. Some of our favorite cruises have been aboard smaller ultra-luxury ships from Regent Seven Seas and Silversea. They simply feel more personal. The service is more intimate, the atmosphere is quieter, and the ship itself begins to feel less like a resort and more like home.
Then, while docked in Malta, I spotted the Emerald Azzurra tied up beside us.
My first thought was, “That would be an incredible ship to live on.”
But then I started asking myself the harder questions.
Would I enjoy the intimacy of such a small ship? Would I miss having multiple restaurants? Could I live with more motion at sea? Would the limited amenities eventually become a drawback?
It made me realize there probably isn’t one perfect residential cruise ship. There may actually be three very different visions of what life at sea could become.
Image from my room of the Emerald Azzurra in Malta.
Vision One: The Private Yacht
Imagine stepping aboard a vessel with fewer than 100 residents.
There are no crowds, no long corridors, and no waiting for elevators. Within a few days, you know nearly everyone by name.
This isn’t just a ship. It feels like a floating private estate.
The Emerald Azzurra excels at delivering an intimate lifestyle. Its greatest strength is its ability to reach destinations that larger vessels simply cannot. Tiny Greek islands, Croatian fishing villages, hidden Mediterranean coves, and boutique marinas become your neighborhood.
Outdoor living becomes the centerpiece. Residents spend afternoons swimming directly from the marina platform, paddleboarding in crystal-clear water, or enjoying sunset cocktails on open decks that never feel crowded. To me, that’s what makes this style of ship so appealing.
For those seeking privacy and exclusivity, this yacht would be hard to surpass.
The tradeoffs are simply the result of its size. There are fewer restaurants, a smaller fitness center, and more limited public spaces. While that may be perfect for a vacation, I wonder whether I would miss the variety after living aboard for several years.
Today, Emerald Azzurra isn’t designed as a residential ship, but it certainly has a residential feel. Another reality is that smaller ships are generally more expensive to operate on a per-resident basis. There really are economies of scale at work. Smaller ships also tend to have smaller staterooms, making every square foot even more valuable.
Image from Avora Lumina blog
Vision Two: Small-Ship Luxury
Now imagine something entirely different.
Not a cruise ship.
Not a yacht.
A purpose-built residential community that happens to travel the world.
Using the elegant Seven Seas Navigator as the foundation, Avora Lumina represents what I believe may be the sweet spot between intimacy and capability.
With a few hundred residences instead of just a few dozen, the ship becomes large enough to support world-class amenities while remaining small enough to foster genuine community.
Residents could enjoy multiple restaurants, wellness facilities, a medical clinic, coworking spaces, libraries, lecture halls, a theater, fitness facilities, cafés, lounges, and bars, all while still feeling like they are coming home instead of checking into another cruise.
Unlike traditional cruise ships, every design decision is made for permanent residents rather than vacation guests.
That creates opportunities for stronger friendships, lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, wellness, and shared adventures around the globe.
It becomes a community that moves together.
Image from a tender of the Celebrity Equinox
Vision Three: The Floating City
During my research, I also came across another residential concept that appears to be targeting a much larger ship, advertising approximately 1,200 residences.
The company has not yet announced which vessel it intends to purchase, so for the sake of comparison, let’s imagine a converted MSC Rhapsody (which is currently for sale if you have 95M), similar to the ship I am traveling on while writing this article, the Celebrity Equinox
Here, scale becomes the defining advantage.
A ship of this size could support an astonishing range of amenities, including:
Rather than resembling a yacht, it begins to feel like an elegant neighborhood at sea.
Its size also creates operational efficiencies. More residents allow maintenance costs to be spread across a much larger ownership base, potentially lowering costs per residence while dramatically expanding available amenities.
Of course, there are tradeoffs.
Larger ships cannot visit many of the world’s smaller ports, and the intimate atmosphere naturally gives way to a more diverse metropolitan community.
In many ways, it’s the difference between living in a vibrant downtown city and living in a quiet coastal village. Neither is better. They’re simply different lifestyles.
Three Different Dreams
None of these concepts is objectively better than the others.
They simply appeal to different people.
If your dream is to own a residence aboard a private yacht where everyone knows your name, the Emerald Azzurra offers something truly special.
If your vision is a balanced life of luxury, exploration, wellness, and community, Avora Lumina may represent the ideal middle ground.
If you imagine a vibrant floating city with endless amenities and an active social scene, a larger converted ocean liner opens up possibilities that smaller ships never could.
A New Category of Living
For decades, people have debated where to retire, where to invest, and where to build their dream home.
Perhaps the more interesting question is no longer “Where?”
Perhaps it’s “Why should home stay in one place?”
Residential cruise ships are no longer just an intriguing idea. They are becoming an entirely new category of real estate, where your address changes, your neighbors become lifelong friends, and the world itself becomes your backyard.
After standing on the deck of Celebrity Equinox, looking across at the Emerald Azzurra, and imagining what a converted Seven Seas Navigator or a much larger residential ship could become, I’ve come to one conclusion.
There probably isn’t one perfect residential cruise ship.
There are simply different visions of the same dream.
Some people will want the intimacy of a private yacht. Others will want the balance of a purpose-built residential community. Still others will embrace the energy and amenities of a floating city.
The one thing that connects all of these concepts is the freedom to wake up somewhere extraordinary tomorrow.
And perhaps that’s the greatest luxury of all.
Buying a Cruise Ship Condo? Here’s Why This One Stood Out
Living at sea is no longer a fantasy. With reliable internet, a growing remote workforce, and new ownership models, it’s becoming a real option for entrepreneurs and investors.
After an initial failed attempt and exploring options like Villa Vie and The World, Colin C. Campbell and his wife landed on a different approach, one that blends lifestyle with practicality.
The decision came down to a few key factors: a community of like-minded owners, strong rental flexibility to offset costs, and a more livable, thoughtfully designed unit. Just as important, the ship itself offers longevity, ongoing upgrades, and a work-friendly environment that makes long-term living realistic.
The biggest shift is mindset. This isn’t just about travel, it’s about replacing traditional living with something more flexible, where your home moves and your life doesn’t have to pause.
It’s a bold move, but one that’s becoming increasingly viable.
Read the full breakdown, including costs, layout, and investment potential on Startup Club.