The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with Germany and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (February 2022) |
A hotelship is a passenger ship which is used for a period as a hotel. A botel or boatel is a boat that serves as a hotel or hostel. Currently there are few permanent hotel ships.[1][2] The word is a portmanteau of boat and hotel. Botels may range from small[1] or larger[3] purpose-built or converted boats or other watercraft, to converted ships.[2] They may be permanently moored[2] or grounded,[3] or spend part of the year taking guests on tours.[1] The most famous examples are the Queen Mary, in Long Beach; and the Queen Elizabeth 2, in Dubai. Both ships were originally part of Cunard line. During the 2022 World Cup, Qatar chartered three cruise ships to mitigate accommodation shortages.[4]