Here’s our insider’s perspective of The World, Residences at Sea the largest private residential yacht on Earth, home to families from over 20 countries. With 165 private apartments, it is owned by its residents and sails the seven seas on a continuous global itinerary, agreed three years in advance. Combining highly personalised service, unique cultural experiences, and complete privacy, The World has circumnavigated the planet for more than two decades.
Before I boarded, I had heard the whispers, the one per cent’s at-sea lifestyle, decadent parties, and the Bipolar Club. The ship has even inspired fictional novels. Yet a commitment to privacy that seems to bind residents of The World together into a close, respectful community still allowed a select few travel writers and journalists to board to gain an insider’s perspective. Here’s what I discovered, writes Andrew Forbes (The Luxury Editor).
Life Onboard
I boarded at Barcelona, joining the itinerary heading to Málaga. The boarding experience was understated, with no queue, no loud cruise ship welcome. Instead, I was escorted through security to reception, where I was offered a chilled glass of champagne and a chef-prepared hors d’oeuvre.
My one-bedroom suite was waiting, with a welcome fruit plate of lychee, plump cherries, and seasonal berries, together with a bottle of Louis Roederer on ice. On the table lay a guide to life onboard, closed with a gold-embossed paper sleeve. Breaking the seal was to unwrap some of the secrets onboard.
On the bedside table lay the ship’s daily newsletter, ‘Our World Today’. This daily publication is the residents’ compass, with port notes, insights to local cultural events ashore, as well as details of onboard activities, lectures, and entertainment.
A Floating Community
If The World were a cruise ship, she might carry nine hundred passengers or more. Instead, as a private residential mega yacht, she rarely sails with more than two hundred residents and guests, looked after by some 300 crew. The result is an atmosphere of quiet, space and calm, of a well-established community of friends and neighbours.
Decks are decorated with art, often from residents’ private collections. I spotted a couple of 1950s lithographs by Pablo Picasso as well as the controversial work by Maurizio Cattelan, the infamous 2019 banana taped to the wall with duct tape, called The Comedian. It has been purchased by a resident after a global exhibition tour. Not all residents like it; rumour has it that one refused to return to the vessel until the offending artwork was removed. It was not, and they returned anyway, because, I imagine, the real value of being here lies in belonging to this well-travelled community, art disagreements and all.
Residents and the Social Scene
Conversation is discreet and you see the same faces often. Those I spoke to suggested their fellow residents are amongst their best friends. In The Garden on deck 5 during afternoon tea of finger sandwiches and warm scones, residents spoke of storied parties at homes ashore and of private yachts pulling alongside so owners could slip away for a few days before quietly rejoining the ship.
From what I could learn, many residents are self-made, with backgrounds in banking, and international business. Many sold companies before joining the ship. I am sure controversy lies with some residents, but I didn’t seek it out and it didn’t find me. There is money here, of course, but also a tendency towards understatement. They value sharing this global voyage with like-minded peers, and it seems there’s little compulsion to show off.
As guests, we were assured that the average age of residents was getting younger, with more families on board. There’s a youth programme for these resident families and Starlink-powered connectivity for those who want to work or study at sea.
Private Homes
The private apartments, called Residences, reflect the taste of their owners, from contemporary style to occasional flashes of new-money exuberance, like the sequinned cushions, mirrored glass furniture, and sensual artwork we witnessed as guests in one of the three-bedroom, top-deck penthouse residences.
Daywear is casual, and evenings are typically smart casual. Yet in Portraits, the fine dining restaurant, a jacket is requested for gentlemen and it’s a chance for the ladies to dress up. Even so, during my short voyage, dinner rarely extended late. Life onboard does not chase nightclubs or loud deck parties; instead, entertainment might mean a singer in the cocktail bar, a pianist or local performance in The Plaza, a poker game in the dedicated salon, or a glass of Armagnac in Regatta, the official yacht club bar.
Sleeping under the Stars
One of the unique experiences available on board is to sleep on deck on specially prepared Bali beds, at the stern of Deck 12. Here, the Mediterranean revealed itself in a sweeping 180-degree arc. From my private, double bed, dressed in fine linens, I sipped a whisky nightcap by moonlight, accompanied by just the sound of the water against the hull. I fell asleep as the ship sailed steadily south towards Málaga. At daybreak, I witnessed the sun rise over the Costa Blanca mountains. A memorable experience, capturing the magic of sailing.
Culture and Wellness
Sea days are passed with lectures on Spain’s history and nature, part of the activities that enrich the understanding of where the vessel is sailing at that time.
The spa is another sanctuary. I enjoyed a therapeutic massage, followed by quiet relaxation on one of the heated Cleopatra beds. Beyond the usual wellness rituals, the menu extends to advanced skincare treatments and laser therapies, a reminder that wellbeing here is as much about self-care and longevity as it is about relaxation. In the wellbeing centre, one also finds the barber shop and beauty salon.
The ship is a sporty place too. Facilities include the only full-sized tennis court afloat, a golf simulator, and a PGA-licensed golf pro coach, a full gym with personal trainers, and a spin studio.
