Ships as temporary housing

[richrhon1]

Any thoughts as to if Carnival might utilize the Freedom/Breeze/Valor as temporary housing for those displaced by Harvey? It's happened in the past.

[bUU]

It wouldn't make sense in context. All four cruise ships affected still have guests aboard, mostly those waiting to get back to Galveston themselves, where perhaps they've parked their cars. Once they make it back to Galveston, the cruise lines have subsequent cruises already booked. They provide jobs and revenue to the area, and so getting the cruises back to operational status will be a priority. When cruise ships were used for housing after Katrina, it ended up costing a lot more than available alternatives (such as housing people in other Texas cities). It's just economically unwise.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092701960.html

[TruckerDave]

Plus if the port becomes unusable they can just temporally change the home ports of the ships. If I recall correctly, Carnival sent the New Orleans ship(s) to Galveston after Katrina for a while until the port of NOLA was back in operation.

[BallFour4]

None. The difference is storm surge destroyed the structures in NOLA and here we have rising water and flood damage. Water is gradually going down now. Second, the majority of homes flooded in the Houston area are inland. The Northwest corridor has been hit hard. Those areas are a 90 min travel to Galveston.

 

Also, no evacuees stepped aboard a cruise ship. Two Fantasy class ships were docked here in Galveston ready to go and one activist from within the Astrodome started a rumor of people being held against their will aboard the ships. None of them boarded a single bus for the ride to Galveston.

 

Carnival moved the ships to NOLA for housing for the relief workers, fire fighters and police and their families impacted by the storm.

 

Galveston will have normal cruise operations within a week once the channel is open. We were only down three sailings when Ike took a direct hit on us.

 

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[BallFour4]

Plus if the port becomes unusable they can just temporally change the home ports of the ships. If I recall correctly, Carnival sent the New Orleans ship(s) to Galveston after Katrina for a while until the port of NOLA was back in operation.

Actually it was the inverse. The ships from Galveston were sent to NOLA to house relief workers, fire fighters, police and their families. The evacuees refused to board the buses from the Astrodome and head to Galveston. I saw it unfold as a volunteer.

 

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[Loonbeam]

Besides financial, there are a couple of other reasons it won't happen...

 

Ships are not designed for this type of housing (where people will also have belongings, pets, etc). Rescue workers from out of town yes, but not residents). They also don't have the medical facilities needed, etc. While it could be worked out they would actually be lest than optimal, far less.

 

2> There's an optics issue - who gets the cruise ship suite as opposed to the cot in the convention center?

 

3> The limitations on access and necessary security (being at a port) make moving people in and out impractical.

[Micahs Grandad]

Actually it was the inverse. The ships from Galveston were sent to NOLA to house relief workers, fire fighters, police and their families. The evacuees refused to board the buses from the Astrodome and head to Galveston. I saw it unfold as a volunteer.

 

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As I recall the evacuees did a lot worse including trashing the Astrodome. Would imagine Carnival would be aware of what could happen to their ship.

[chengkp75]

As I recall the evacuees did a lot worse including trashing the Astrodome. Would imagine Carnival would be aware of what could happen to their ship.

 

And the cruise lines made an absolute fortune on these "charters", and I don't think FEMA wants to duplicate that, given their current financial straits.

[BallFour4]

As I recall the evacuees did a lot worse including trashing the Astrodome. Would imagine Carnival would be aware of what could happen to their ship.

You'd be correct. We served a lot of meals, looked at a lot of sad kids faces...

 

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[BallFour4]

And the cruise lines made an absolute fortune on these "charters", and I don't think FEMA wants to duplicate that, given their current financial straits.

Agreed! And they built those garish balcony cabins that look like Legos on the side of Fantasy class ships after.

 

 

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[richrhon1]

Hopefully FEMA won't be bringing in mold infested trailers to house those displaced like they did in NOLA

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

IF Carnival was to charter out any ships, I'm sure it would be some Fantasy class ships. I don't think they'd charter the larger revenue making ships, unless FEMA of government is willing to pay.

[bUU]

Hopefully FEMA won't be bringing in mold infested trailers to house those displaced like they did in NOLA

Given the budget cuts, do they still even have mold-infested trailers?

[llachance]

Most of the mold infested trailers were sold on the secondary market - with the caveat that they had issues.

