Cruise Ship Camping During 2022 World Cup

Though currently unable to accommodate the amount of guests expected at a World Cup, Qatar has plans to boost its hotel capacity ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and plans to use cruise ships as temporary hotel spaces.

"There are plans to double the supply of rooms in hotels and guest apartments by 2022 to cover the everyday requirements of an economy that is expected to continue growing strongly," the world's governing soccer body said in its official report on the evaluation of the Qatari bid.

Qatar proposes "more than 240 different properties" mostly in the four-star category but also several in the three and five-star category and a few two-star properties, it said.

Qatar to use cruise ship for World Cup accomodation
Reuters
December 6, 2010

Cruise Ships Pull Out

Luxury cruise ships that had initially planned to dock in Port Elizabeth and other coastal World Cup host cities to serve as accommodations have announced that they won't be coming for the Cup.

Some tour operators have been left licking their wounds after the trip was cancelled due to a lack of cabin bookings.

The two cruise ships, the Noordam and the Westerdam, among the most luxurious in the world, were to have docked in Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town and been used as bases for fans.

Africa 4 Real Tours owner Mark Heck said the cancellation was a real blow to the industry, and especially to his company, which had been contracted to provide local transport operations for the tourists.

Luxury liners won’t be docking in PE to serve as Cup hotel
The Herald
May 24, 2010

Cruise Ship Won't Dock as Hotel in Cape Town During Cup

Owners of the Queen Elizabeth 2 have cancelled plans to dock the famous ship in Cape Town as a floating hotel during the World Cup. They have not announced whether another site in South Africa will be chosen during the event.

Istithmar World, an investment arm of the indebted Dubai World conglomerate, says Cape Town is "no longer being considered" as a possible destination for the legendary ship.

QE2 won't dock in Cape Town for World Cup
SAPA/AP via Independent Online
January 28, 2010

Cruise Liners to House World Cup Fans

With hotel accommodations expected to be tightly packed, city and tourism officials are expecting to use cruise ships as floating hotels during the World Cup.

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said Portugal, hosts of the 2004 European championship, had made successful use of cruise ships.

"They are going to be quite important especially for 2010 both as people movers and even as accommodation," Ndebele told Reuters on Wednesday during a visit to London.

SA to house World Cup fans in cruise liners
Mail and Guardian
November 25, 2009

Cruise Ships Flock to South Africa for World Cup

As a new cruise ship prepares to begin operations out of Durban ahead of the World Cup, South Africa is preparing to play host to a number of international cruise ships during the tournament.

However, the MSC Sinfonia will not be the only high profile cruise ship to make its maiden voyage to Durban. Next year in March the uber-luxurious Queen Mary 2 - which is almost three times the size of the Sinfonia will call in Durban for the first time.

In addition, the big cruising news for the 2010 Fifa World Cup is that German promoter ONE OCEAN CLUB will bring two cruise ships from Holland America Cruise Lines - the MS Noordam and MS Westerdam - to operate as floating hotels for the duration of the tournament out of Durban and Port Elizabeth.

Cruise ship bonanza for SA
The Mercury
November 18, 2009