More ships needed for hurricane relief!

Seatrade Insider reports the MSC (Military Sealift Command) is looking for more passenger ships to help with hurricane relief. Something like a total of 25,000 berths are needed, and currently they have around 8000 with the three Carnival ships and the SCOTIA PRINCE.

Expect more cruise lines to step up to the plate soon.

Ernie

These people desperately need to be moved out of the areas that are destroyed. There are so many of them, the poor souls. :(

Although I'm set to cruise on the Zenith next month I would not be upset if Celebrity decides to offer her for Katrina relief. Actually I would think highly of them for doing so ...

The victims and relief workers need all the help they can get ... and fast...

I am not really sure this is a good idea......25.000 beds is nothing when one considers that there are 250.000 homeless in Houston alone - it would be a drop on a hot stone and besides based on what critieria is someone going to get one of those few cabins while the vast magintude of people will be in places like the Astro Dome for the next couple of months. It seems unfair that some should get luxury while others (the vast majority) get the suffer with out any sort of privacy or way to secure the few belongings they still have while trying to put their lives back together.

It is just a thought.... as it just doesn't seem fair......and racial prejudice seems to rearing its ugly head again!!!

On another point cruising will probably become more expensive than ever

as there will simply not be enough beds to go around for paying pax. for about 6 months and then the ships being used as shelters will require a complete "make over" before returning to service. That might take up to another 6 months before all ships have returned to regular service.

Ok go ahead flame me for sharing my doubts in public......

Greece is offering two cruise ships to be used for housing. My guess is they are two ships picked up in bankruptcy. Doesn't matter, it's the offer that counts.

Greece is offering two cruise ships to be used for housing. My guess is they are two ships picked up in bankruptcy. Doesn't matter, it's the offer that counts.

I totally agree. I don't understand why some people are bashing Carnival for leasing ships to be used for the evacuees. It's still a good thing to do.

Terri

I totally agree. I don't understand why some people are bashing Carnival for leasing ships to be used for the evacuees. It's still a good thing to do.

 

Terri

First off, let me say I’m glad the evacuees are getting help.

People are bashing Carnival because they are charging $190 a day, per person. That seems opportunistic to a lot of people, including me.

My Nov. transatlantic on the Millennium is less per day than that.

First off, let me say I’m glad the evacuees are getting help.

 

 

People are bashing Carnival because they are charging $190 a day, per person. That seems opportunistic to a lot of people, including me.

 

 

My Nov. transatlantic on the Millennium is less per day than that.

I think people miss the point when they see the number of people that can be housed, sure 25,000 is small when compared to 250,000 but that is 10% of that group of evacuees, and that also lifts a huge strain on the local economies that are taking in evacuees. Not only that but now these ships can go where the resources are instead of figuring out the logistics of getting the necessities to people in one area. Everything is in one place, food, housing, medical, conference rooms for counseling, or for people to set up shop to go over placement or loan apps or whatever. Regarding the reimbursement process, I am not so sure that this was a true "negotiation". I imagine a room full of accountants from both ends going over some quick financials and then the feds making an offer which was probably accepted right away. The hardest thing to work out was the logistics of it all. You have to understand that the companies that go in to help are always compensated, the ones that are hurt financially are institutions whose responsibility it is to help, local municipalities, govt agencies, and so on. Their resources are stretched thin by it all. I have a crusie coming up in 4 weeks, and I wish my ship were housing them instead of pampering me.

 

People are bashing Carnival because they are charging $190 a day, per person. That seems opportunistic to a lot of people, including me.

 

My Nov. transatlantic on the Millennium is less per day than that.

Granted $190 a day seems like a lot, but you have to factor in the loss of revenue from shore excursions, alcohol sales, photographs, onboard shopping, internet access & spa treatments and I don't know that they are actually making much money on this.

Terri

Granted $190 a day seems like a lot, but you have to factor in the loss of revenue from shore excursions, alcohol sales, photographs, onboard shopping, internet access & spa treatments and I don't know that they are actually making much money on this.

Terri

Have no guess as to how much the cruise line is losing per diem for this jesture, but the amount of global Public Relations influx it will get is worth its weight in gold.

Dianne

Have no guess as to how much the cruise line is losing per diem for this jesture, but the amount of global Public Relations influx it will get is worth its weight in gold.

 

Dianne

Dianne - I agree, and I think they should. I don't think they are doing this just to be the good guys, but it is a good thing they are doing and I think they should get credit for that.

Terri

As they make an announcement last night that Seniors & Women with young children will be boarding buses tomorrow morning to be taken to Galveston TX to board 2 Carnival cruise ships. This morning the buses are empty.

200 pilots with private planes show to fly evacuees to homes in all the States. They had the line of folks wanting to leave. 1100 homes in Cleveland are now filled. Fox News has a major list of .org sites with room for folks with homes or apartments for folks.

The Mayor of New Orleans announced to folks still in their homes that they have to leave & no food or water will be taken to them. What an idiot he is when people are staying with their posessions that they worked hard for so the looters don't get it. Even the Coast Guard wants nothing to do with helicopters in N O with the gunfire every night. So now they are in the parishes getting folks. N O still burns daily & the film from night time is spooky with all the flames all over. SICK JERKS THERE!!!!

Just came from the Carnival board, and it is unbelievable what people are saying about them. I'm going to sue! My vacaton is ruined! OK, what about the ruined LIVES of the folks of NOLA? The egotism and insensitivity of some people is unfathomable.

According to MSNBC and Fox News, the plans to use the cruise ships are on hold because the evacuees are refusing to go on the ships. For the life of me, I don't understand why they are all refusing to leave the Astrodome and go to a place where they can have private rooms, bathrooms and three meals a day. They are using the excuse that they want to stay in the Dome and wait to go back to NO. Rather sad.......

