Holiday in Venice on a luxurious Malta-made boat

Ever fancied waking up in the morning on a luxurious boat floating along the canals of Venice? With the help of a Maltese company this will be possible this summer.

The houseboat - called Mdina, Venice - was christened yesterday, days before it is shipped to the north Italian city. Nine more will follow in the coming years, Mary Anne Pulè, managing director of the developer, Marketing and Promotion Ltd, said.

The houseboat was completely built in Malta at a cost of about €500,000 and will be available on a timeshare basis for 25 years. Co-owners will be able to spend a week every year on the houseboat for between €12,000 and €20,000. The holidays can be exchanged with other resorts around the world if a person did not wish to visit Venice every year.

Fitted with luxurious furniture and paintings by Mrs Pulè's husband, magician Vanni Pulè, the two-bedroom floating apartment can sleep six people in 45 square metres of space.

A 90-minute training course will be provided for holidaymakers who want to manoeuvre the boat themselves along the canals and Venice's breathtaking lagoon, looking through the panoramic windows of the main cabin, which doubles as a sitting room and kitchen.

"If a person can clearly pilot the boat and establish himself as a good skipper, there is no reason why they cannot go further afield to explore the rivers of Italy," Ms Pulè said, adding the company was preparing 15 itineraries for those wanting to stick to Venice.

The houseboat was the brainchild of Mrs Pulè who yesterday ended up soaked as she smashed a bottle of champagne in the traditional boat-naming ceremony at the marina of the Excelsior Hotel, in Floriana.

Mrs Pulè said the first houseboat would be moored at the marina Darsena DEC, about five kilometres from Venice's city centre. The boat has been specifically designed for the shallow waters of the Venetian lagoon.