MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Residents of Mossel Bay should be on the lookout for famous people in town over the next two days, because the largest privately-owned residential mega yacht on the planet, called The World, has dropped anchor in the bay.
The yacht is far out, but will be nearing the shore tomorrow morning, presumably. It arrived in the bay at about 19:00 this evening.
A source told Mossel Bay Advertiser one only knows in the morning whether the captain of a vessel has decided the passengers will be able to disembark or not and whether the ship will remain in the bay or not. "The weather can change in a moment," he said.
Storm
A major storm, with gale force winds, rain and in outlying areas, even hail, heralded the arrival of The World in Mossel Bay and in some quarters it was pondered whether it would drop anchor or continue on its voyage.
Mossel Bay Advertiser enquired to Mossel Bay Tourism as to what type of official welcome it had planned for the world and which types of excursions the passengers would undertake. The tourism office noted that for security reasons, it could not divulge these details.
Also, the London public relations company which does media liaison for The World was vague about passengers' plans and the date of the arrival of The World, for security reasons, it noted
Apartments on The World cost millions of rands and are owned by the mega rich.
Mossel Bay is one of only three ports the ultra-luxurious yacht is visiting in South Africa this year. The other two are Cape Town and Durban. The World arrived in Mossel Bay from Cape Town. It had docked at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
For security reasons, exact dates are not provided for The World's port stopovers. The vessel is spending almost two weeks in South African waters.
Six continents
The World is visiting six continents during 2024. There are 165 homes on board and on average 200 residents and guests.
A number of the residents are South Africans, so South Africa is a favoured destination of The World, which first launched in 2002, and it has visited Mossel Bay before.
The PR agency for The World told the Advertiser it has visited South Africa seven times previously.
The vessel's arrival in Cape Town this month followed an expedition to Antarctica in January. The spokesperson said the mega yacht "visits smaller ports as they offer great access for exploration".
Explore town
She said: "Residents and guests will use this opportunity to explore Mossel Bay town and local beaches, learn more about the history of Mossel Bay, play golf at the Mossel Bay Golf Club, visit a game reserve, and enjoy a mussel and wine pairing."
A press release noted that snorkelling in Mossel Bay was also a popular activity for residents.
The World passengers will be exploring in the Mossel Bay area on Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 and 6 March, before the vessel leaves for Durban.
The World is known for its journeys to undiscovered regions.
Itinerary
After South Africa, the mega yacht will go on to Africa’s east coast, stopping in Mozambique, Zanzibar and Kenya before a week in the Seychelles.
The World will then spend four months in Asia: Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali and Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay.
Facilities on the yacht include six restaurants, golf facilities with onboard putting greens and a state-of-the art golf simulator, the only full-size tennis court at sea, swimming pools, a spa, a fitness centre with personal trainers, expert destination lecturers, a library, cinema, hobby and games rooms, and more.
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