€500,000 bill for cruise ship party

An Olympic gold medal celebration party on board a luxury cruise ship is reported to have run up a repair bill of €500,000 for the German hockey team.
The players have apologised to the operators of MS Deutschland, which was moored at Canary Wharf during the Games and provided accommodation for the German Olympic Committee.
Teak panelling in the ship’s casino was damaged by cigar burns, a pane of glass was broken, and carpets and upholstery were left stained after being doused in champagne.
The damage is said to have cost about €50,000 to repair- but the ship must be taken out of service for six days for the work to be carried out, adding €75,000 a day in lost revenue.
A spokesman for the Deilmann shipping company told German newspaper Bild “This is a ship on a five-star level with very high quality materials, so damages can quickly become very expensive. The carpets and upholstery cannot be replaced while the ship is in use.”
The German Hockey Association says it has not yet received a request for payment, although it believes the figure of €500,000 is “grossly disporportionate” and also disputes whether it can be held responsible for the actions of the players.
It remains to be seen whether the signed hockey stick which the team captain has given to the ship will be seen as adequate recompense.