Carnival Corp., Arisons pledge $2m to help Bahamas

$1m from Carnival Foundation and nine cruise brands

Carnival Foundation and the company's nine cruise brands — Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises Australia and P&O Cruises — are pledging a total of $1m in monetary and in-kind donations in support of immediate relief and recovery efforts.

$1m from Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation

Carnival Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine are matching the corporation's commitment with a $1m donation from their Foundation.

‘We are fully committed to supporting the critical relief and recovery efforts already under way for the Bahamas, and we are working closely with officials and affected communities to identify the needs for support and assistance,’ said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corp. ‘Our company has always been closely tied to the Bahamas with a rich history spanning many years, so it's heart-breaking to see the impact of Hurricane Dorian, and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of the Bahamas.’

Donald added the conviction that Bahamians will ‘overcome, rebuild and recover, and we look forward to supporting their efforts.’

Support for Direct Relief

A portion of the combined pledge will immediately go to support efforts being managed by Direct Relief, an international humanitarian organization that provides critical medications and supplies during emergency situations. Direct Relief is currently assembling and delivering requested medical aid and additional emergency medical caches with first-aid supplies to the affected areas in the Bahamas.

In addition, Carnival Corp. and its brands are working together with local officials, community leaders and key relief and recovery organizations to identify the most timely and urgent relief needs and immediate allocations for additional funds and support.

Partnership with Tropical Shipping and NEMA

Separately, the company today announced an effort to collect and deliver food and supplies donated in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties for the people of the Bahamas, through a partnership with Tropical Shipping and The Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The effort, funded by 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.

See also '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’