The World docked at Napier in October 2006. Photo / Steven McNicholl
The World docked at Napier in October 2006. Photo / Steven McNicholl
The largest private residential ship in the world, whose apartment owners must be worth upwards of US$10 million, sought refuge in New Zealand as Covid-19 closed borders and ports around the world.
The request by The World, Residences at Sea, was rejected by Kiwi officials, given there was a banon cruise ships and the fact borders were open only to returning New Zealanders.
The Norwegian-built, 196m vessel launched in 2002 and has 165 apartments, from studios to a six-bedroom penthouse. They and the ship itself are owned by people from 19 different countries. During pre-Covid times the average occupancy was 150-200 people, with about 280 crew.
Owners mostly spend a total of about three to six months on board. They collectively vote on the yearly itinerary, which was to take in 100 ports in 2020 and is set about two to three years in advance.
The ship circumnavigates the globe every two to three years, and boasts six restaurants, putting greens and golf simulator and resident pro, a full-size tennis court, swimming pools and spas, a gym with personal trainers, medical centre, chapel, library and cinema.
The request for shelter in New Zealand is revealed in Ministry of Health daily situation reports.
The ship has swimming pools and a full-size tennis court. Photo / Supplied
A briefing from April 6 - when the country was in level 4 lockdown and had 67 new cases in a 24-hour period alone - notes the ban on cruise ships entering the country.
"Border sector officials had received a request for The World – Residences at Sea to enter a New Zealand port. The vessel currently has no passengers and around 170 crew (the minimum for operating the vessel).
"It has been asked to leave Fremantle by the Western Australian and Australian Governments after it completes loading stores and fuel. On April 5, 2020, Health officials declined the request as cruise ships are banned from coming to New Zealand. There is no exemption for cruise vessels with no passengers."
One of the three-bedroom apartments. Photo / Supplied
The request referred to the vessel as a private yacht, officials noted, but it was classed as a passenger ship, and, besides, only New Zealanders were able to enter the country.
The World - which likens its atmosphere to an exclusive country club and has been dubbed a "floating city of millionaires" by CNN - arrived at Fremantle, Perth on March 13 and left on April 6, as the Australian Border Force called on vessels to leave.
The ship had been taken out of service from March 17, with all residents and non-essential crew disembarking and flying to their other homes by March 20.
"Protecting the health and safety of our residents, guests and crew is our number one priority," a spokesperson said.
"The vessel has not had a positive Covid-19 case on board and none of its residents, guests or crew have tested positive since leaving the vessel. The World is currently in lay-berth in Falmouth, United Kingdom. A return to service date has not yet been released."
Some of the apartments have their own verandas. Photo / Supplied
The World began the year in Hong Kong, sailed to the Philippines and West Papua, before reaching Darwin and beginning a circumnavigation of Australia. The now-cancelled 2020 itinerary included Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, spring and summer in the Mediterranean and Adriatic, before going on to Northern Europe and the United Kingdom, then North and South America and finally ending the year in Antarctica.
In January, a three-bedroom apartment on deck 11 of the 12-level ship was on offer for around US$14m, with annual maintenance fees of up to US$1.4m (such ongoing costs are based on the size of apartments). Potential buyers are vetted and the resident community takes a fee on resales.
The ship's planned 2021 itinerary covers six continents and 105 ports, beginning in Antarctica and seeing in the New Year in San Diego.
The World when docked in Auckland in 2003. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Food and lawn-mowing complaints
Meanwhile, Covid-19 briefing documents also show that people in managed isolation complained about not getting enough food and Kiwis dobbed in their neighbours for mowing their lawns.
The Ministry of Health daily situation reports from January to May also show a shortage of testing swabs and extreme pressure on Healthline and mental health support services.
On March 18 and shortly before the country moved into alert levels 3 and 4, officials noted Healthline was dealing with an increase in calls from people wanting to report some of the thousands of people in self-isolation.
"Some of these are incorrect understanding of rules (e.g. mowing the lawns while self-isolated, which is fine), but many appear examples of people wilfully ignoring the requirements."
Two days later officials warned a shortage of testing swabs meant "it is important that testing is only done when case criteria are met and only one swab should be used per person. GPs must not test those without epidemiological links [to a suspect, probable or confirmed case]".
The criteria was widened at the start of April after patients and doctors reported symptomatic people not being able to be tested.
On March 28 it was reported four students from Auckland's Marist College were stopped from boarding an Air NZ flight to Tokyo, because they were school contacts of positive cases in what was the country's biggest cluster.
