New Luxury Cruise Appeals to Remote Workers

Its debut ship will be named MS Satoshi – a reference to the pseudonym of the mysterious alleged founder of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto. The 804ft vessel will carry 2,020 passengers and crew, with 777 cabins priced between $25,000 and $50,000. Alongside office-style amenities, the ship will boast a gym, a casino and multiple restaurants to keep passengers entertained. Entrepreneurs will be encouraged to set up their own businesses on the ship to help run activities such as fitness classes and upskilling events.

Ocean Builders’ ultimate aim is to create a ship-meets-tech business incubator, where educated, entrepreneurial passengers could spend their time hashing out new ideas – whether these are related to Bitcoin and blockchain or hospitality. To that extent, all transactions on the ship will be accepted in US dollars, Bitcoin and other mainstream cryptocurrencies. 

As the cruise industry has been battered by Covid-19 and the resulting no-sail orders and high infection rates, this launch is a tough bet. But the company’s founder, US entrepreneur Chad Elwartowski, believes that pandemic fears could be a boon to the industry. “No matter if you’re scared of the virus or the reaction to the virus, living out on the ocean will be helpful for these situations,” he told The Guardian.

Cruises remain attractive to travellers, with 83% of Americans between 18 and 44 saying they’d be interested in booking an upcoming voyage (Cruise Critic, 2020). Combined with the promise of ongoing generous remote working policies, there’s potential for the cruise industry to attract new customers with this new breed of blended work-leisure travel. 

For more on next-gen cruises, see Cruises Target Gen Z.