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"Scandals and secrets": What happens on the most exclusive private ship in the world

2024-02-27 20:53:03Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
"Scandals and secrets": What happens on the most exclusive private
"The World" ship

It's almost a floating city home to the 1%, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that floats around the world's oceans.

Welcome to The World, an exclusive private residential ship with 165 luxurious suites, 196 meters long. Every few days, its 150 inhabitants wake up in a new place on the other side of the world. Some of the owners of luxury apartments live on the ship all year round, while others visit it only occasionally.

This ship is shrouded in secrecy and the purchase of an apartment on board is by invitation only. A net worth of $10 million is said to be mandatory.

If you're picturing decadent parties filled with intrigue and champagne — basically a nautical episode of HBO's "The White Lotus" — you're probably not far off, at least according to one former passenger.

"I'm not saying that everything that happened in 'The White Lotus' happened in 'The World,' but I think, to a large extent, the comparison is not inaccurate," former resident Peter Antonucci told CNN. Travel".

"There are a lot of rich people who do playful things, sometimes bad things, sometimes scandalous things."

The world's largest private residential cruise ship, The World, is constantly on the move, sailing the seas and oceans and spending time in the most exotic and famous ports.

One of them was Peter Antonucci, who became a resident of the private cruise ship in early 2014. Antonucci, then 52 and enjoying early retirement benefits, was intrigued by the concept. He and his wife booked a test trip and sailed through the Panama Canal. They enjoyed the trip so much that they soon became permanent residents.

“When I first came on board I thought everything was too expensive. I couldn't believe the apartments cost so much. I couldn't believe the maintenance costs were so high and I couldn't imagine why anyone would do that. But on the second day I asked, 'How many apartments do you have available and when can I apply?'" Antonucci recalled to CNN.

"Scandals and secrets": What happens on the most exclusive private
Peter Antonucci, former resident on the ship "The World"

Antonucci says he was captivated by every aspect of the private cruise ship — from the crew, who he calls the ship's "greatest asset" thanks to their ability to anticipate the needs of the occupants, to the meticulously planned itinerary of travel.

In addition, Antonucci was especially pleased that the then inhabitants of the ship received him extremely warmly, offering him drinks and pleasant conversations. Only later did he discover that it was also part of a well-packaged offer.

Accordingly, before a potential new tenant boards the ship, all tenants receive an e-mail with the potential tenant's biography. That way, they can immediately see if they have anything in common with the new visitor. Antonucci only found out about this aspect later, but by then he was completely fascinated by the whole package arrangement.

Antonucci is a retired lawyer who owned four apartments during his five years on the ship. He can't remember the exact amount, but he bought his first apartment on the ship for about $1.6 million.

As with any other type of property, boat renters are free to decorate their apartments as they wish. Today, apartment prices, ranging from one-bedroom studios to spacious three-bedroom apartments, range from two to $15 million.

Antonucci sold his apartments in 2019 after sailing around the world several times and seeing everything he wanted to see. After that, he wrote three novels, the action of which takes place on a fictional ship inspired by the cruise ship "The World" and all the secret parties and scandals that took place on it.

Onboard entertainment is also included in the service package and includes expert lectures and organized activities such as diving and hiking. Children are welcome on board, but many offerings are aimed at adults, such as a tennis court, a spa and a cocktail lounge.

"There are too many drinks, too many events, which can lead to scandals and secrets," says Antonucci.

The itinerary is planned two to three years in advance and the residents and the captain of the ship participate in the preparation. Since its launch in 2002, The World has sailed all seas and oceans, stopping at more than 1,000 ports in 120 countries around the world.

Although most of the ship's residents want to remain anonymous, it was reported at the time that several celebrities, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Madonna, had apartments on The World.

When asked why the super-rich prefer to sail on a ship whose itinerary is voted on by a committee instead of buying or chartering a superyacht and sailing the world themselves, Antonucci has a ready answer.

“Oh, that's an easy question to answer. Many people on board have their own yachts. I have been a boater all my life. The reason you prefer to go to The World is because you don't have to deal with hiring crew, figuring out where to buy fuel, and writing checks for every little thing. You just have to fill out a big check every year," concludes Antonucci.


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