UNITED KINGDOM: OLYMPICS - German 'Dream Boat' the MS Deutschland ready to act as hotel for the Olympics

Record ID: 330948

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: OLYMPICS - German 'Dream Boat' the MS Deutschland ready to act as hotel for the Olympics
  • Date: 25th July 2012
  • Summary: OLYPIC RINGS ON SIDE OF SHIP ZOOM OUT TO MICHAEL VESPER LOOKING AT BOAT
  • Embargoed: 9th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA1EA4SYWNDW4UOAQ0MNLO11MB
  • Story Text: After squeezing into the Dockland's in East London's Canary Wharf, German cruise liner MS Deutschland is ready to act as a luxury hotel for guests during the Olympics.
    Sitting alongside an impressive array of super yachts and tall ships, it's the largest vessel moored in South Quay.
    Over the next two weeks the sold-out boat will be home to a number of guests, mostly Germans wanting to support their country in the Games.
    General Director of The German Olympic Sport Union, Michael Vesper visited the boat on Wednesday (July 25) and said it's in a great location: "The ship is here, because the German House is based in the Museum of London Docklands, in Canary Wharf. You are able to walk there within ten minutes, so it is ideal for our purposes and guests."
    The team were pleased the passenger cruise ship was small enough to get into position. Dominic Kross from Peter Diamond Cruises, the company who built the ship in 1999, explained how it just got through the tidal lock from the River Thames: "There was only 25 centimetres on each side, it was an amazing piece of work for the captain, for the master of the ship."
    The 175-metre long boat offers guests three restaurants, a bar with live music and a decadent pool area - where it's other name is proudly on display. MS Deutschland is famous in Germany as it's the setting of TV soap Das Traumschiff, meaning the Dream Boat - this is the title that it has inscribed above the pool. Das Traumschiff, is based on the American original, the Love Boat - which is MS Deutschland's other occasional name.
    The liner costs it's guests around 350-400 Euros per night, which also gives them great access to the Olympics.
    Kross says the liner has got a unique style: "The decoration is art-deco and the idea behind it is to have an atmosphere like in the 1920's in Germany, which was an amazing time with a lot of intellectual people and interesting actors."
    MS Deutschland is also surrounded by other expensive vessels. In the distance 'Octopus' can be seen, a yacht it's thought to be owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft.
    According to reports in English tabloid papers Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been invited to a party there. Meanwhile MS Deutschland has it's own host of famous faces due to walk it's decks; Designer Vivienne Westwood and singer Sophie Ellis Bextor are expected to attend an event on Wednesday, while the German President Joachim Gauck is expected on Saturday (July 28).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Video restrictions: parts of this video may require additional clearances. Please see ‘Business Notes’ for more information.
Register