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larryf@happy-wanderers.com
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Information on this website is our opinion only. This site was created to help others considering this wonderful lifestyle, and for our own use.
Our Travel Adventures
Welcome to the Adventures of Larry and Connie Farquhar.
Trips Cancelled - New Plans!
Well.... now I've done it.
We cancelled many of our planned upcoming trips. The RV trip to Quartzsite in January, the rental RV trip in Spain this coming September, the Dominican Republic resort trip in May, and our RV trip on the Natchez Trace Trail next September all got chopped. However, we're still taking our Mediterranean cruise in October.
The Villa Vie Odyssey
This all started when our longtime RV friend, Cool Judy, announced she was selling her RV and home and moving onto a cruise ship. She'll be cruising the world fulltime. After much research, contemplation, and some tears, we decided we would also have a lifestyle change and start seeing the world from the same cruise ship.
On February 20th, 2026, we'll be moving onto the Villa Vie Odyssey in Sydney, Australia. Our new home weighs over 24,000 tons, is over 640' long, is 8 decks high, has a staff of about 220 people, and can carry 650 "residents". Based on today's new cruise ship standards, the Odyssey is a baby cruise ship, although she is over 30 years old.
We purchased a small cabin that's all ours. We can come and go as we please, rent the cabin to others, and even sell it when we're done with sea life. We do have a monthly maintenance/operation fee that includes all employee expenses, operating expenses, port fees, 3 meals a day, 4 alcohol drinks a day, housekeeping and laundry twice a week, unlimited non-alcohol drinks, Wi-Fi, and all activities. Ordering from the bar, spa treatments, and medical visits are extra.
Our cabin on the Odyssey
Our cabin on the Odyssey
One of the main factors that pushed me into making this decision now was Villa Vie Residences was having a "Summer Sale", which originally expired on August 18th, but has been extended to August 30th. This sale saved us $40,000. We get 6 months of free maintenance fees (starting in March 2026) and $10,000 in onboard credit, good for the bar, spa, medical and room service.
We're not selling our home in Arizona, as Connie and I plan to make trips back home and eventually will stop cruising. Since Connie isn't ready to travel fulltime again, she'll be joining me on the Odyssey in Australia for about 2 1/2 months visiting 12 ports in Australia and 6 ports in New Zealand. She'll return home in late April while I stay on the ship visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan, and 2 weeks in China. She plans to come back onboard early July in Beijing, China. Together, we'll travel to 7 more ports in China and 3 ports in South Korea before she departs in Hong Kong mid-August going back to Arizona.
Connie doesn't have any interest in visiting the next several countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. If interested, you can see our entire upcoming itinerary here. Remember, we don't join the ship until February 20th, 2026, so we've missed the first year of sailing.
The Odyssey started sailing on this 3.5-year circumnavigation of the world in September 2024. The ship will be visiting 147 countries with over 425 destinations. What's nice is, the ship usually stays at each location from 2 to 5 days. This gives us time to explore locally, without the usual cruise ship rush in a 5-to-8-hour port visit. In August 2028, the ship will start over on another 3.5-year trip around the world.
I'll regularly be updating this Blog as we prepare, then start our travels around the world. Stay tuned and subscribe to the Blog if you want to follow our new adventure. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about this new lifestyle.
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Comments 5
Guest - Judy Rinehimer
on Saturday, 23 August 2025 19:22
Does this make me an influencer?
Owning a cabin and living onboard the Villa Vie Odyssey sounds like a perfect plan for both of you. The flexibility to come and go at any place on the itinerary is a wonderful option. As you mentioned, if you are both ashore you can RENT your "villa" to offset your monthly maintenance fee.
I will see you in Australia!!!
Larry Farquhar
on Saturday, 23 August 2025 20:21
Guest - Trvlvr20
on Sunday, 24 August 2025 05:29
China cancelled/Some of Australia at risk?
VVR has cancelled the full 2 month's itinerary in China which were to occur in 3 different segments including the current Japan segment because Japan doesn't allow ships over 30 years old to visit and that was always the case. Australia has a regulation that if a ship visits Australia 3 times in 1 year, the ship has to pay the crew Australian wages. Odyssey is currently scheduled to visit 3 times in 1 year across 3 segments so one of those segments needs to be cancelled. VVR does not seem to research country regulations when making their itinerary. The same thing happened with Brazil in the South American segment when they cancelled the Amazon River and many other ports because they were unaware of the Brazilian regulation of needing a percentage of Brazilian crew after 30 days in country. They said they weren't aware of this until they arrived in the country. Hopefully you will get a lot of enjoyment from the travels as long as you don't count on any particular destinations because VVR cancels many destinations as they did in Alaska as well.
Larry Farquhar
on Sunday, 24 August 2025 08:25
Thanks for the feedback. We understand plans change and circumstances happen that may be out of their control. We're flexible. On a 21-day cruise to New Zealand with Princess, we had 3 ports cancelled on that trip. There were only 5 ports to begin with.
I asked VVR about the China and 30-year-old ship issue. They stated they are working on a resolution (politics) and hope to have it resolved soon.
Guest - Bill Joyce
(website)
on Monday, 25 August 2025 07:18
Southeast Asia is great
Sad that Connie is not interested in Southeast Asia, since we really enjoyed it. Diane and I spent a few days in Singapore before taking a Celebrity cruise that made two stops in Malaysia, one in Thailand, two in Sri Lanka and 3 in India, where we spent a few days on our own in Mumbai. Great memories and we would be happy to go back to Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka for more time. We have mixed feelings about Mumbai, but the other two India stops were good.
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