The world's largest privately-owned (residential) cruise ship - MS The World, is currently cruising from the Mediterranean en-route to Falmouth England to lay up for some months. Before the UK, the vessel made a technical stop (for bunkering) in Gibraltar over the last weekend and is slow-sailing to Port Falmouth, with scheduled arrival in late-May. The ship departed from Australia and transitted the Suez Canal.
The shipowners' representative issued the following press statement:
“Due to the ongoing COVID, global public health emergency, deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization 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, passengers (guests) and non-essential crew were disembarked by March 20, 2020. The ship has not had a positive Coronavirus case and none of its passengers or crew tested positive since leaving MS The World.
The return to service date has not yet been announced.
MS The World is privately owned (by ~150 families from 19 countries) and operated/managed by ResidenSea. The ship has max passenger capacity (residents plus their guests) 200 (plus 280 staff-crew) and 12 decks (of which 7 with staterooms).