Luxury floating resort visits Abu Dhabi

After it sailed into 186-metre-wide Berth 14 of the multi-purpose Port Zayed, officials from the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), Abu Dhabi Terminals, Immigration and Customs welcomed the VIP tourists.

The officials led by Mohammed Al Mannaei, CEO of Abu Dhabi Terminals, operator of Port Zayed, presented a memento to the cruise ship captain, Dag Seavik, on board the vessel.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has put up a traditional welcome tent near the berth. Visitors had the opportunity to watch the traditional dances and handicrafts and Bedouin lifestyle. The authority presented them promotional literature about the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, maps of the UAE's Capital City and souvenirs.

Mr. Khaled Al Hashemi, the Administrative Director at ADTA said: "The visit of this cruise ship to Abu Dhabi for the first time confirms the growing global interest in Abu Dhabi. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi offers a distinct luxury tourism product and the occupants of The World have rightly chosen Abu Dhabi to explore and experience the culture, traditions and modernity of the fast-rising destination. At the ADTA, we have ensured that every visitor gets a memorable experience of Abu Dhabi."

The cruise ship arrived from Jebel Ali Port and will embark for its next journey to Sultanate of Oman. There were 233 occupants and 400 crew members on the ship on the Abu Dhabi trip. The luxury cruise ship is privately owned by 110 multi-millionaires who each own apartments. The owners-occupants hailed from various nationalities including the US, UK, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Canada, Norway, Denmark, India and the Philippines.

The Bahamas-flagged vessel is over 196 metres in length, 98 feet wide, and has 12 decks and a gross weight of 43188 tonnes. The luxury ship made its appearance in the year 2002 and is managed by the Florida-based ResidenSea.

The ship has sailed to 115 countries and visited over 520 unique ports across the globe, thus having covered every continent. The ship and her discerning travelers have crossed the Panama Canal three times, the Suez Canal twice and visited the Arctic and Antarctica for in-depth explorations. Due to its worldwide itinerary, the vessel is able to span the globe every two-to-three years.

The World had been dubbed as the world's largest private yacht — a floating residential community owned by its residents. The residents, currently from 40 different countries, live on board as the ship slowly circumnavigates the globe — staying in most ports from two to five days.

Some residents live onboard full time while others visit their floating home periodically throughout the year. There are 165 residences (studios to three-bedroom apartments with kitchens on the cruise ship, with price ranging from just under $1m to over $7m.

The cruise ship has various facilities including complete athletic facilities that include a golf simulator, putting green, full-sized tennis court, jogging track and fully equipped gym. There are five restaurants that supplement the full kitchens in all apartments. For on-board entertainment there is a movie theatre, library and music performances. In addition, The World provides high-speed Internet access in each residence.