Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Carnival, Tropical Shipping to deliver South Florida's Bahamas donations

tropical shipping containers
Tropical Shipping will stock and then ship and directly deliver the containers to NEMA in the Bahamas PHOTO: Tropical Shipping
Carnival Corp. & plc formed a partnership with Tropical Shipping and The Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to collect and deliver NEMA-approved food and supplies donated in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties for the people of The Bahamas.

Clearinghouse for donated food and goods

Tropical Shipping will serve as an approved clearinghouse and distribution center for nonprofit organizations, schools, businesses and residents of the three counties to expedite timely delivery of donated food and goods collected in the South Florida community.

The effort, funded Carnival Corp. and Tropical Shipping, will work in partnership with NEMA to provide immediate assistance to the people of the Bahamas where it is most needed.

Tropical Shipping, which has provided freight shipping to and from the Caribbean and Bahamas for more than 50 years, will stock and then ship and directly deliver the containers to NEMA in the Bahamas. Carnival Corp., along with its nine cruise line brands, will cover shipping costs, and provide food and supplies as part of the overall effort.

Outpouring of requests to help

‘We have received an outpouring of calls and emails from concerned individuals, local leaders, nonprofit groups and the South Florida business community asking how they can provide support to the Bahamas,’ said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp. ‘By working together, we can collectively provide much-needed food and supplies to people in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane.’

Chairman Rick Murrell said Tropical Shipping is honored to partner with Carnival Corp. is this community-wide effort to assist neighbors in the Bahamas.

‘Our two companies have worked together for many years on logistics in the region and on helping with weather-related events,’ Murrell added. ‘This initiative is as an opportunity to work together with countless others to provide support when and where it is most needed.’

What's needed

The list of NEMA-approved donated food and supplies ranges from ready-to-eat meals, first-aid items, tents and cots to portable generators, water purification kits, blankets, towels and batteries, among many other items. A full list is here.

Drop-off locations for donations include the Miami-Dade County Main Library, Stephen P. Clarke Center, Joseph Caleb Center and Office of Emergency Management Warehouse, all in Miami-Dade, as well as Tropical Shipping Cargo Receiving Location in Miami and in West Palm Beach.

Inquiries: [email protected].

Appreciation from elected officials

‘As a descendent of the Abaco Islands, I am particularly grateful to Carnival Corporation for this magnanimous humanitarian effort,’ said Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson. ‘I have been in conversation with the corporation for some time about how it can help the Bahamian diaspora both preserve its heritage here in Miami and enhance its longstanding partnership with the nation's tourism industry.

‘Carnival Corporation's generous support in response to Hurricane Dorian's assault on the islands is an extension of an existing friendship and I look forward to working with the organization, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis, our consul general, county and city mayors and commissioners to provide relief during this devastating period.’

‘Our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation are extended to Carnival Corporation and Tropical Shipping for their humanitarian efforts in the time of loss and devastation to our neighbors in the Bahamas and its people,’ said Chairwoman Audrey M. Edmonson, Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.

See also 'Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings promises $1m to help Bahamas,' 'Carnival Corp., Arisons pledge $2m to help Bahamas,' ‘Royal Caribbean commits $1m to Bahamas recovery,’ ‘Walt Disney Co. pledges $1m-plus for Bahamas hurricane relief’ and ‘Our hearts go out to the Bahamas’