Royal Caribbean and NCL helping in Hurricane aid

[buggins0402]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172281352.html

[easyboy]

Good to know that the cruise lines have social concerns, not just plain business.

 

 

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[Keith1010]

Great news.

 

Keith

[sail7seas]

I hope they pitch in with some of the ports to help in rebuilding. The cruise lines need these island s and the islands need the cruise ships. Without restored infrastructure, the ships may not be able to sell many excursions oor get interest of cruisers to book cruises stopping at islands with severe damage..

[leaveitallbehind]

This is not a widely known fact, unfortunately, but the cruise lines will use their ships to aid in relief deliveries where possible. Often they are criticized for continuing business as soon as possible after disasters such as this occur as it is not realized that they are providing aid as well.

 

As example, a few years ago with the severe earthquake in Haiti, RCI and Celebrity continued their port of call at Labadee where with each docking they were unloading pallets of relief supplies that were then trucked to the damage zone. I know this first hand as we were on such an itinerary several weeks after the earthquake and witnessed this.

[nhsails]

We've been cruising since early 80's and the major lines have always done this since at least then. We're in Hawaii when a fishing ship and freighter crashed, Princess rerouted to help rescue. Look how frequently they hovto help when a passenger his overboard.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful news!!

[pseudoware]

Good to know that the cruise lines have social concerns, not just plain business.

 

 

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They've succumb to pier pressure.

 

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[sfaaa]

So where is the UN ? Nowhere to be seen as usual.

[leaveitallbehind]

So where is the UN ? Nowhere to be seen as usual.

 

Where do you think they should be? The Dutch and French govern St. Martin, the US supports the US Virgin Islands, Great Britain supports the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos. Wouldn't those nations be responsible to provide aid to those islands? Only Antigua and Barbuda are independent. And even if the UN were deemed responsible to assist, don't you think it may take a few days to organize a relief effort?

[LHT28]

We've been cruising since early 80's and the major lines have always done this since at least then. We're in Hawaii when a fishing ship and freighter crashed, Princess rerouted to help rescue. Look how frequently they hovto help when a passenger his overboard.

That is part of the rules of the sea

 

Maritime Law

 

Closest ship MUST go to the rescue

[CruiserBruce]

So where is the UN ? Nowhere to be seen as usual.

And you know this factually, or just because you haven't seen them on the news? You know that any action the UN takes is by approval of, and funded by, the member countries. The UN doesn't have a stack of money just sitting around for disaster relief, unless the member countries fund it, and approve the spending.

[Extra Kim]

This is not a widely known fact, unfortunately, but the cruise lines will use their ships to aid in relief deliveries where possible. Often they are criticized for continuing business as soon as possible after disasters such as this occur as it is not realized that they are providing aid as well.

After the tsunami in 2004 one of the biggest problems in Thailand and other places in Asia where tourism is one of the biggest income source was that the tourism didn't pick up again the months after the tsunami. Thailand is one of the biggest holiday destinations for Swedes during the winter, but a lot of people didn't go because they thought that it wouldn't be morally right to do so. But in the end the people of Thailand got another set back because of it.

 

The Caribbean Islands that have been hit by Irma will be needing the tourism to get back on their feet again.

[chengkp75]

That is part of the rules of the sea

 

Maritime Law

 

Closest ship MUST go to the rescue

 

There is a caveat to this, the Captain of the responding vessel is under no obligation to do anything that places his ship, crew, or passengers/cargo at risk.

[DirtyDawg]

After the tsunami in 2004 one of the biggest problems in Thailand and other places in Asia where tourism is one of the biggest income source was that the tourism didn't pick up again the months after the tsunami. Thailand is one of the biggest holiday destinations for Swedes during the winter, but a lot of people didn't go because they thought that it wouldn't be morally right to do so. But in the end the people of Thailand got another set back because of it.

 

The Caribbean Islands that have been hit by Irma will be needing the tourism to get back on their feet again.

 

In the article the OP sited it mentioned one of NCL's ships will only sail the Western Caribbean routes this Fall because of the damage to the Eastern ports. With airports damaged too, the economies of theses islands will be hard hit over the next few months. I hope all those workers in the tourist industries have some carpentry or other construction skills because that's were the work is going to be in the next few months, not serving Pina Coladas or selling jewelry.

[DirtyDawg]

Good to know that the cruise lines have social concerns, not just plain business.

 

They've succumb to pier pressure.

 

pseudowave, you're a bigger cynic than I am. I didn't think that was possible.:D

 

I agree with easyboy that it's a nice 'social concern' move by the cruise lines that just happens to have a great PR and Marketing bonus. Those tourists they rescue from the islands are all potential customers in the right demographic (i.e. they have the disposable income to travel and they like the region) and the help they bring to the islands' populations is a good PR move as they will need local help getting the ports back up and running so both parties can resume their business.

[SRF]

I hope all those workers in the tourist industries have some carpentry or other construction skills because that's were the work is going to be in the next few months, not serving Pina Coladas or selling jewelry.

 

Although, you don't need much to have a bar or sell jewelry. :D

[leaveitallbehind]

The Caribbean Islands that have been hit by Irma will be needing the tourism to get back on their feet again.

 

Agree completely. But with the extent of damage to St. Martin, for example, it will unfortunately likely be quite some time until the cruise lines will be able to dock there and Philipsburg and the rest of the island - including the airport - recovered enough to sustain tourism.

[NMLady]

They've succumb to pier pressure.

 

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Not true. They've helped after other disasters as well.

[Clarea]

They've succumb to pier pressure.

:loudcry:

[6rugrats]

They've succumb to pier pressure.

 

Appears this has gone right over most people's heads. :o

[Karysa]

Appears this has gone right over most people's heads. :o

 

 

Or perhaps they thought "too soon"

[6rugrats]

It's CC. If they thought that, they would've said it.

[NLH Arizona]

Or perhaps they thought "too soon"

Yes, way too soon for jokes.

[Markanddonna]

I saw photos and read stories about Americans, Canadians, Europeans and others standing in huge crowds on the tarmac at the St. Maarten airport waiting to be taken off the island before Jose comes. That island is at or close to anarchy. I hope that all are off the island by now.

 

I hope everyone remembers the two cruise lines that are helping out: RCCL and NCL. Carnival hasn't made up its mind and we haven't heard from the others. They need to step it up. Here was a quote:

 

"Carnival Cruise Line, the other major cruise line in the world, based in Doral, has not yet announced plans to participate in the relief effort:

Spokeswoman Jennifer De La Cruz said the line is reaching out to find out how best to help, and “active conversations and planning” are underway."

The people in St. Maarten were likely tourists on land based vacations. This turn of events shows that cruising is likely much safer when these natural disasters occur.