As thousands of athletes from across the globe gather at the Paris Olympics Village, the surfers remain absent. Instead, the elite surfing athletes have gathered at the small French Polynesian island of Tahiti. While you may think that makes the surfers unlucky, you’d be wrong, as they’re onboard a luxury cruise ship.

Thousands of miles from Paris, Tahiti has become the farthest Olympic venue in the history of the Games. However, in another first, the waters surrounding the island host the first floating Olympic Village. 48 athletes have arrived to compete for three Olympic medals at the famed Teahupo’o and they’ll be staying onboard the Aranui 5. Unlike the athletes’ village in Paris, the ship will also spare surfers from the now infamous cardboard beds.

“The Olympic Village for surfing athletes is onboard the Aranui 5, a cruise liner based in Tahiti,” posted the NBC Olympics and Paralympics’ X (formerly Twitter) handle. They also posted a glimpse of the exterior and interiors of the floating village that athletes shared on social media. Team Germay’s Camilla Kemp gave everyone a short and sweet demo of the accommodations.

Kemp’s video showed everyone her room. While not massive the room seemed to have every essential amenity including cupboards, a dressing table, mirrors, a bathroom, and at least a queen-sized bed. However, that’s not all, as each room also gets a balcony with a mesmerizing view of the blue ocean. Thankfully, the surfers didn’t get the recycled cardboard beds that athletes in the Paris Olympics Village are already complaining about.

The M/V Aranui 5 entered service in December 2015 and is a unique luxury passenger/cargo ship. While the front of the ship houses a crane and cargo hold, the back half houses the rooms. However, its dual-purpose nature doesn’t make it any less luxurious than other cruise liners.

An extension of the Paris Olympics Village

The athletes’ village that houses Olympians during each Olympic Games is basically a mini city. Besides housing thousands of athletes, the village has everything you can imagine and some more. Dining halls, restaurants, souvenir shops, pharmacies, and all sorts of creature comforts, the village has it all. However, the Aranui 5 isn’t far behind.

The ship which houses 230 passengers in 103 cabins, will only host 48 athletes. Japanese surfer Kanoa Igarashi shared everything the cruise ship has to offer. The Aranui 5 has a 24-hour dining hall, an activity center with foosball and ping pong, a waterslide, and a Paris Olympics-themed gift shop.

Although the surfers won’t be at the athletes’ village during the competition, the Paris Olympics organizers have ensured they don’t miss the experience. What did you think of the first floating Olympic village? Tell us in the comments.