The Rio 2016 Organizing Committee will stay aboard a luxury cruise ship during the upcoming Olympic Games in Brazil.
Amid a plethora of controversies ranging from an international health crisis to incomplete and poorly built Olympic infrastructure, a 4,000-passenger cruise ship from Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), ironically named, “The Getaway,” will be docked in Rio de Janeiro for the duration of the games. According to USA Today, “The Getaway” will provide lodging for corporate sponsors, members of the International Olympic Federation, the National Organizing Committees, the Rio Host Committee and other guests.
The 2016 Rio Olympics have been mired in controversy ever since the announcement that they would host the games. Brazil is facing massive political unrest and an economic crisis while the government races to complete Olympic stadiums and infrastructure for the start of the games. Water pollution and fears over the Zika virus have kept some athletes from attending, citing health concerns. Hundreds of Russian athletes have been banned from attending after a nationwide doping scandal came to light.
The problems facing the games became a reality for the Australian Olympic Team last week when athletes moved into the Rio Olympic village and encountered exposed wiring, leaking pipes and blocked toilets. To add insult to injury, the team was robbed after evacuating their rooms during a small fire in their complex.
While the optics make for an ironic picture with the organizers of the games remaining off shore on a luxury cruise ship named “The Getaway,” the stucture of this year’s Olympics do serve a practical purpose. As USA Today explains, cruise ships have become a regular part of the recent summer Olympic games, as a way for host countries to supplement limited housing and hotel rooms in host cities.
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