Home on the High Seas
Without ever leaving their home, Mark and Deb Bennett can spend a few nights in Copenhagen. And Italy. And even Antarctica. Between 2011 and 2012, their residence on the high seas sailed to the seven continents, where adventures included visiting a tropical rain forest and watching walruses in the wild. If the couple feels like staying in, chefs are on standby to whip up cuisine in their home. Or they can choose among the six restaurants that are within walking distance of their one-bedroom apartment.
The Bennetts own one of the 165 private residences aboard the World, the oldest and largest residential ship on the water. Now, two new competitors are on the horizon: the Utopia, a $1 billion, 200-unit residential ocean liner that developers say is about three years from being finished; and the Marquette, a planned $110 million condo boat with up to 180 residences that would travel on inland waters in the U.S.
Owners of the World units, which range from studios to a penthouse with room for 12, pay annual fees of 10% to 15% of the purchase price to cover everything from staff salaries to vessel maintenance. Residences have sold for between $700,000 and $10 million, and some are currently available for resale.
Current and former residents of the World say that life on a luxury liner fulfills their fantasy of travel—without many of the hassles. Unit owners’ residences are for their exclusive use, so clothes and personal belongings are always on hand. Residents learn the names of their ‘neighbors,’ and social events and outings create a sense of community. Shown here is a pool aboard the ship.
The World, with private residences that have sold for between $700,000 and $10 million, at port in Belfast, Northern Ireland. First launched in 2002, the World is the oldest and largest residential ship on the water.
Mark and Deb Bennett own one of the 165 private residences aboard the World.
Shown here is the Bennetts’ home on the World. Many owners keep a primary residence in their home country and use the World as a second home. Mr. Bennett, for example, is a managing partner at a law firm in Dallas, where he and his wife have downsized from a lake estate to a two-bedroom townhouse because of their travels.
Continue reading here.
Home on the High Seas
The Bennetts own one of the 165 private residences aboard the World, the oldest and largest residential ship on the water. Now, two new competitors are on the horizon: the Utopia, a $1 billion, 200-unit residential ocean liner that developers say is about three years from being finished; and the Marquette, a planned $110 million condo boat with up to 180 residences that would travel on inland waters in the U.S.
Owners of the World units, which range from studios to a penthouse with room for 12, pay annual fees of 10% to 15% of the purchase price to cover everything from staff salaries to vessel maintenance. Residences have sold for between $700,000 and $10 million, and some are currently available for resale.
Current and former residents of the World say that life on a luxury liner fulfills their fantasy of travel—without many of the hassles. Unit owners’ residences are for their exclusive use, so clothes and personal belongings are always on hand. Residents learn the names of their ‘neighbors,’ and social events and outings create a sense of community. Shown here is a pool aboard the ship.
The World, with private residences that have sold for between $700,000 and $10 million, at port in Belfast, Northern Ireland. First launched in 2002, the World is the oldest and largest residential ship on the water.
Mark and Deb Bennett own one of the 165 private residences aboard the World.
Shown here is the Bennetts’ home on the World. Many owners keep a primary residence in their home country and use the World as a second home. Mr. Bennett, for example, is a managing partner at a law firm in Dallas, where he and his wife have downsized from a lake estate to a two-bedroom townhouse because of their travels.
Continue reading here.
Home on the High Seas
