For the affluent, a luxurious residence at sea is very possible. The World, the first ever luxury residential yacht boasts of a huge tennis court and 12,000-bottle assorted wine collection. The ship has also other amenities that truly make it a one of its kind in the world.
It has 7,000-sqaure-foot spa with a fitness center inside according to Travel & Leisure. The residents of the luxurious residence at sea do not only enjoy similar view all year round. The cruise ship goes to three expeditions per year and has already anchored in 1,200 ports since the time it has made its maiden voyage in 2002. This year 2017, it will travel to Solomon Islands and Alaska.
The ship that anchors in Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong has 165 luxury apartments spread out across the ship's 12 decks. But one has to have a loaded bank account to purchase a unit in The World. A studio type costs $3 million and for a three-bedroom unit one has to shell out $15 million. But it is not enough to just sign a check with the amount for the unit; the prospective buyer must be worth at least $10 million.
CNN reported that no apartment is offered for rent as they are bought by multi-millionaires whose identities are not known. According to Sandra Mooney, general manager of the ship, the 142 residents that come across Europe, South Africa, and North America have no names listed anywhere else except on The World's company. Most of them are retired with the average age of 64. The residents spend millions for this luxurious sea residence but they do not stay longer than six months.
One of the residents revealed that the ship was previously owned by a hotel company. In the sixth deck of the ship, reserved hotel rooms are available before for use on temporary basis. But later, the management decided to make it solely as a residential yacht. Now it is called the modern day Titanic.
What is noteworthy on the management of the ship is that the apartment owners got to decide on the yearly route, the type of fuel use and even the Christmas decorations. Residential director Lisa Spiller revealed that the residents are the kind of people who own private jets, collect art pieces and own several homes.
All the apartments have been sold out since 2006, a few years after it has sailed. The ship protects the privacy of the residents that even Oprah Winfrey cannot buy one unit. Paparazzi are forbidden as people aboard find it a sanctuary and a refuge. The World will sail to different ports without anyone knowing who were aboard inside those luxurious residential apartments.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
