In an exclusive interview with Seatrade Insider, Droney outlined how residents will get a rare ‘window into a very closed society’ during two packed days of group touring in October 2014.

They will visit Pyongyang, the capital, for sites like the Arch of Triumph, larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and the towering Arch of Reunification that spans a multi-lane highway. They also will travel to the Demilitarized Zone to glimpse South Korea from the North Korean side.

‘There’s a little museum. It’s like looking across the street. There are no barriers but a lot of guards,’ Droney said.

He just returned from a three-day planning visit to North Korea with Tom McAlpin, president and ceo of The World. ‘We didn’t feel that restricted. A lot of people speak English. I was surprised at the openness as tourists,’ Droney said, describing their escorted travels as ‘flawless.’

He recounted a beautiful countryside of lakes and mountains and the delights of ‘a whole different cultural experience.’ That said, Droney spotted an Italian restaurant in the capital and Western breakfasts were available at his hotel.

US citizens are allowed to visit North Korea, however they must enter via China because the two countries have diplomatic relations. The World used a Chinese intermediary to make arrangements with North Korean officials.

In 2014, after calling at the Chinese port of Dalian, The World will sail to North Korea’s Nampo, a port located about half an hour to 45 minutes’ drive from Pyongyang.

Droney compared visiting North Korea to his experiences in China in the early 1980s with Royal Viking Line. Like China then, the ship visitors to North Korea will have to travel as a group.

He said The World will handle all the arrangements for its residents, and will secure expert lecturers to bring the destination alive.

Itinerary planning for The Word is crafted two years ahead. Droney collaborates with the ship’s two captains and the residents’ itinerary committee to come up with a choice of three journeys. A residents’ vote sets the course and Droney works out the itinerary specifics.

‘We always try to push the envelope a little bit more,’ he said. ‘We’re always being challenged by the community to come up with an exciting itinerary.’

During its 2014 travels throughout Asia, The World will traverse the Sea of Okhotsk, call at Singapore three times and make extended visits to Hong Kong (six days), Tokyo and Bangkok (seven days each). This gives time to experience key destinations in depth and allows for overland tours to Bhutan, Laos, Tibet and Nepal.

‘The residents want longer stays in these cities. The ship is their second home,’ Droney said.