Cruise ships from Norwegian and Royal Caribbean are bringing supplies to the Bahamas to help victims of Hurricane Dorian
- Cruise lines that operate in the Caribbean are using their ships to help the Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.
- Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Bahamas Paradise are sending ships to the islands filled with food and supplies, and in some cases are bringing over volunteers as well.
- The hurricane has devastated the islands and damage to airports is hindering relief efforts. Thousands of people are still missing, one official has warned of an "unimaginable" death toll.
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Cruise ship companies are sending vessels to the Bahamas to help victims of Hurricane Dorian, which slammed into the islands as a Category 5 storm on Sunday.
The hurricane sat stationary over the islands for a day and a half, with winds of up to 185 miles per hour (298 kilometers per hour) and a storm surge of up to 23 feet. Joy Jibrilu, the director general of the the Bahamas' tourism and aviation ministry, told CNN that "literally hundreds, up to thousands, of people are still missing" as of Friday morning. One father said his young son was swept away in the water.
So far, 30 people have been reported dead, but Jibrilu said "the public needs to prepare for unimaginable information about the death toll and the human suffering."
Relief efforts so far been hampered by damage and flooding to the country's airports. So to aid recovery work, three companies - Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Bahamas Paradise - have sent ships loaded with supplies. All three companies offer cruises to the Bahamas or frequently use the islands as a stop for their guests and often employ local people.
Two companies will each spend $1 million on disaster relief
Royal Caribbean said it is committing $1 million to disaster relief efforts, and is matching staff and employee donations. So far, the company has sent its Empress of the Seas ship to bring "relief supplies and 20,000 daily meals to the Freeport, Bahamas community." on Thursday.
Royal Caribbean plans to use more of its ships to do the same in the coming days, and also said it's sending container ships loaded with "47,000 bottles of water, 362 generators, 250 tarps, 25,000 square feet of plywood, 55,400 diapers and 7,500 pounds of pet food."
The company said the relief work is being done with the Bahamian government the Pan American Development Foundation, and other local charity organizations.
Norwegian also pledged to spend $1 million to help the islands. The company sent its Breakaway ship over with relief supplies collected by its employees and a handful of Florida-based organizations.
"We have been cruising to these islands for over 50 years and remain committed to [their] wonderful people during this unprecedented event," Frank Del Rio, the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, said in a statement.
The Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, meanwhile, sent its Grand Celebration ship loaded with food, water, and supplies. It also transported some people from the Bahamas who were in Florida, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Volunteer medics and first responders were also on the ship, The Palm Beach Post reported.
Read more: Satellite photos show the vast scale of the flooding caused by Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas
Bahamas Paradise said it is accepting donations through the Mission Revolve charity, and that people can bring donation items, like canned food, building supplies, and water, to its Rivera Beach warehouse in Florida.
Cruise lines were forced to alter their schedules this week to avoid the hurricane, leaving some passengers stuck at sea.
- Read more about Hurricane Dorian: