World’s ‘largest private residential ship’ docks in Scotland

Greenock Ocean Terminal in Inverclyde said it is experiencing its busiest year for cruises since before the pandemic.

The largest private residential ship on the planet, known as The World, arriving at Greenock Ocean Terminal in Inverclyde. PA

The “largest private residential ship” in the world docked on Sunday at a Scottish port where it will rest for three days before travelling onward to the Pacific Islands on Tuesday.

The World, a 644-foot-long vessel consisting of 165 privately-owned residences, began its 2022 journey in Pacific North America and will complete its year-long voyage in South America and the Caribbean.

It has six restaurants, a cinema and lecture theatre, fitness centre, clothing boutique, two pools, putting greens — and what is said to be the only regulation-sized tennis court at sea.

Each year, the ship’s global travel itinerary is decided collectively by its residents and captain and it has sailed the globe since its launch in 2002.

Its visit to Scotland is part of the Northern European leg of its journey, which has already taken it to Gijon and Santander in Spain and Nantes and Lorient in France.

The giant vessel berthed at Inverclyde's Greenock Ocean Terminal, which said it is experiencing its busiest year for cruises since before the pandemic.

Some 140,000 passengers and 35,000 crew members are expected to pass through the port throughout 2022, a “marked recovery” following the major disruption caused by the pandemic.

Jim McSporran, Clydeport port director at Peel Ports, owners of Greenock Ocean Terminal, said he was very pleased the Scottish terminal made it on The World's itinerary.

“Welcoming cruise ships to the UK from all over the world is a huge part of our work at Greenock, and it doesn’t get much more impressive than The World itself," he said.

“We’re very pleased that Greenock has been chosen as one of the destinations for this year’s journey and we hope the residents of The World thoroughly enjoy their stay.”

After leaving Greenock, The World will travel to Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Hamburg in Germany, Stockholm and Visby in Sweden and Gdansk in Poland. It will finish its Northern European journey at Copenhagen in Denmark.