The MiamiHerald.com and other news outlets are reporting that Carnival Cruise Line is offering cruise ships to help with Coronavirus response efforts.
“Carnival Corporation is offering the U.S. government its cruise ships to use as hospitals for non-COVID-19 patients in an effort to free up space in land-based hospitals for those suffering from the disease.
President Donald Trump said he spoke with Carnival Corp. chairman Micky Arison Thursday morning about the possibility of using the cruise company’s ships as part of the federal COVID-19 pandemic response.
“One of the things that happened this morning, I spoke with Micky Arison at Carnival Cruise Lines and he’s going to make ships available. So in addition to the big medical ships that you have coming, if we should need ships, lots of rooms, they’ll be docked at New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco, different places. So I want to thank Micky Arison, that’s Carnival Cruise Lines,” Trump said.”
You may recall that cruise ships were used for Hurricane Katrina relief. NBCNews reported on 9/3/2005 the following, “Federal officials are chartering three of Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships for six months, part of a plan to provide shelter for as many as 7,000 people displaced by devastating Hurricane Katrina.
The three ships — the Ecstasy, Sensation and Holiday — will be pulled from regular use starting Monday.
Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said Saturday from Miami, where the corporation is based, that it does not disclose the price of charter contracts, and it would be difficult to tell precisely many trips will be canceled.”
I’m glad that Carnival’s Micky Arison has offered the ships to help during the Coronavirus crisis. It’s clear that hospitals could be overwhelmed by seriously ill Americans, so it makes sense that cruise ships could be used for lesser sick individuals.
Click on the links below for the stories referenced above:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article241336261.html
https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-cruise-ships-may-be-used-as-floating-hospitals/
