The cruise industry will stand with the nations of the Caribbean as they gather in New York City today to support business during difficult times…
The cruise industry will stand with the nations of the Caribbean as they gather in New York City today to support business during difficult times for some Caribbean nations in the aftermath of unprecedented hurricane activity. Cruise lines have donated millions of dollars and tons of relief supplies to support our hard hit friends and business partners and mitigate the damage from hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne since August 2004.
Cruise industry associations led by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) have been working with the cruise lines to gather and deliver supplies to the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. Collaborative efforts by the associations helped to gather and coordinate the delivery of needed supplies and lobby Congress for relief funds.
“While several of the nations in the Caribbean have been severely affected by the recent rash of hurricanes, we want people to be aware that much of the Caribbean is undamaged and we are continuing to visit many of our ports in the Caribbean,” said Michael Crye, president, ICCL.
“The cruise industry is committed to assisting our friends and partners in the Caribbean who have sustained damage – and as soon as allowed to have our cruise ships return, we’ll be there,” said Michele Paige, president, FCCA.
Individual cruise line hurricane relief efforts have included:
- Donation of needed supplies, including: bottled water, non-perishable food, clothing, linens, blankets, mattresses, flashlights, house supplies, cleaning supplies, generators, chain saws and tarps.
- Delivery of relief supplies by cruise ships during regular itineraries, even if passengers were not allowed to disembark
- Monetary donations either directly to Caribbean nations or through groups such as the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Caribbean Hotel Association
- Cruise ships returning to ports as soon as countries allowed, supporting local economies through tourism
The cruise industry is also asking Congress to allocate additional emergency relief funds to continue to assist the Caribbean in their recovery. It is estimated that after the hurricane season of 2004, reconstruction costs in the Caribbean could exceed $250 million. Total U.S. government humanitarian assistance to the Caribbean region totals over $3.8 million thus far. President Bush has requested from Congress that $50 million be allocated for international disaster and famine assistance funds in the Caribbean.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
