The World - the largest residential cruise ship on Earth - will visit Batemans Bay in January, giving locals an insight into the life of the rich and famous and providing a welcome boost to the business sector.
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It will anchor off Batemans Bay for the day and evening of January 4, 2017, with tenders operating to bring its residents ashore.
"We don’t have a full schedule of activities yet, however we do know that there will be a visit to the Catalina Country Club," Joanna Merredew, the London spokeswoman for The World, told the Bay Post this week.
From Batemans Bay, The World will head to Eden on January 5, then on to Tasmania before embarking on an expedition to the Ross Sea in Antarctica.
The ship will spend Christmas and New Year in Sydney, which she said was a favourite port of call for its residents.
Transport for NSW confirmed this week that it was in the early stages of planning for The World’s upcoming visit to Batemans Bay and would be liaising with the vessel’s local representative over the coming months to finalise approvals and arrangements.
"This is an exciting opportunity for the Batemans Bay community and we’re doing everything we can to work with the relevant parties so passengers will be able to enjoy our beautiful South Coast up close," a Transport for NSW spokesperson told the Bay Post.
The World comprises 165 "homes", ranging from studios to a palatial six-bedroom penthouse.
The World, at 196 metres long, is relatively small by cruise ship standards, but offers a luxury lifestyle with 165 "homes", privately owned by 142 families from around the globe, including several from Australia. Media reports and books have stated that mining heiress Gina Rinehart is, or has been, one of the owners.
The ship circumnavigates the globe every two to three years; this year it will visit more than 100 ports in over 40 countries.
Ms Merredew invited prospective “home” owners on a private tour of the ship.
