Since launching in 2002, The World has visited more than 1,000 ports across the planet’s seven continents. The adventurous sailing itinerary of the 196-metre private residential yacht is one of the biggest lures for residents. The development of each itinerary is a detailed undertaking that takes years to plan, mapped out by The World’s resident itinerary committee, two captains and the management company’s itinerary planning department.
Mr J, who has been a resident aboard The World together with his wife for 15 years, is currently a member of the ship’s board of directors and itinerary committee. Bringing expertise from his experience as a board member for luxury hotel groups, Mr J has been influential in crafting The World’s circumnavigation plan. As the private residential yacht reaches the midway point of her current journey, Mr and Mrs J share their favourite destinations so far and offer a scoop on where they’re most excited to visit next.
Memorable expeditions
Mr and Mrs J are an intrepid American-Austrian couple who have lived all over the world. On The World, their favourite memories have curiously been during cold water cruising.
“When we did the Northwest Passage from Alaska to Greenland, that was spectacular,” recounts Mr J. “In the Sam Ford Fjord, you can see maybe 20 peaks and each one is about 1,800 metres high. They make Yosemite look little – and it is, in my opinion, just the most majestic place on earth.”
“We landed on the ice-covered mountain tops with helicopters and enjoyed champagne and croissants for breakfast. We were able to see what other people could never see, and we did it in style,” he recalls.
Other experiences the couple recall fondly, like landing with a helicopter on an active volcano in Kamchatka, were part of itineraries developed with EYOS Expedition specialists. The expertise of EYOS has helped lead to particularly “phenomenal experiences” explains the couple.
“The ship has used EYOS exclusively to organise expeditions since 2009. And the first itinerary that we used them on was still my favourite trip,” says Mr J. “We were the first non-Russian ship since 1924 to be allowed into the Arctic Ocean north of Russia. We went to Wrangel Island and saw 104 polar bears there in three days – a world record. We had a great time.”
Mrs J looked forward to returning to Iceland this year, as the last visit still ranks as one of her favourite expeditions so far. “When we were in Iceland, we did our own exploration where we rented a convoy of cars and drove across the country for four days. It gets pretty rugged and wild out there and we had to cross many streams and rivers.”
“To begin with, we would send someone to measure the depth of the waters and then gingerly drive through. But as we got more experienced, whenever we saw a river to fjord we would just drive right through it! The water would be splashing everywhere and it was so much fun,” she explains.
Mr J adds that the rough-and-ready experience of exploring the Icelandic wilderness was “a very intense process for getting to know each other. It really bonds the residents.”
Upcoming destinations
On the other side of the world, with a very different climate and culture from the Arctic Circle, Algeria is where the couple are most excited to visit next. Mr J describes Algeria as a “World-first” because it will be the yacht’s initial visit to the north African country, which is characterised by a Mediterranean coastline combined with a Saharan desert interior.
The World’s tour of Algeria will include stops in Oran, Algiers and BéJaïa. Each of these coastal cities has a unique culture born from an ancient history influenced by Ottoman, French and Spanish rule. Mr J explains that Algeria has some of the best Roman ruins in the entire world, with the southernmost point of the Roman empire located in Timgad, in the Algerian desert. “Not many people have gone there, so these sites are still seemingly untouched.”
Mr J describes Algeria as a romantically “ungentrified” region with super-friendly people, and he’s curious about how the other residents will find the region. “Going to Algeria will be a new spot for the ship and will be a bit of an expedition for most of the residents. It’s going to be an interesting experience and I’m hoping the community will enjoy this destination because I’m the one that recommended it to the committee!”
The World will drop anchor in Algeria in the autumn after departing Northern Europe to explore Northern Africa and the Mediterranean. She will then continue her voyage to the Middle East until the end of 2022 with stops in Egypt, Jordan and Oman, culminating in the UAE to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
A small selection of homes on board The World, Residences at Sea are available for resale every year. To learn more about ownership opportunities and the unique residential lifestyle of this one-of-a-kind mega yacht, contact The World’s Residential Advisor by calling +1 954 538 8449 / +44 20 7 572 1231 or clicking here. For more information visit aboardtheworld.com.
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