The luxury yacht Christina O, which is moored at Chatham Docks. Picture Melanie Wright

by Alan McGuinness

It might look more at home adorning the sun-kissed waters of Monte Carlo, but a luxury yacht that has hosted presidents and prime ministers will be temporarily calling the choppy waters of the River Medway home.

Christina O is moored at Chatham Docks, in a berth owned by Total Ship Services.

The 300ft vessel, which can reach a speed of 19 knots, has a rich and fascinating history.

Its guest list reads like a who's who of high society.

John F. Kennedy, Sir Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe (pictured right), Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Maria Callas have all graced its sumptuous suites and bars.

It has been the site of tempestuous love affairs and high power meetings of the world's elite.

Frank Sinatra played the piano onboard and Churchill and Kennedy first met on its decks.

The food served up was legendary, with one of the world's most famous restaurants, Don Alfonso 1890, responsible for guests enjoying haute cuisine worth writing home about.

The yacht started life as a Canadian frigate called HMCS Stormont and saw action in the D-Day landings.

It was acquired by Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis after the Second World War.

He changed its name to Christina, after his daughter, and set about spending a small fortune converting it into a vessel that oozed opulence and grandeur.

The dining room, which has been frequented by the likes of John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Sir Winston Churchill. Picture Melanie Wright

On board there is a restaurant offering Michelin star cuisine, a swimming pool that converts to a dancefloor, a library, music lounge and spa.

Upon his death in 1975, Mr Onassis bequeathed the yacht to his daughter, who in turn donated it to the Greek government.

It was rechristened Argo, but fell into a state of decay.

In 1998 it was bought by a Greek shipowner, John Paul Papanicolaou, who had sailed on Christina as a child.

He changed her name to Christina O in tribute to Mr Onassis.

A major refurbishment costing more than £30 million restored her to her former glory, and now Christina O is available for charter through an Irish consortium.

Melanie Wright, who runs a sports injury clinic, got a tantalising glimpse of what the yacht has to offer when she got a glimpse on board.

The 49-year-old, from Rainham, spotted the vessel in the docks and decided to try to explore it. She was told it is due to set sail for the Mediterranean in May.

The winding staircase onboard Christina O. Picture: Melanie Wright

Class, beauty and opulence. Melanie Wright took a tour of the vessel.

A woman walks into a bar, so the saying goes…sort of.

Actually, an ordinary woman, definitely no ordinary bar.

Seated at Ari's Bar, I am sharing the invisible breath of John F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Prince Ranier and Princess Grace of Monaco, Winston Churchill, Maria Callas and other icons of the last century.

Opulence isn’t a big enough word to describe her stunning beauty. Standing gracefully amid the industrial cranes and warehousing, weeds and rain, it’s onboard that you realise what the word "class" was invented for.

Think thick cream carpets, Persian rugs and stunning sofas, ornate wall and lamp lighting.

Stretch your mind to fabulous pianos, stylish artwork, framed Time magazine covers, personal photographs and a spiral staircase to heaven.

In a pre-austerity period of decadence and largesse, she became the luxury super yacht of her day – and this long before we’d ever heard of an oligarch and Chelsea Football Club had players called Stan, Les, Peter and Derek.

The scene on the deck of Christina O. Picture Melanie Wright

There are swimming pools and there are swimming pools.

This one, with gorgeous handcrafted mosaic floor and bronzed surrounding mantle, is definitely for the designer swimwear and sunglass type.

It is a pool for looking good in.

Christina O's famous guests would have let their coiffured hair down on the dancefloor before moving indoors to one of the sumptuous suites.

If you care to tinkle on the ivories – several pianos are dotted around the suites – you could be following in the fingertips of Frank Sinatra.

Imagine the knees-up there!

The guest bedroom suites, decorated with beautiful wood furniture, are big enough to swing several cats and offer privacy on a luxurious scale.

The Onassis suite houses a library, a huge fireplace, several comfy (read expensive) armchairs and an en suite worth marrying for money (read divorce settlement).

And in case you've forgotten, as we emerge back out on the quayside, we're in Chatham.