Among lovers of travel and adventure one of the most common fantasies is to live each moment of your life in a different place: breakfast in Venice, lunch in Monaco and dinner in the Canary Islands. This dream has become a reality for those who live and travel on The World, the world’s most luxurious floating home.
The World was created on the basis of a very simple principle, by Knut U. Kloster Jr., a multi-millionaire whose family has always been associated with the cruise business. Armed with this experience he contrived a large ship comprised of luxurious apartments that could be sold as homes to a select group of people. They can live on this floating condominium that would traverse the world’s oceans all year round visiting the most varied of destinations and ports.
What began as a concept in 1997, became reality in 2003 when the powerful ocean-liner The World set sail for the first time under the management of the company known as The World ResidenSea. The ship contains a total of 110 residences, many of which are available for rent to occasional travelers, together with 88 suites, which are available on the same basis. The purchase price of these apartments (yes, there are still some available!) ranges from €2.5m and €8.6m.
Anyone interested in the experience, but not wanting to invest in a residence, preferring to simply take the cruise of their dreams in one of The World’s luxury suites, should be aware that accommodation costs between 1,200 and 4,750 dollars per night. One more thing: the minimum stay is six days.
No one who invested in The World, whether as an owner or a tourist, has regretted their decision. Some, like the North American Anne Weedon, bought their residences in 1998, when the project was scarcely known. She and her husband did not just represent the ideal resident conceived by Kloster (millionaires, experienced travelers and accustomed to the very best in fine living), but were also among the original promoters of the idea.
Their fascination with The World is not by chance; after all, the ship’s creators were at pains to guarantee the sense of adventure implied by travelling all year round to the most fascinating destinations on earth, while providing their guests with the very best environment in terms of sophistication and luxury.
For example, the interior design of the residences was entrusted to prestigious firms from Los Angeles, New York and Milan. Firms such as Nina Campbell, TMT Design and Hirsch Bedner & Associates were responsible for designing the various different areas, in styles ranging from the most traditional to the most contemporary, guaranteeing that the residents enjoy enough warmth and tranquility so that after one of their many adventurous days, they can return and feel right at home.
Apartments come with one, two, three up to six bedrooms (in the case of the Ocean Penthouse). The shared facilities include three swimming pools, a tennis court, the Banyan Tree Spa (the first of these Spa’s to offer its Asian therapies at sea), three golf courses, a library with 4,000 books in English and another thousand in other languages, an art gallery, a theater and cinema, casino, discotheque, computer stabilized billiard tables and a swimming pool located at sea level which can be adapted for use as a backdrop for concerts. It is worth mentioning that artists of the stature of The Gipsy Kings have performed there.
Every year the operators of The World send residents a complete schedule of the ship’s itinerary, so that they are aware of the places they will be visiting. During the first voyage of 2009 the ship will be tying up in Mexico, Baja California, Alaska, Russia, Japan, China, Philippines and Australia. As a rule, the ship stays in each port of call for at least 5 days, and during these stays passengers can either stay on board and enjoy the ship’s varied facilities, go ashore to explore the destination on their own or join one of the specially planned excursions - the latter at an additional cost.
At the end of each day the weary travelers return to the comfort of their floating home, whether to enjoy an exquisite dinner in their apartment or enjoy dishes prepared in one of the ship’s five restaurants. For being an international traveler par excellence, it is no surprise that the menu on The World includes dishes ranging from typical North American cooking, through Mediterranean style creations to the very best of fine dining.
So the day ends with dinner while enjoying the landscape that unfolds beyond the railings of this ocean-liner, in the knowledge that if today the traveler is enjoying the skyscrapers of New York harbor, tomorrow could be the white sandy beaches of Cabo San Lucas or Cozumel’s archeological ruins. This is all part of the charm of belonging to the select family of The World.
www.aboardtheworld.com
