World’s largest ‘residential yacht’ docks in the Philippines

MS The World, the largest privately-owned ‘residential yacht’ featuring 165 luxury apartments, has docked off the coast of Bohol, one of the Philippines’ top cruise ship destinations.

Dubbed as one of the most exclusive residential cruise liners in the world, MS The World houses residents from about 45 countries as the ship sails around the globe. It is operated by ROW Management Ltd, based in the US, and features a 7,000-square foot spa, fitness centre, and a full-size theatre, aside from its spacious luxury condos which sell at around two to USD 15 million.

Before reaching the port in the Philippines, the ship celebrated New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong. MS The World is the first luxury liner this year to visit the Philippines’ world-famous destination, heralding a prosperous tourism year to the province. It brought approximately 131 tourists mostly from Europe and the US.

The 644-foot ship arrived in Bohol on Friday morning this weekend and dropped anchors off the Tagbilaran Tourist Port, according to Jaypee Orcullo of the Department of Tourism. Its passengers were then brought to Loboc for a river cruise onboard the floating restaurants of Panglao before it departed again in the night.

Bohol is a province in the country’s Central Visayas region, known for coral reefs, and more notably the Chocolate Hills, an unusual geological formation of more than 19 square miles (50 square kilometres).