The World, the residential cruise ship where owners literally live aboard as the vessel circles the globe, has made its first-ever call at the Port of Sokcho on South Korea's east coast. The arrival in early October came with a proper welcome: a traditional band, a Korean music quartet performing on the quay, and a send-off fireworks display as the ship sailed on to its next port.
Sokcho, better known to most travellers as the gateway city to Seoraksan National Park, went beyond the usual port ceremony. Inside the terminal, residents could try Korean fan-making with their names painted in Hangul, dress up in hanbok traditional dress, and pose for photos in a costume-themed photo booth. The ship's operators praised the city's warmth and hospitality, and the visit doubled as a showcase for a port that rarely sees ships of this profile.
For The World, the stop is part of a wider Far East season. The ship is currently working through an itinerary that takes in Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea, with calls planned at Hakodate, Hiroshima, Tokyo, Beppu, Dalian, Shanghai, Tianjin, Keelung, Busan, Jeju and Hong Kong. Bigger picture: in 2027 the ship is scheduled to visit 100 destinations spanning the Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe and North America.
The vessel itself is an unusual beast. Rather than a holiday cruise ship, it is owned largely by its residents, who have private apartments onboard and live at sea full-time or for extended stretches. It recently came out of a major refresh — six weeks in drydock at the Navantia shipyard in Spain in early 2025, where roughly 1,500 workers completed more than 200 projects. The refit covered public areas, staterooms and venues, with a focus on sustainability upgrades that the operator describes as a new era of environmentally responsible luxury at sea.
Why does this matter to ordinary travellers? First, it puts Sokcho on the map as a cruise port — a city most visitors reach by bus from Seoul for the hiking and the famous fresh seafood market. If cruise lines follow The World's lead, expect more calls on Korea's less-visited east coast. Second, it's a glimpse of the ultra-high-end end of cruising: a ship that functions as a floating neighbourhood, calling at hundreds of ports a year. You can't exactly book a cabin for a week, but watching where The World goes is a decent barometer of which destinations are emerging as serious cruise calls — and right now that includes Sokcho, Jeju, Busan and a long list of East Asian ports.
