Blinking as the spray hit my face, I awoke to a sky glowing pink in the minutes before sunrise. It is a magical thing to sleep under the stars, made even more so when you’re on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere off the coast of Portugal. My Bali bed overlooked the wake of the ship, and I watched the sunrise in silence as waves lapped against the hull and dolphins played in the surf.

My view was from the stern of The World, the largest residential yacht on the planet and an exclusive playground for those who can afford to board. But this isn’t the type of cruise you can book for a week. Apartments fetch up to $15 million plus yearly fees, and range from smaller studios to almost palatial three-bedroom abodes.

There are only 165 residences, but their occupants, including Fortune 50

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