Many of our residents have already expressed interest in facilitating and participating in residential life on board. From librarians to language teachers, golf pros, wine aficionados and salsa teachers; all those who wish to help are encouraged to take an active role in their residential community.
Diversity and Inclusion
What is Storylines Diversity and Inclusion Policy?
Storylines is a global company and a global community. About our resident community:
- Representation from at least a dozen countries
- Several ethnicities including African, Persian, Latin, Caucasian and Indian descent
- A significant percentage of solo travelers (approximately 20%)
- A good variety of age ranges (children to retirees)
- A range of socioeconomic backgrounds (due to the broad price range of residences)
- All major religions and political affiliations represented
- Several LGBTQ owners
- People of varying abilities
About our staff and consultants:
Storylines is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law). All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit and business need. We currently have staff in:
Argentina
Australia
Canada
Colombia
Italy
Liechtenstein
Netherlands
Philippines
Poland
Singapore
Switzerland
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
About our crew:
We anticipate the crew working onboard to come from all over the world with the largest nationalities represented being the Philippines, Eastern European countries and India. Crew on ships generally need to have a level of physical ability to pass the training course for the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).
Demographics
Our average age range is 50-60 although we have a diverse group of people including digital nomads in their 30s, families with children in their 40s and retirees over 60.
Families and Children
Child-friendly facilities such as games and learning rooms are included within the ship’s design and as well as regular children’s activities. We expect to have enough children of all ages sufficient to ensure they too have a social group and friends with whom to make memories.
Youth education programs will be offered in association with an online distance education program. In addition to formal education, children will have the opportunity to learn about the world with over 50+ countries to explore each year. When not in activities, we do ask that parents remain active in supervision.
See this video to hear from a school teacher of a resident assessing the Storylines lifestyle for her 9-year-old daughter from Orlando.
Community Laws & HOA
Are there laws in the community?
The relevant laws apply to the country of the Bahamas, the flag we are under. The flag of the ship represents the nationality of the ship, and therefore the ship is under the control of the registered country. Based on the ship’s flag, we must comply with international and maritime laws of the registered country in the open sea. That being said, USA residents may use the USA based maritime law and most maritime law is related to USA law.
When sailing, the law of the sea stipulates that maritime countries essentially control their territorial waters from the shore out to a distance of 12 miles (19.3 km), the “12-mile limit.” With respect to crimes committed in these areas, the laws of the country owning the vessel or structure upon which the crime has been committed hold sway.
Will there be a Homeowners Association?
There will be a similar structure of an HOA in place where residents can get involved with the steering committee to shape the community bylaws. It will continue to evolve before and after sailing. There will also be sub-committees of special interest groups.
What authority does the operator have versus authority vested in HOA?
The HOA reports to the operator which has the ultimate authority.
What vetting & screening process does Storylines do to ensure people onboard are of good character?
We conduct background checks such as Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) for financials and confirming identification. No serious offenses that involve harming other people such as fraud, child offenses, sexual offenders, etc. Evaluations are on a case by case basis to ensure that all members of the community are of good standing. Short term guests are by invitation only from a resident who can vouch for their character and are therefore accepted without the usual vetting process. Long term renters (3 months+) are subject to background checks.
Will you have a brig onboard and how do you plan to govern and contain people?
Security at Sea falls under the domain of the Chief Security Officer, who is in charge of the Security patrol teams onboard. This includes running the gangway operations for the ship, liaising with port security, conducting investigations onboard, and “keeping the peace” at all times by following comprehensive security protocols, both at port and at sea. Highly trained security personnel are on call 24/7.
Every ship sailing to or from the U.S. must have at least one crewmember onboard specifically trained in crime prevention, detention, and reporting. The Chief Security Officer (usually known as SECO) reports directly to the executive management (Captain/Staff Captain).
Single Resident Owners
To date, around 20% of residents are solo travelers. Singles specific social events will be held on board and ashore.
Living Aboard Full-Time and Citizenship Status
Living aboard MV Narrative full-time does not affect your residency nor your citizenship status. It also does not affect your ability to spend time in your home country. Residency and citizenship are two separate things, and the only way to lose citizenship is to formally renounce it. Some expats seek residency/citizenship in a new country. MV Narrative does not provide a permanent residential address onboard and it does not provide residency or citizenship in any country. If you are planning on living on board full-time and are in need of an address, we suggest using a mailbox service or family member’s address.