Aboard The World mega-yacht, you can travel the globe without leaving home
- This luxury floating condo has a tennis court, helipad, gourmet deli and wine cellar, while residents can refit and redesign their homes, and even weigh in on the look of the vessel itself
For some lucky Hong Kong invitees, the arrival into port in June of The World – Residences at Sea was a rare opportunity to peek into the world of the tiny elite that lives and travels the globe in what is essentially a floating luxury condominium with the amenities of a swanky country club. Think fancy wine programmes, boutique health and wellness services including physiotherapist and personal trainer, and reciprocal access to a suite of equestrian, yachting and golf clubs far and wide.
Owned by about 150 families and backed by a management team that runs all operations, the 644-foot, 12-deck mega yacht was in town on one of its 100-plus stops during its peregrinations around the planet. On board are just 165 apartments – a mixture of bright and spacious studios, two- and three-bedroom units, and one- and two-bedroom studio apartments ranging from 330 sq ft to almost 10 times the size. Apartments don’t come on the market often, but when they do, they fetch from US$2 million to US$15 million.
The analogy of The World as a luxury condominium is not casually made. Not only are residents at liberty to furnish their apartments to their personal taste – with the help of a designer of their own choosing, or one recommended by the yacht – they also have a say in how the rest of the vessel, including its sprawling public spaces, is decorated and used.
And like any condominium, practical, quotidian issues loom large, not least maintenance headaches, renovation schedules and the coordination of incoming and outgoing residents. But when it comes to The World, all this has to take place often while literally being on the move.
Every three years The World is lifted out of the water so that submerged portions of the hull can be inspected, cleaned and painted, alongside the repair or upgrading of all major mechanical systems.
In dry dock, residents can also refurbish their apartments or do more extensive construction work.
“We have staff on board and in our Florida corporate office who assist residents and their contractors and designers with arranging for their materials and furniture to arrive,” says Jan Helge Pile, vice-president of Marine and Technical Operations.
