A Norwegian ‘live aboard’ cruise liner has sparked a row among taxpayers in Oslo because government funds are being used to subsidise it’s wealthy passengers.

The luxury ship The World cost 180 million pounds sterling, about 13 million of which, or nearly 5 pounds sterling per person, came from the taxpayer.

The tax subsidy, now removed from the statute book, goes back to ancient times to protect the jobs of wharf hands at shipbuilding yards. Though the law was dropped in January, work on The World began before that date and so the ship still qualifies for the subsidy.

Even the wharf hands say it is not fair to have ordinary people sponsoring cruises for the well off. The World has luxury ‘cabins’ up to 300 square metres in size which cost between 1.46 and 5 million pounds sterling. It leaves Oslo on Friday to start its continous circumnavigation of the world.