20,000 meals a day from Royal Caribbean/Celebrity
Empress of the Seas was to arrive Thursday morning at Freeport with 10,000 meals, a number that Royal Caribbean hoped to double with the deliveries by Symphony of the Seas and Celebrity Equinox on Friday.
‘We’re rolling up our sleeves and delivering over 20,000 meals a day, plus water, medical supplies, generators and other necessities. In addition, we’ve sent a team of specially trained RCL employees and volunteers to assist with logistics and food and beverage efforts,’ the company said.
‘Our mission is that every one of our vessels in the Bahamas area continues to provide assistance by delivering supplies, plus helping evacuate children, elderly or those that need immediate medical attention, to Nassau hospitals via tenders.’
Grand Celebration
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s Grand Celebration was due to sail Thursday night to Freeport, loaded with food, water and other supplies, as well as first responders and volunteers. The Port of Palm Beach-based ship was also transporting Bahamians who were stranded in South Florida during Dorian. Grand Celebration is due to return to Palm Beach on Saturday.
Two Carnival ships will stop at Freeport next week to distribute food, water and relief supplies.
Carnival Pride and Carnival Liberty
The deliveries will be part of Carnival Pride’s seven-day cruise from Baltimore departing Sept. 8 and Carnival Liberty’s four-day cruise from Port Canaveral sailing Sept. 9.
These efforts are in addition to supplies being transported to the Bahamas via the already announced agreement with Tropical Shipping and The Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency to deliver items donated by South Florida residents. A container vessel with the first shipment of supplies departed for Freeport Thursday evening.
Carnival has also asked employees and passengers to join the effort through online giving tools and over the next few days will ramp up a donation program at its US homeports as travelers embark their cruises. Organizations supported by these online efforts include Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen.
Norwegian Breakaway
Norwegian Breakaway departed Miami on Thursday with supplies donated by the company and its employees, in addition to items collected by the City of Miami, Baptist Health South Florida, the 305 Gives Back foundation and other Miami-based organizations. These will be delivered to Nassau, Great Harbor Cay and Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay.
Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy
MSC Group
