There have been a lot of concerns about the living conditions in Rio ahead of the Olympics, and as such, the United States men’s basketball team has elected to stay on a boat in the Port of Rio, rather than in the Olympic Village.
The 196-cabin luxury cruise ship the team will be staying on may seem a bit out of the ordinary, but is actually a smart idea, especially given all the concerns about crime and the Zika virus.
Here are a few photos showing what the ship looks like:
Team USA Basketball — Our Brazil Hotel Floats … We’re Staying On a Cruise Ship! (P… https://t.co/c0Jz7ozsoX pic.twitter.com/bMgJlHpRG2
— #CelebrityHour (@CelebrityHour) August 3, 2016
The Daily Mail provided some details about this temporary living quarters, which seems to be about as safe and secure as you can get in Rio.
The only entrance is through an airport style scanner which is manned by Port Maua staff, backed up by security guards. On the water police circle the ship on gun boats with marksmen equipped with automatic rifles. The moored ship is surrounded by a bullet proof glass fence and 250 federal police officers are on alert keeping a watchful eye. ‘Nobody can get near the boat without invitation’ said one security official.
Normally, a cabin can cost around $13,000-a-week, but the entire ship, which has a 514ft length, has been commissioned by IT firm Cisco who will have staff on board along with the basketball Olympics personnel. The boat is owned by Italian firm Silversea and its website states: ‘Spacious yet intimate, designed to cross oceans and yet able to slip up rivers and into hidden harbors with ease, the yacht-like Silver Cloud carries just 296 guests in incomparable comfort and style.
The team clearly took the opulent route here, but if they can take home the gold medal and stay healthy in doing so, the luxury liner will be worth the price tag.