Culinary Adventures
When not ashore exploring or immersed in an expedition, then it is dining and sport are at the heart of social life aboard. The four principal restaurants are each distinct. Portraits is fine dining with silver service, with acclaimed guest chefs coming aboard. East serves refined Asian cuisine, while Tides has a menu of international dishes, and a terrace on the bow for breezy lunches.
Marina presents Mediterranean menus at the stern, with a retractable beach club platform for sought-after tables by the water’s edge. Beyond these, there is Fredy’s Deli for fresh pastries, coffee, grab-and-go snacks and light lunches, while the pool bar and grill is the place for relaxed poolside dining. There’s afternoon tea in The Garden, cocktails in Quantum with happy hour canapés, and the warm, clubby feel of Regatta.
Menus change every ten weeks, and daily specials often come directly from the local markets. Residents can also choose to cook in their own kitchens, shopping in the elegant onboard grocery store, evocative of the fifth floor of Harvey Nichols, have provisions delivered from the ship’s kitchens, or even request specific ingredients to be sourced or flown into the next port. Scottish seafood or favourite chocolates from France flown in are part of the privileged daily life here. The onboard Medusa wine club has access to over fifteen thousand bottles, many of the finest displayed in the floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar in Portraits restaurant, with members arranging private tastings.
Destination Experiences
Before departure, in Barcelona, I joined Executive Chef Sebastian at the Santa Catalina market. The World does not rush, allowing port stays of two or three days, for in-depth destination experiences. We bought a full leg of pata negra ham, local cheeses, vivid red Carabinero prawns still glistening with water, scallops the size of your palm and prized marbled tuna loin that would later appear on the ship’s menus. At lunch in Tides, Chef André served those same prawns, lightly misted with sherry, a trick he had picked up in Cádiz during the ship’s last dry dock. While the leg of ham was expertly carved during a Spanish-themed Casa Portraits evening.
I also joined a cultural tour with residents and guests, a private behind-the-scenes visit to the Palau de Música Catalana, followed by an exclusive piano recital and a tasting of fine Catalan cava. Such experiences connect guests with local culture while maintaining the discreet spirit of the community.
Expeditions
Three times a year, the ship embarks on seasonal expeditions to remote destinations, like West Papua, and Antarctica, partnering with EYOS for expert execution and specialist equipment. The 2025 itinerary promises to include an expedition to Madagascar.
The Crew
The crew are as much a part of the ship’s culture as the residents. Many have served here for decades and feel part of the wider community on board. I was told a story of one resident had offered, at their own expense, to fly a crew member’s relative to a world-class private hospital for treatment. The company maintains hardship and enrichment funds for its staff, a fact spoken about quietly but with pride.
Residences and Ownership
Residences range from compact thirty-one square metre studios to three-bedroom apartments of over three hundred square metres. Prices are said to range from $2.5 million to $15 million. Annual community fees, from what I could determine from my conversations with residents, are around ten per cent of the purchase price, sometimes reaching $1 million.
Owners cannot rent their residences on the open market, but they are free to invite friends and family to share the sailing. I imagine this occasional influx of new guests adds a freshness to the rhythm of life at sea. The World also partners with Exclusive Resorts, whose members sail as guests, with some loving it so much they choose to buy their own homes here.
New Arrivals
The residential mega yacht market is beginning to stir. The most ambitious newcomer is Ulyssia, a 320-metre vessel conceived by Frank Binder, designed by Espen Øino, and to be built by Meyer Werft. At the time of writing, construction has yet to start, though investors claim that nearly half its residences are already sold. No firm delivery date is set. Other projects also remain on paper or in financing rounds. The World, however, has sailed continuously for over two decades and remains the only fully operational residential mega yacht of its kind.
Bipolar Club
It was my final evening when the mystery finally came into focus. We were at sea heading to Málaga, the last light fading over the horizon. I was having dinner with one of the General Managers, Thomas Legner in Tides. The Rioja Alta Gran Reserva was poured, and the starters of Cipriani carpaccio and local octopus were on the table. He explained, with his dry sense of humour, that the Bipolar Club is not a cabal, nor a secret board. It is a group of residents who have sailed with The World to both the North Pole and the South Pole. Few have done it. These expeditions are complex and challenging. Those who succeed are marked by the shared experience of having stood at both ends of the Earth.
As I disembarked at Malaga, the brilliant sunshine ricocheting off the architectural pergola of Muelle 2, I felt grateful for the invitation to sail, but knowing I’d only ever been a temporary guest in their carefully guarded world.
The World at a Glance
Launched: 2002
Length: 196.35 m (644 ft)
Beam: 29.8 m (98 ft)
Tonnage: 43,188 GT
Residences: 165 (studios to 3-bedroom apartments, approximately 30 m² to 330 m²)
Average Residents On Board: 150 to 200
Crew: 300 experienced staff from 42 countries
Ownership Details
• Purchase price: US $2.5m to $15m
• Annual fees: around 10% of purchase price, sometimes up to $1m
• Trial voyage and interview required
Dining
Four main restaurants (Portraits, East, Tides, Marina) plus deli, pool grill, cocktail bars
Special Facilities
Full-size tennis court, PGA golf simulator, spa, theatre and cinema, wine cellar (15,000+ bottles), library, resident art collection
Expeditions
Three major voyages annually to remote destinations such as Antarctica, Madagascar, West Papua