Ah yes, the insensitivity of those folks complaining about Carnival shafting them for more money while those poor people of NOLA need those ships. But now our tax dollars are paying $1,324,000 per DAY and the evacuees won't go on the ships, preferring to stay at the Astrodome.

According to MSNBC and Fox News, the plans to use the cruise ships are on hold because the evacuees are refusing to go on the ships. For the life of me, I don't understand why they are all refusing to leave the Astrodome and go to a place where they can have private rooms, bathrooms and three meals a day. They are using the excuse that they want to stay in the Dome and wait to go back to NO. Rather sad.......

Some said they just didn't want to be near water for a while...makes sense to me.

Ah yes, the insensitivity of those folks complaining about Carnival shafting them for more money while those poor people of NOLA need those ships. But now our tax dollars are paying $1,324,000 per DAY and the evacuees won't go on the ships, preferring to stay at the Astrodome.

You can't please ANYONE these days.

I saw one comment that a woman wouldn go because she was afraid of water and couldn't swim. Geeze Louise - the are not going on a cruise and there will probably be no muster drill.

Some of the people wouldn;t leave their homes because they were afraid of looters - - like what Alligators in 20 ft of water -

I suspect that it is fear of the unknown - but as someone said - a private room with showers and three square meals a day - has got to be better than a cot in the Astrodome

Those of you grilling the cancelled Carnival pax for complaining should read thier post a bit more carefully & then you might understand why they too have every right to be upset......

Some pax have been paid in full for months & now Carnival wants to make a fast buck by telling them they cannot sail for the rates they have already paid for in full.... Oh yes they can rebook but at much higher prices (these have sky- rocketed since Saterday)and Military / Senior discounts on their original bookings would also not aply to there transfered bookings. Then there are the addional travel to the port expenses......The 100 USD OBC becomes a joke when one looks at it - especially those who were to sail from Galavston - not affect by the storm & still cancelled. I don't have to tell americans how little vacation times are & after planning for up to a year or longer and then have this happen - they should be entitled to bitch & complain a bit without having fellow unaffected cruisers call them selfish.....Cut these people a bit of slack lots of them are not going to have the vacation they dreamed of this year as a result..

Ok I guess I had better get off the famous soap box again

It sure is easy for all of us to judge everyone.:eek:

What is that saying about "You haven't Walked In My Shoes".

For the Americans who have said they don't want to go on a ship, just

take a step back and maybe realize they are still going through a traumatic

experience. Who are we to say how they are "supposed to react"?

many have new homes in various cities from CLE-LAS with FEMA vouchers for a FREE YEAR RENT. They have medical paid by the doctors treating them, the flights are volunteer pilots with planes who re reuniting lost families.

In the Astrodome, the Red Cross has laptop computers that they have entered families who are with them there in Houston & names of the missing family members. Then the other C locations goto this site many timea a day to see if they have the lost folks with them. If so then the plane picks up the folks in Houston to fly to Layfayette, LA to pick up the missing family members to take them to Las Vegas to live & work.

So folks are leaving as a family to new cities to build again what they had in NO never to return. And the Mayor of NO who is living at the Hyatt, tells the military to clear out the city of all people still in their homes. These folks are staying with what they worked hard to have not for looter or burners to take away. I feel for them.......... They have generators to keep food cold & plenty of wood to cook on, so leave them be.

I applaud anyone or any corporation for doing anything for the victums of any disaster. That said when I first heard about cruise ships being used I thought... THINK ABOUT IT!!!

Everyone on this board loves to cruise. We see cruise ships as a wonder way to visit exotic ports. I'm sure that everyone here also knows people who say that they would never set food on a ship.

THINK ABOUT the reality of a cruise ship. The cabins are small, the bathrooms are tiny and the plumbing (especially the toilets) are ...different. Think about being on a ship without the great food and entertainment. Think about being trapped on a ship.

Think about no laundry, or no way to get back to a normal life. Little things like seeing when you can cook for and provide for your family. Think about how crowded a ship is on a sea day and how it would be in the long term, not just for 7-10 days.

Then think about how you would feel about living on the water during hurricane season after Katrina. And with perhaps a little bit of sensitivity think about history where your anscestors came to this country in the holds of ships (this I didn't think about, an African-American friend pointed this out).

The ships could be used as houseing for relief workers or transport to other communities, but don't blame people for not wanting to enter another situation where they are trapped!!

A far better idea would be to use the closed military bases, especially in the neighbouring state.

Thes have all the facilities needed, space, houses, barrack blocks for "overflows" from extended families, ex PX's that could be stocked again by local big supermarket, large empty hangers that can be used for school/child care centres. Ex medical buildings that can be used for "free clinics" These places could use some of the "refugees" for staff, and so give them a wage which everyone will need.

The base has roads, water laid on (just need to be switched on), Electric again just needs to be switched on, empty office space to set up a Social Security office, and other buildings to house police or National Guard to keep order.

A cruise ship is NOT the answer , I know from hurricane hit Pt Charlotte last year, that rebuilding a normal regular house can take over a year (no materials, no contracters),it has been 13 months and people here are still trying to live in wrecked houses that have only a tarp for a roof, the tarps blow off even in ordinary storms. I went to get my daughter a permit to repair her house (minus roof, doors and windows, mould on the inside walls and water soaked furniture) Had all the 10 forms plans etc in a folder, I had to go through three clerks and it took 6 HOURS, just for the permit

Some business's have never been rebuilt.

The people of New Orleans need to get back some resemblence of normal living, and a cruise ship is not that. How do you house a family of five or six in the average cabin, how do they wash the large amount of clothes for their children, where on a ship can the children "go to school" , where do the families get an income etc. Living on a cruise ship in cramped conditions for weeks at a time will simply add to their mental instability.