[winddawn]

I saw on the news early this morning officials have already made arrangements and positioned supplies to support responders who will be helping victims. Cots are already set up and supplies in place to support those first responders.

 

Maybe that just suggests, and this is just me speculating, that Texas officials are better prepared now than Louisiana officials were during Katrina.

[Purvis1231]

After Katrina Carnival made a lot of money renting out their ships. If the opportunity comes up. I am sure Carnival will jump on it.

[Thorncroft]

After Katrina Carnival made a lot of money renting out their ships. If the opportunity comes up. I am sure Carnival will jump on it.

 

I seriously doubt that it happens again.

[Thorncroft]

These Mississippi Cottages were MEMA's answer to the infamous formaldehyde infested FEMA trailers. Cheap, fast and actually useful after the emergency. Most were sold off after use and turned into creative, permanent housing.

[dave_k58]

Any thoughts as to if Carnival might utilize the Freedom/Breeze/Valor as temporary housing for those displaced by Harvey? It's happened in the past.

I believe Carnival used the Ecstasy as a " shelter" in NOLA during Katrina. It took a long time to fix it up after that experience.

[BallFour4]

I believe Carnival used the Ecstasy as a " shelter" in NOLA during Katrina. It took a long time to fix it up after that experience.

No evacuees were aboard a Carnival ship unless they were firefighters, police and rescue workers and their families. Carnival seized the opportunity to do a major refit of the ship after. Those people did no damage to the ship.

 

 

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[Boozebabe]

It wouldn't make sense in context. All four cruise ships affected still have guests aboard, mostly those waiting to get back to Galveston themselves, where perhaps they've parked their cars. Once they make it back to Galveston, the cruise lines have subsequent cruises already booked. They provide jobs and revenue to the area, and so getting the cruises back to operational status will be a priority. When cruise ships were used for housing after Katrina, it ended up costing a lot more than available alternatives (such as housing people in other Texas cities). It's just economically unwise.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092701960.html

I would think most of those workers and employees may have lost their homes and every possession and loading peoples bags onto a cruise ship etc. may be the last thing they are thinking about. How are they supposed to get to the port? their cars are flooded. I'm sure the cruise company warehouses are flooded. And how can semis get to them to deliver goods? I think its going to be a few cruises before they can sail again. I'll be surprised if its sooner.

[Thorncroft]

No evacuees were aboard a Carnival ship unless they were firefighters, police and rescue workers and their families. Carnival seized the opportunity to do a major refit of the ship after. Those people did no damage to the ship.

 

 

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Holiday did house evacuees on onboard in Pascagoula MS.

[Boozebabe]

Given the budget cuts, do they still even have mold-infested trailers?

Last summer on a trip to Florida we passed thousands and thousands of trailers parked in huge lots off the interstate. No definitive idea who actually owned them but it sure looked like government land from the signs we saw.

[BallFour4]

Holiday did house evacuees on onboard in Pascagoula MS.

You're right. Here's a link about the controversy from the ships in Galveston. As volunteers we were baffled they didn't want to leave.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/16/us/nationalspecial/cruise-ships-spurned-by-evacuees-are-home-to-displaced.html

 

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[Sk8ermaiden]

I would think most of those workers and employees may have lost their homes and every possession and loading peoples bags onto a cruise ship etc. may be the last thing they are thinking about. How are they supposed to get to the port? their cars are flooded. I'm sure the cruise company warehouses are flooded. And how can semis get to them to deliver goods? I think its going to be a few cruises before they can sail again. I'll be surprised if its sooner.

 

Galveston is not really in bad shape. As I understand from where I sit they had some street flooding. They didn't get hit by storm surge or winds.

 

The interstates in Houston clear after a few dry days. The city will be recovering for years, but the biggest roads will be navigable soon. They are already drying out.

 

I could be totally wrong, I don't know where all the workers live, or where the warehouses are (but if the answer is Galveston, then they're fine), but I know cruises resumed almost immediately post-Ike which, unlike Harvey, was actually devastating to the island. I know that getting back to normal business is crucial for the city's economy. As I sit in my home tonight, praying the bayous in my neighborhood don't go out of banks, I still would not be surprised, at all, if the cruise sails this weekend.