Can you imagine uninterrupted luxury travel, exploring every exotic corner of the globe, experiencing myriad different cultures, then returning to the comfort of your own home, sleeping in your own bed and waking up to your own belongings every day?
There’s only one way to ever experience this way of life and it’s called The World. It’s the largest privately owned residential yacht on earth.
It’s a lifestyle that has to be seen to be believed, but only a select few get to experience all it has to offer. Recently, I was privileged to sample just a slice of its refined luxury, against the backdrop of New York, where it was docked for four days.
After embarking, the first thing that struck me was how few people there appeared to be onboard despite the fact that at least 200 were on the passenger list. But this is not a cruise ship temporarily lodging hundreds of holiday makers – this is a gracious home housing a choice number of quietly powerful people who have chosen this adventurous, private, enviable lifestyle.
A tour of the ship – which is 196m in length with a beam (width) of 30m – was fascinating.
Plush corridors give way to the 165 private residences of various sizes – all with balconies that provide their owners with a window on the world.
The residential director proudly lead me through the many restaurants and bars, a theatre, a non-denominational place of worship, a library, conference rooms, a cigar club, boutiques, a spa and all the high-end amenities you would expect. The excursion ended on Deck 10. There resides what seems like the jewel in the residential crown – a six-bedroom haven of pure opulence currently on the resale market.
Many diversely themed restaurants support an eclectic mix of tastes. However, it was Fredy’s Deli that reminded me this is indeed a home, complete with its own mini-gourmet market. It’s stocked with everyday essentials, fresh local produce and speciality items from different ports to support a night in with a home-cooked meal.
The wine cellars are vast, holding 12 000 bottles and, according to the head sommelier, residents have a selection of 600 different wine labels onboard, sourced from 18 countries. I could have guessed which South African wine was in stock – Meerlust Rubicon.
The head master chef, a delightful German, showed off the inner workings of the kitchens. Over and above delivering ongoing culinary excellence, the chefs are tasked with serving authentic dishes from wherever they’re docked in the world.
There is also a “Call-a-Chef” programme where chefs prepare meals in a resident’s home. Heaven when you want to entertain your neighbours yet delegate the menu.
Determined that I should experience such a treat, I was whisked off to Deck 8 to enjoy the hospitality of a Dallas couple. I received a tour of their self-styled, two-bedroom apartment, a gourmet meal, fine wine and their views on living this extraordinary lifestyle. There was also little to doubt their enthusiasm for belonging to this exclusive community.
Other experiences showered upon me were a Balinese massage in the award-winning Banyan Tree Spa, the only one at sea.
Around 250 flawlessly trained staff from all parts of the world unobtrusively “mother” between 150 and 200 residents and guests. As the ultimate place to work for those seeking a career at sea, the hand-picked teams don’t leave too readily. This suits the residents just fine; they regard the staff like family.
The resident pianist was a South African and every time I tried to leave the cocktail lounge, he would start playing Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, testing my patriotism and teasing me back onto my seat.
What is the profile of the person who, first, can afford this exclusive lifestyle and, second, has the luxury of time to bask in it?
Some are household names but all of them have a common thread: prosperous, like-minded, adventure seekers who guard their privacy. The median age is 60 and some residents own more than one apartment. Some live on the ship full time and others take flights to catch up with it when it’s docked in ports that take their fancy.
While representative of many nationalities, about 50 percent of residents were from North America before they became “globals”. Three South African families made it onto the limited residential list.
A long-time resident is the famed human behavioural specialist and author Dr John Demartini. He bought a residence nearly 10 years ago. He uses it as his home base when he is not teaching. He was onboard at the same time and I asked him what motivated him to buy into this ultimate lifestyle.
His answer: “It’s the best address on earth.”
As a resident, your every preference is recorded in the onboard computers.
Since it first set sail in March 2002, The World has visited more than 800 ports in approximately 140 countries with an average stay of 2.5 days in each port. Its continuous worldwide itinerary, which is determined by the captains and the residents, enables this floating abode to span the globe every two to three years. There are two carefully planned expeditions each year that transport the residents and guests to exotic destinations, some rarely seen. A collective favourite seems to have been the Antarctic, where the residents retraced the last leg of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s epic hike to Stromness. The next expedition is to Madagascar in December en route to South Africa.
l The ship’s residences range in price from R6.5 million to R61m. There are a select number of residences currently available for resale. Annual maintenance fees are additional. The World will be docking in Durban and Cape Town in December.
www.aboardtheworld.com - Saturday Star