Floating condos sail around the world

Jason · January 15, 2007

Floating condos sail around the world[/size]

By Shannon Roxborough, North Jersey Media Group

In real estate, it's all about location, location, location. For the select few who've always dreamed of sailing off into the sunset, living aboard a floating high-rise with a global address, where every port of call is your back yard, could be just the right place.

It all started with The World of ResidenSea, a now sold-out super-luxury liner chock-full of multimillion-dollar apartments and suites. Naysayers scoffed when plans for building The World were announced in 1997. After all, it was a monumental undertaking: a $500 million, 86,000-ton, 958-foot-long ship with 286 ultra-high-end apartments and 183 hotel-like suites.

The project was eventually scaled back, and a few short years later The World became a reality. The result: A still-daunting $262 million, 40,000-ton, 644-foot-long cruise ship with 198 residences. The properties sold faster than you could say, "I'll buy that for a few million!"

Following the footsteps -- or more accurately, the waves -- of The World are two new private residential cruise ships: The Magellan and The Orphalese. Currently under construction, both ships will provide homeowners with what the minds behind these ambitious projects call the "ultimate lifestyle experience," where residents live in sybaritic surroundings enjoying the best of the best while circumnavigating the globe.

"A home onboard The Magellan is perfect for anyone who loves the sea and loves to travel," Randall B. Jackson, president and CEO of Residential Cruise Line Ltd., the parent company of The Magellan, said in a news release. "Homeownership on The Magellan marries the best of both worlds but, in this case, in the most luxurious of settings."

It is difficult to argue with that statement, since the $750 million ship will house some 200 condos and penthouses ranging from $1.8 to $8.7 million (fractional ownerships start at $156,250). Each abode will feature custom cabinetry and stonework, high-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens, plasma-screen TVs and Wi-Fi wireless Internet access.

The Magellan will also have an array of world-class amenities: four restaurants (casual and gourmet), a shopping center, a glitzy casino, a 450-seat theater with Broadway-quality live entertainment, indoor and outdoor pools, charter helicopter service, an Aqua Spa, a 24-hour concierge staff and on-call housekeeping, among others.

Residential Cruise Line recently opened a sales office in Phoenix, right next door to its corporate headquarters, to handle a brisk sales pace.

"With our sales exceeding expectations, it became evident to staff up our sales team in order to better accommodate our potential new owners," Jackson added in the release. "We want to make sure that our owners have a stellar customer service experience from their initial point of contact to when we hand them the keys to their new condo or penthouse onboard The Magellan. Additional sales staff will ensure we stay true to our hallmark."

The Orphalese -- named for the mythical city in Kahlil Gibran's 1923 international bestseller "The Prophet" -- plans to be even more impressive. Designed by Aker Finnyards in Helsinki, Finland, one of the world's leading builders of cruise vessels, it will have 200 private permanent residences as well as 265 suites for cruise passengers.

Its well-appointed two- to four-bedroom residences -- priced from $1.8 million to $10 million -- will offer 1,000 to 4,000 square feet of living space. Each spacious "estate," as The Orphalese refers to them, will be decked out by a top interior designer, with upscale details usually found only in land-based residences.

The Orphalese will take residents and cruise passengers to high-profile events around the world, including the Olympics, the Cannes Film Festival, the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, and Chinese New Year celebrations in Shanghai.

"It was our vision to create a unique lifestyle for our residents. We believe an event-driven vacation is the height of adventure," said Orphalese Global Strategies Chairman Donald V. Allen, in a written statement to the media. "We promise an endless journey for owners and guests and one that will be tailored to meet the needs of people for variety, service and one-of-a-kind experiences."

In addition to a slate of deluxe perks comparable to those found on The Magellan, an 80,000-square-foot full-blown luxury mall deck is planned for The Orphalese.

To prepare for strong demand from American and global buyers, Orphalese Global Strategies has opened a sales office of its own, appropriately located in a town equally known for its larger-than-life fantasies and panache: Las Vegas.

The Orphalese is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2008, The Magellan by the summer of 2009. Even with the heart-stopping price tags, you'd better buy early -- the real estate is sure to be gone well ahead their maiden voyages.