Usually home to some of the richest people on the planet the 45,000 ton residential ship The World arrived in Falmouth on Monday.

She is here to lay up at the docks after a long voyage, slow steaming from Australia, minus her ultra rich residents.

With Falmouth pilot Captain Nick Martin aboard, the ultra-luxurious vessel made her way into port berthing on the Queen’s jetty where she is expected to remain for three months.

Billionaire or the ordinary man in the street, the Covid-19 virus does not discriminate as it silently and invisibly sweeps across the world like a giant tsunami of death leaving astern in its wake grief, anger, despair and financial mayhem to the world economy.

Despite their wealth the residents of the vessel abandoned ship down in Australia as the coronavirus pandemic escalated.

With ports worldwide closing down, and some ships being treated as ‘pariahs of the ocean’ when Covid-19 hit several cruise ships in Australia and the Far East, it proved to be the right decision.

The World, Residences at Sea said in mid March : “Due to the ongoing Coronavirus (Covid-19) global public health emergency, deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organisation, and to protect the health and safety of its residents, guests and crew, The World, Residences at Sea was taken out of service effective March 17.

"All residents, guests and non-essential crew disembarked by March 20. 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. A return to service date has not yet been released.

“The decision to lay-up the private, residential yacht was not easy, however was deemed essential. Protecting the health and safety of our residents, guests and crew is our number one priority.

"We look forward to resuming operations and welcoming our residents back once we can safely do so by following industry best practices, maintaining our high standards and working in cooperation with global public health authorities, local port officials and government agencies around the world.”

The World made three previous visits to Falmouth, in 2002, 2013 and 2018, spending two days alongside on each call.

When the decision to suspend cruising was made The World was part way through her 2020 round the world voyage, with particular emphasis on the far East.

The 2020 journey included more than 100 ports of call across Southeast Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean, Europe, United Kingdom, and North and South America.

The 150 families who own the homes on board would have sailed approximately 45,000 nautical miles on a continuous worldwide journey of adventure and enrichment. Sadly this was cut short in the Antipodes.

The World is privately owned and home to approximately 150 families from 19 countries and has an average resident and guest occupancy of 150 to 200 people.