The World, a floating community, not a cruise ship, has arrived this morning for a two-day visit as part of her European itinerary.

This community at sea first set sail in 2002 and has visited over 900 ports in over 140 countries.

With a continuous worldwide itinerary that enables the vessel to span the globe every two-to-three years, the ship is a complete floating city, equipped with high-end facilities and luxurious amenities that create an intimate, refined atmosphere for its Resident owners.

The World’s Captains and Residents collectively determine the ship’s yearly itinerary,based on the best sea routes and Residents’ personal interests. Itineraries are determined approximately two to three years in advance by a community vote.

Continuous worldwide journeys, with a focus on extended stays of an average three days in port, ensure that Residents have sufficient time to explore their favourite destinations. Unlike most vessels, The World spends nearly twice as many days in port as at sea.

In 2017, the ship sailed approximately 44,000 nautical miles visiting more than 100 ports of call in over 20 countries.

The idea behind the building of The World is down to two men, Captain Ola Harstein and his then boss Knut Kloster Jnr, who formed the company ResidenSea.

The original concept was for an 85,000 ton ship to be built at Howaldtswerke Deutsche but ResidenSea reduced the size of the ship with a contract being placed with the Norwegian shipbuilder Fosen Mek Verksteder A/S Rissa. The hull was built in Sweden under contract and towed to Trondheim for fitting out.

The ship has eight passenger decks but the main activity deck is Deck 5, which is a pedestrian street which changes from carpet to a slate floor as it approaches the stern where there is a fully retractable open air marina and pool complex.

The World boasts two 12.5 metre long swimming pools and a full sized tennis court.