While many travelers prepping for an island vacation had their cruise plans put on hold as Hurricane Irma brewed, several of those cruise lines have once again disembarked, this time to deliver supplies and pick up those stranded in the Caribbean.
Ships operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean departed this weekend to bring supplies and rescue thousands of people stranded on islands affected by the hurricane.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line announced Sunday that it would deploy its Norwegian Sky to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands to bring supplies and assist in all efforts taking place on the island.
The ship is expected to pick up about 2,000 people from St. Thomas who were unable to depart the island prior to the Hurricane Irma’s arrival.
Norwegian also notes that its Escape ship was en route to Miami Sunday, sailing with approximately 4,000 displaced guests that were unable to secure flights home before the storm. The ship was located near Cozumel, Mexico awaiting word on when Port Miami reopens.
As for the company’s future trips, until further notice, any ship scheduled to traverse the Eastern Caribbean will be rerouted to the Western Caribbean itinerary until November.
Royal Caribbean
Two ships packed with supplies from Royal Caribbean has been mobilized to assist those in need in the Caribbean, the company said Monday.
On Sunday, Adventure of the Seas made a humanitarian stop in St. Maarten, while Majesty of the Seas is scheduled to make humanitarian calls in St. Thomas and St. Maarten to provide supplies and also assist in transporting evacuees to safety.
The company notes that it also has another ship — Empress of the Seas — ready to assist residents in Key West once the impact of the storm is known.
As a result of the storm and the damage sustained on many islands in the Caribbean, the cruise company notes that its Sept. 13 Cuba cruise and Sept. 15 Bahamas cruise have been canceled.
Customers scheduled for these trips will receive a full refund and a 25% credit for a future cruise if booked in the next 30 days.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist