Coast Guard, cruise lines join Bahamas relief efforts

U.S, Coast Guard photograph

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Hurricane Dorian response operations continue in support of the Bahamas.  As of Friday at 9 a.m., Coast Guard crews had rescued 205 people in the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian began.

The Coast Guard is conducting air operations based out of Andros Island, Bahamas. Seven MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters and five MH-65 Dolphin helicopters are conducting search and rescue missions, area assessments and providing logistical support.

Eight Coast Guard cutters are staged near the Bahamas ready to engage in Hurricane Dorian response efforts.

The Coast Guard advises mariners to not attempt voyages into the Northern Bahamas until further notice due to the devastating effects of Hurricane Dorian. The Government of the Bahamas is currently assessing its northern ports and harbors to determine if they are safe to enter. There is a high risk of debris in the water, sunken vessels, and destroyed or missing aids to navigation and pier facilities. There is also a risk of chemical spills and changes to the topography/hydrology in ports and marinas from the prolonged winds and storm surge of the Category 5 hurricane.

The Coast Guard is supporting the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency and the Royal Bahamian Defense Force, who are leading search and rescue efforts in the Bahamas.

CRUISE INDUSTRY PROMISES MASSIVE AID

The cruise industry is promising massive aid to the Bahamas.

Carnival Corporation is partnerubg with Tropical Shipping and rhe 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.

Tropical Shipping, which will serve as an approved clearinghouse and distribution center for non-profit organizations, schools, businesses and residents of Broward County, Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County to expedite timely delivery of donated food and goods collected in the local South Florida community. The effort, funded by both companies, 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 the Bahamas for over 50 years, will stock and then ship and directly deliver the containers to NEMA in The Bahamas. Carnival Corporation, along with its nine cruise line brands, will cover shipping costs, as well as provide food and supplies as part of the overall effort.

“This is the first part of many efforts to provide support and assistance to The Bahamas where it is most needed,” said Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald.

As part of those efforts, Carnival Cruise Line has announced that two ships departing from U.S. homeports next week will make stops in Freeport to distribute food, water and relief supplies.

The stops at Freeport to deliver supplies 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 departing Sept. 9.

Additionally, Carnival Corporation’s philanthropic arm, Carnival Foundation, and its nine global cruise line brands together with the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, have pledged to donate $2 million in funding and in-kind support for hurricane relief efforts in The Bahamas.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, today announced the relaunch of Hope Starts Here, the company’s hurricane relief campaign in partnership with All Hands and Hearts, and pledged a minimum commitment of $1 million toward immediate short-term relief for those affected by Hurricane Dorian.

The company has also vowed to match donations dollar-for-dollar to assist with rebuilding efforts across the Bahamas, including debris cleanup and removal, and the delivery of supplies and temporary shelters.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is also coordinating with local Bahamian authorities to bring needed provisions to the affected areas, as quickly and as humanly possible. On Sept. 5, Norwegian Breakaway departed Miami with hurricane relief supplies donated by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings 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, to be delivered to Nassau, Great Harbor Cay, and the company’s private island Great Stirrup Cay,

Royal Caribbean is committing $1 million to Dorian disaster relief, and ITM—its partner in the Holistica joint venture that is developing the Grand Lucayan resort in Freeport—is also donating an additional $100,000.

To make sure its donations go where they can do the most good, it is collaborating with the Bahamian government and our non-profit partner, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and a network of Bahamian charities and other local organizations, including the Bahamas Feeding Network.

Royal Caribbean says it is “loading all kinds of goods onto its ships— generators, water, cleaning supplies, clean sheets, towels, and more—for direct delivery to the Bahamas.

SEACOR COMMITS TO RELIEF EFFORT

It is not only cruise lines that are contributing to the relief effort. SEACOR Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CKH), in partnership with its wholly-owned subsidiary, SEACOR Island Lines, has announced a commitment of $250,000 in financial aid and in-kind logistics services to non-profit relief agencies supporting the Bahamas in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. The commitment also includes direct funding by SEACOR for the provision of food staples, basic construction materials and portable power generation units.

“SEACOR stands with its colleagues and friends affected by Hurricane Dorian. We have a long-standing history serving the Bahamas and we are committed to helping with the response and rebuild following this devastating natural disaster,” said Eric Fabrikant, Chief Operating Officer of SEACOR Holdings Inc.

SEACOR Island Lines is actively working with Bahamian officials and U.S. government agencies to assess the extent of the Hurricane’s impact on local waterways and port infrastructure. Chief Executive Officer of SEACOR Island Lines, Mike LaFleur stated that: “We have been a dedicated provider of scheduled shipping services into the Bahamas, including the Abacos for more than 20 years. We are currently in dialogue with the Bahamian authorities to ensure safe and coordinated resumption of operations.”