Cap San Diego Museum

Cap San Diego is not just an ordinary museum in Hamburg, but a real cargo ship that not only takes sightseers on board, but also regularly takes them out to sea.

Almost all of the ship's rooms are open to the public. Here, aboard the world's largest working dry cargo museum, you can view the exhibits and hear a fascinating story about the ship from a guide, and take a real boat trip. On board the Cap San Diego, they can feel like real seafarers conquering the waters.

What's more, there is even the option to stay on the ship overnight. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but after 6 p.m. there are often fun parties on board.

Today the museum ship is a familiar feature of Hamburg's harbour skyline and a local landmark, but the liner once carried out its direct task of transporting cargo from one destination to another.

The Cap San Diego is the last surviving vessel from a series of six identical general cargo ships built for Hamburg Süd between 1961 and 1962. The ships operated between Hamburg and South America, carrying machinery, chemicals, coffee and cocoa, fruit, meat, edible oils, etc.

The ship took about six months to build. The freighter was ordered by Hamburg Süd, which at the time was owned by the Dr Oetker Group. The freighter was built at the Deutsche Werft shipyard in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, where the Airbus factory is now located. The colossal ship (the height of the liner is similar to that of a five-storey building - 26.5m), with spacious holds and impressive masts, was considered ultra-modern for its time. It even had two cranes, a luxury that not every dry cargo ship of the 1960s could boast.

In 1986, after 20 years of successful service, the ship was scheduled for scrapping in Hong Kong, but the Hamburg authorities bought it, restored it and decided to open a museum on board. In 2005, a mini-hotel was opened on board - the cabins were converted into hotel rooms.

Today, the Cap San Diego has a team of skilled crew members who regularly maintain the ship. The museum ship is such an important landmark for the city that in 2003 the Cap San Diego was declared a maritime monument. The ship is berthed at Hamburg's Überseebrücke, but regularly takes to the sea with sightseeing passengers on board. As tourists climb aboard, they feel the ship come alive, ready to share its secrets with visitors.

During the ship's tour, guests will visit several unique locations, each with plenty to see and do.

In the engine room, visitors can see the heart of the Cap San Diego — the powerful main engine. The MAN nine-cylinder diesel engine used to provide a speed of 20.3 knots (about 36 km/h) to get cargo to its destination faster. For cruising purposes, however, there is no need to accelerate the ship that much; today, the maximum speed of the liner is no more than 8 knots.

As well as the engine, the engine room contains exhaust turbochargers, pumps, boilers, generators, separators, valves, lots of pipes, flywheels, control panels and much more. As the ship moves, everything in the engine room comes to life. A real miracle takes place before the eyes of the museum visitors — the giant ship wakes up and gathers its strength for another sea voyage.

The next step is for everyone to try their hand at being the captain — no, of course, guests are not allowed to steer such a huge ship, but they are allowed to climb up to the captain's bridge, where the ship's course and speed are set and all decisions are made about everyday life on board.

Although there is modern navigation technology, the ship's historic instruments from the 1960s have been preserved for guided tours. For example, on the bridge, in the chart room, you can see a large table on which old nautical charts are laid out, but today all this is replaced by a small device — a GPS navigator.

In the days of shipping, three tall masts were used to lift goods weighing between 3 and 15 tonnes. The largest, the foremast, had an incredible lifting capacity of up to 50 tonnes. Today, a rope bridge runs between the foremasts. Visitors to Cap San Diego can test their courage and walk across the bridge to get a different view of the liner.

The ship has several holds which were used to store the cargo being transported. Included in the holds are refrigerated compartments used to carry beef and fresh fruit and vegetables from South America, and several lockable hatches for valuables and mail.

Guests will see boxes, crates and barrels — a prop that gives an idea of what a full hold would have looked like. One hatch is set up as an exhibition hall, another as a bar and dance floor, and a third as a large room where visitors can watch a multimedia show about the world's oceans and vulnerable underwater life.

Guests are treated to a tour of the luxurious deck, the pride and joy of Cap San Diego! You could be forgiven for thinking the ship was built as a leisure yacht rather than a dry dock. The swimming pool, spacious bar and enchanting views of the River Elbe make this the perfect place to party and relax.

Today the salon is often hired for parties. A stylish maritime atmosphere awaits guests for private parties of up to 50 people.

There are quests on the ship that are designed not only for children, but also for their parents. There are several game options with interesting puzzles and ciphers. Can you find the missing golden skull? Do you know how to get rid of Neptune's curse? Can you find the treasure and leave the ship before it sinks? Find out in this Cap San Diego quest.

For a fee, children and adults can try their hand at climbing and take a course to climb different elements of the ship. There's a giant rope ladder with the second rung 2 metres above the deck. It is also known as the "pilot's ladder" because the pilots had the best view of the harbour from the top step. You can climb one of the masts and enjoy the spectacular view from more than 10 metres up.

We also recommend visiting Port of Hamburg, which is 700 meters away.

All climbs are supervised by experienced instructors, observing rules and safety precautions and using a safety net.

A popular activity on the ship is a children's pirate birthday party. Little guests are encouraged to dress up as pirates and search for the lost treasure of Cape San Diego. The hunt for piastres lasts for 2.5-3 hours (at the end, the box is found and each guest takes a bag with the treasure they've found). The children also receive all the pirate props, including a wooden sword.

The Cap San Diego can be rented for a party or a private party, with the entire ship at your disposal (maximum capacity 500 passengers). To book a trip, you must contact the museum staff by telephone or email.

Available for rent:

• 60s-style lounge (up to 70 people);
• poolside terrace (up to 120 people);
• hold 3 — original party space (up to 500 people);
• hold 4 (up to 120 persons) — suitable for exhibitions, fairs, presentations;
• the entire ship.

The museum is also home to a hotel. A night in one of the legendary Cap San Diego's cabins is no fun for the whole family. A night on the Elbe is an unforgettable memory to take home from Hamburg.

Six types of cabins are available for booking:

• Single cabin: One bunk bed and separate full bathroom. The cabin can be booked for two people, in which case an extra bed will be provided.
• Double cabin: Two bunks and full ensuite bathroom.
• Family cabin: Four berths and full ensuite bathroom.
• Master cabin: Consists of two separate cabins. The cabin consists of one separate berth, but 1-2 additional berths are available on request.
• Engineer: Two separate cabins. The cabin has a double bed and en-suite bathroom. An additional bunk bed is provided when booking for three.
• Officer: Consists of two cabins with an extra wide berth (130 cm) and en-suite shower room. An extra bed is provided when booking for two.

All rooms have bedside tables and lockers for personal items, coffee tables, table lamps, televisions, chairs and other essential furniture and furnishings. Each cabin also has a kettle, mini-fridge and a selection of tea and coffee. Breakfast is included in all room bookings and is served in a local café from 7am to 10am. There is a ship's shop on board where you can purchase nautical souvenirs, gifts and various useful items.

1. If you wish to stay at the Hotel Cap San Diego and bring your pet, there is an extra charge of €10 per pet.
2. You do not need to bring a snack as the ship has a café open daily (11:00-17:00).
3. If you're a light sleeper, it's worth bringing earplugs or something else to help you cope with the noise at night. After the museum closes, there are often parties on board that can last until dawn.
4. Photography and filming are permitted on board. Props are even provided.
5. Gift vouchers can be purchased on the museum's website and are valid in the museum, the hotel or the Cap San Diego café, depending on the value of the voucher. Vouchers are available from €20 to €200.