MS ''The World'' is a private residential

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as ...

operated like a condominium complex, with large apartments that can be purchased. The residents, from many countries, can live on board as the ship travels. Some residents choose to live on board full-time while others visit periodically throughout the year. The ship is operated by ROW Management, Ltd., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. The ship has 165 residences (106 apartments, 19 studio apartments, and 40 studios), all owned by the ship's residents. Average occupancy is 150–200 residents and guests. ''The World'' is registered in

The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

and has a gross tonnage of 43,188. It is long, wide, and has a draft, 12 decks, and a maximum speed of . The crew numbers approximately 280. ''The World'' holds the world record for the southernmost ship voyage, achieved by her Captain Dag H. Sævik and the 63 residents on board at the time as well as crewmembers. The ship reached 78°43•997´S and 163°41•421´W at the

Bay of Whales The Bay of Whales was a natural ice harbour, or iceport, indenting the front of the Ross Ice Shelf just north of Roosevelt Island, Antarctica. It is the southernmost point of open ocean not only of the Ross Sea, but worldwide. The Ross Sea ex ...

in Antarctica’s

Ross Sea The Ross Sea is a deep bay of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, between Victoria Land and Marie Byrd Land and within the Ross Embayment, and is the southernmost sea on Earth. It derives its name from the British explorer James Clark Ross who ...

. In March 2020 the ship was emptied of passengers and non-essential crew because of concerns about the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

pandemic. ''The World'' returned to service in July 2021. Several other residence cruise ships are under construction or planned, including ''Utopia'',
Njord
', ''Dark Island'' and ''Narrative''.

Original concept and construction

The ship was the idea of

Knut Kloster Knut Utstein Kloster (2 April 1929 – 20 September 2020) was a Norwegian shipping magnate. His grandfather Lauritz Kloster founded Kloster Rederi in 1924. In 1959 Kloster joined the family business and transformed it into a leading cruise line. ...

, whose family had a long history in the marine industry. The hull was built in

Landskrona Landskrona (old da, Landskrone) is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona t ...

, Sweden, by

Öresundsvarvet Öresundsvarvet was a Swedish shipyard in Landskrona that was established in 1915 and largely phased out between 1980 and 1982. Foundation Öresundsvarvet was constituted on 16 December 1915 by Gothenburg shipbuilder, Arthur Du Rietz. During a ...

, and it was then towed to Fosen Mekaniske Verksted in Rissa, Norway, for completion. The vessel was launched in March 2002 and purchased by its residents in October 2003. The management company is responsible for operations and administration of the ship, including hiring the employees. The residents, through their elected board of directors and a network of committees, provide guidance to the management about the ship's itinerary, finances, and lifestyle.

Facilities

The ship has a large lobby, deli and grocery store, a boutique, fitness center, billiard room, golf simulator and putting greens, tennis court, jogging track, spa, swimming pool, and cocktail lounges. There are six restaurants for dining that supplement the kitchens or kitchenettes in most of the residences. For on-board entertainment there is a movie theater, library and music performances. In addition to shore excursions, various classes have been offered on board. ''The World'' provides internet access in each residence.

Northwest Passage transits

Setting sail from Nome, Alaska, U.S. on 18 August 2012 and reaching

Nuuk Nuuk (; da, Nuuk, formerly ) is the capital and largest city of Greenland, a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nuuk is the seat of government and the country's largest cultural and economic centre. The major cities from other coun ...

, Greenland on 12 September 2012, ''The World'' became the largest passenger vessel at the time to transit the

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...

. The ship, carrying 481 passengers and crew, for 26 days and at sea, followed in the path of Captain

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Amundsen beg ...

, the first sailor to complete the journey in 1906. In 2019, the ship traversed the Passage from east to west, becoming the 300th vessel to make the voyage, and the largest to do so in both directions.

COVID-19

In March 2020 the ship unloaded all passengers and non-essential crew because of concern about COVID-19 infection. In April 2020, the ship was asked to leave the port of

Fremantle, Australia Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Austral ...

. The government of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

received a request to let the ship shelter in a local port. This request was denied, as New Zealand had banned cruise ships (and non-New Zealand residents) from entering the country. In 2020, the ship was in lay-berth in Falmouth, United Kingdom. and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, before returning to service in July 2021. https://aboardtheworld.com/pressreleases/the-world-residences-at-sea-resumes-global-journey/ (access-date 21 April 2021) /

References

External links