Three Luxury Residential Cruise Liners That Take You Around the Globe
In 1999, John Demartini read an article in Robb Report about The World—a 644-foot 12-deck residential cruise liner that continuously circles the globe, visiting major cities and remote outposts alike. The author and speaker was drawn to the idea of being part of a floating village, imagining life at sea as both an endless adventure and a welcome refuge for writing and research.
Nearly 24 years after becoming one of the ship’s first occupants, Demartini is still in the same apartment, having authored dozens of books and visited nearly 1,000 ports, “from Antarctica to Borneo,” he says. “Most people dream like we live.”
The World has proved the residential concept works, with ports such as Antarctica among the 1,000 it has visited.
The World Residences at Sea
Long an island unto itself in the market, The World functions more like a luxury condo complex than a cruise ship. Its 150 to 200 residents—from 20 countries—often spend months aboard, in 165 apartments that range from $2.5 million to $15 million. They enjoy restaurants, a gym, a spa, lecture halls, and health facilities, all on board. As shareholders, they help shape the itinerary and contribute to major decisions.
A recent $30 million refit went beyond the vessel’s routine maintenance schedule, says CEO Jessica Hoppe, incorporating makeovers to social areas and a bulbous bow for improved performance for long journeys at sea. The operational logistics of such a large roaming vessel are considerable, requiring an onshore team. “Unlike cruise ships, we don’t revisit the same ports, so supplies need to be arranged at dozens of new ports of call,” says Hoppe. “Unlike superyachts or even cruise ships, we also organize anchorages three years in advance.”
A “Bali bed” serves as a warm-weather enclave aboard The World.
The World Residences at Sea
Now, after letting The World prove the concept for more than two decades, competitors are charting their own nonstop voyages. Among them is Frank Binder, founder and chairman of the Ulyssia project. He once aspired to live aboard The World himself but is now targeting an even more affluent clientele. The 1,050-foot Ulyssia (seen at top) will feature 133 private residences and 22 guest suites, all with open-plan kitchens, reception areas, and private terraces. These spaces will vary in size from 1,184 to 10,258 square feet—compared to The World’s 300 to 3,242 square feet. Although pricing starts at $11 million, the largest penthouse suites are expected to cost about $105 million. The communal spaces are being created by FM Architettura, while owners can also enlist FM, Rémi Tessier, Sabrina Monte-Carlo, Jean-Michel Gathy, Jenan Hajjar, and even Grammy winner turned designer Lenny Kravitz to complete their interiors. Binder became Ulyssia’s first future resident by purchasing the inaugural penthouse.
This contemporary pool is one of the many communal areas on Ulyssia.
FM Architettura
Ulyssia’s sleek exterior, penned by Espen Øino, evokes a superyacht on steroids, with a sculpted silhouette and oversize stern beach club. The wellness and spa sanctuaries will be run by Swiss-based Chenot, and the medical facility will house C.T. scanners as well as X-ray and M.R.I. machines operated by trained staff. The areas devoted to health and rejuvenation encompass almost 20,500 square feet. Add to that indoor and outdoor swimming pools, padel and pickleball courts, a 600-yard jogging track, multiple restaurants with rotating guest chefs, lecture halls, two helicopters, and a pair of submersibles, and Ulyssia feels more like a five-star resort than a yacht. With half of the residences already reserved, the ship is scheduled to be completed in 2029.
Also joining this rarefied flotilla is the reimagined Navigator from Crescent Seas, a 566-foot cruise ship slated for a $70 million transformation. Its 210 cabins will average 350 square feet, with social areas and apartment interiors by March and White Design, Journey, Lissoni & Partners, and other leading designers.
One of the Ulyssia’s 133 private residences styled by leading designers.
FM Architettura
With acquisition costs of $3,400 per square foot—far lower than its peers—Navigator promises “luxury at attainable pricing,” says Russell W. Galbut, cofounder and managing principal of parent company Crescent Heights.
Operations will be managed by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), where Galbut sat on the board for 23 years, including the last six as chair. The NCL connection brings scale pricing for essentials like food and fuel, along with an experienced shoreside logistics team and proven service levels; the current crew is expected to stay on. If all goes well when Navigator launches in December 2026, the cruise ship Insignia is next in line for conversion, as more intrepid travelers turn the fantasy of a life at sea into a permanent address.
