2 Norwegian cruise ships are getting a $120 million makeover to become luxury residences at sea — take a look inside

Russell Galbut, the founder and chairman of Crescent Seas (and the cofounder of Crescent Heights), told Business Insider that his company has paid a deposit to charter the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings-owned vessel.

Still in operation as a Regent Seven Seas ship, Navigator is scheduled to undergo a $70 million refurbishment in the fall of 2026 to become long-term living-proofed.

When the vessel embarks on its new life, so too will its residents.

After its relaunch, Navigator and its cabin owners can expect to sail around the world, spending several days at destinations like the North Pole, Galapagos Islands, and French Polynesian islands.

Throughout this indefinite journey, the 420 residents can look forward to onboard amenities such as butlers, Starlink WiFi, and a pickleball court — all for $750,000 to $8 million per cabin, not including an annual $220,000 maintenance fee.

The industry has seen an influx of residential cruise startups — many of which have sunk as quickly as they've popped up.

Life at Sea Cruises faced backlash after canceling its never-ending voyage two weeks before its debut in 2023. Similarly, concepts such as Storylines and Victoria Cruises Line have repeatedly delayed their launches, facing skepticism that they'll ever set sail.

As of now, 23-year-old The World and seven-month-old Villa Vie Odyssey are the only residential ships in operation, although not without prior hiccups.

Galbut said Norwegian is expected to continue overseeing the floating condominium's operations. The ship will also retain its original crew and hospitality provider, Apollo Group.

"What differentiates us is that we have a product that we now own that has been operating at the very highest level of luxury for 20 years," Galbut told BI. "When we buy fuel, unlike these one-off ships, we're going to be buying fuel as if we're part of the Norwegian brand."

Galbut served as the chairman of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings from 2018 to 2024. (He told BI that his former position did not result in preferential treatment during negotiations for Navigator.)

During its 54-day dry dock, Navigator's bathrooms, pool deck, spa, and restaurants will be redone, and its furniture and decor will be replaced, according to Galbut. Adding a new pickleball court, sports simulator, and indoor hydroponic spice garden is also in the plans — as is the conjoining of several cabins to create more suites, dropping the ship's accommodations from 248 units to 210.

Enjoy collecting wine from different countries? Galbut said there will be a designated storage facility for them.

Want to bring your electric bike or scuba equipment on board? Expect specialized storage for them, too. (You don't have to bring your own — guests can expect onboard scuba equipment, zodiacs, and sea-doos.)

To keep on track with its ambitious five-year and -ship plan, Crescent Seas says it will debut a second residential vessel, Insignia, a year after Navigator's launch. Cabins are currently priced between $650,000 and $10 million each.

Like its predecessor, Insignia will be another Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings vessel, this time Oceania's. Upon its transfer to Crescent Seas, the ship would similarly undergo an over $50 million refresh.

In the future, the company expects to offer an "exchange program" that would allow residents of different Crescent Seas ships to swap cabins.

"71% of the Earth is covered by water, so it's natural that residents will start to exist at sea," Galbut said. "It seems to me that the world is getting to be a smaller place, and we have to build these communities at sea because it gives people the opportunity to be in every gateway city of the world."