LONDON (Reuters) - South Africa, short of accommodation for nearly half a million fans expected to flock to next year's soccer World Cup, plans to use cruise liners as floating hotels.

International soccer officials have identified transport and accommodation as two areas where improvements are needed as South Africa prepares to host the finals for the first time in Africa next June.

South African Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said that Portugal, hosts of the 2004 European championship, had made successful use of cruise ships.

'They are going to be quite important, especially for 2010, both as people movers and even as accommodation,' Mr Ndebele told Reuters on Wednesday during a visit to London.

He said that officials in South Africa were getting a good response from shipping companies. He did not say how many ships would be used as 'floating hotels', but expected them to be moored in Durban and Cape Town.

Mr Ndebele said that South Africa was on course to make the World Cup a success for the 450,000 foreign visitors expected in the country, despite the misgivings about transport and accommodation.

'The world wants a successful World Cup and we are quite confident we are going to deliver it. We have delivered already quite major events in South Africa,' he said.

The country had hosted the Confederations Cup, seen as a trial run for the World Cup. 'It was a spectacular success,' Mr Ndebele said.

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