30,000 To Call Harbour Their Home
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday May 9, 2000
Sydney Harbour will host 10 major vessels including some of the world's largest and most luxurious cruise ships during the Olympic Games, providing accommodation for up to 30,000 international guests of major sponsors and organising committees.
The seven cruise liners, two tall ships and one local mini-cruiser will be berthed at sites around the harbour including Garden Island and Darling Harbour at a cost of $4 million, which has been allocated to the Sydney Ports Corporation by the NSW Government.
Sydney's bid for the Games included a proposal that cruise ships, increasingly being referred to as ``floating hotels", could be used as accommodation venues. This was a concept that first gained widespread acceptance at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Most of the harbour berths that will be used for this purpose during the Games are usually occupied by commercial vessels.
To minimise the disruption to berthing schedules, the servicing of the floating hotels can only begin three days before they are due to receive guests and the areas must be returned to their original state two days after they leave.
The largest vessel, the 1,750-person Nieuw Amsterdam, will be berthed at Garden Island while international computer giant IBM has secured what is arguably the prime berth for its cruiser, the Crystal Harmony outside the passenger terminal at Circular Quay.
Sponsors negotiated the contracts for the swank ships with SOCOG.
Each is paying about $500,000 a day for the luxury of entertaining guests aboard some of the world's most prestigious vessels.
The manager of Olympics Works and Services for the Sydney Ports Corporation, Norman Ferguson, said plans were moving along well.
``Of course there will probably be some surprises, but life is life and this is the largest number of cruise ships we have had in the harbour at one time," Ferguson said.
To maximise the corporate wining and dining, passengers will call the ships home for just four days before they give way to others keen to experience the Games.
Sydney Ports is expecting about 30,000 to have stayed aboard these ships by the time the Games are over.
Ships will be berthed at Pyrmont, White Bay, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay and Garden Island and 650 buses will be contracted by the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority to carry guests staying at the ships to and from Games venues.
Seven Seas Navigator, Norwegian Star, Clipper Odyssey and Seabourn Sun will be at Darling Harbour while the Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation has secured the Sun Princess a position at White Bay.
The smallest ship of the lot the Captain Cook Explorer will be at Pyrmont.
The Deutschland, which will be a floating home for the German National Olympic Committee, will share the facilities with the Nieuw Amsterdam at Garden Island.
There are also two berths available for tall ships, but their attendance has not yet been confirmed. The Russian and Polish NOCs have expressed interest in the sites.
To service each ship, berths must have a bus shelter, decorations such as banners and plants, access to emergency services, lighting, road markings, security and vehicular access.
The ships must also be connected to the sewerage and water systems. Fresh produce will be delivered to the ships within the restricted city transit times after final arrangements were made with food supplies.
There is an option for an 11th berth if the need arises, although Ferguson said this appeared to be unnecessary.
© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald
