A peep into what it is like to live onboard the world’s largest privately-owned residential ship, home to around 150 families
Andhra meal at his home as well as an elaborate traditional dinner for a group of the ship’s residents,” says Eddie Wong, residential director of The World, Residences at Sea.
From Visakhapatnam, The World will set sail for Port Blair before heading towards Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
A close-knit community
Currently, there are about 150 families onboard. While most assume owners are predominantly older couples with more time to spare, there are young families too with the youngest being 21 years old. “On an average, residents travel around three to four months onboard each year. Some residents choose to live on board full-time while others visit periodically throughout the year. The average duration of ownership is approximately six to seven years. It’s a close-knit community where people share an interest in world cultures, history and adventure, and exploring fascinating destinations,” says Eddie. Interiors are customised based on the residents’ individual tastes and feature everything from contemporary and transitional to traditional decor.
The ship’s highly personalised services include gastronomic oerings from six diverse restaurants, a gourmet deli, wine cellar with a capacity of 16,000 bottles, celebrity guest chefs, world-renowned winemaker visits, exclusive tastings and the Call-A-Chef programme where meals are prepared in the privacy of an owner’s residence by one of the ship’s chefs for an intimate dining experience or special dinner party. Among The World’s visiting guest chefs are Curtis Duy, Vicky Ratani, Kiko Moya, Soenil Bahadoer, Jonas Andre Navik, Harpal Singh Sokhi and wine makers Grace Family Vineyards and Tsushima Kitahara. For nine consecutive years, The World has been awarded Best Ship Wine List by The World of Fine Wine magazine.
Other amenities include an art gallery, biking, billiards, a medical and tness centre, a helipad, tennis court, children’s play area and hobby room with arts and crafts, conference centre and game room.
Naturally, such a novel luxurious lifestyle comes at a price, that ranges from $2 million to $15 million (₹16 crore to ₹125 crore). “The annual ownership costs are additional and are based on square footage and contribute to operational expenses, fuel, food and beverage, and administrative expenses,” says Eddie.
The World has a small selection of homes available for resale and a waiting list for certain categories. Its Guest Stay Programme, which is by invitation only, is available for those who are interested in experiencing the ship before purchase. “Those interested in ownership have a discussion with a residential adviser who explains more about net worth requirements for purchase,” says Eddie, adding that prospective residents are required to have a net worth of atleast $10 million.
Most of The World’s residents are self-made entrepreneurs and retired or semi-retired. “In fact, some are still involved in their companies and philanthropic endeavours and can manage business aairs from the ship where they can hold meetings from conference rooms,” adds Eddie.
As The World continues its journey in 2024 circumnavigating the globe, it will sail across ve oceans, and visit more than 90 ports of call. Its arrival in India came after an incredible expedition in January to Antarctica and the Falkland Islands including an overland journey to the South Pole, followed by South America and the volcanic islands of Tristan da Cunha, one of the most remote places on earth.
“We explored the East coast of Africa before our arrival in India and have two more spectacular expeditions planned for the remainder of this year: Australia’s Kimberley region and a deep exploration of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands,” adds Eddie.