Fire fighters and other first responders in Australia and California will soon get to enjoy free cruises on board two Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCCL) ships that are being exiled from Asia due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
The Miami-based cruise giant said over the weekend that it was redeploying its 91,000-gt cruiseship Celebrity Millennium (built 2000) to California and its 169,000-gt Spectrum of the Seas (built 2019) to Australia where both ships would operate free cruises for fire-fighters and first-responders fighting bush fires that have devastated both regions.
RCCL said that the coronavirus outbreak has caused pain and disruption around the world and it is a stark reminder of the hurt that these terrible events can bring .
"When things go wrong, this is a company that wants to find a way to help," said Richard Fain, RCCL’s chairman and CEO.
"At Royal Caribbean, we consider ourselves fortunate to be able to use our ships in a positive way during difficult times."
The Celebrity Millennium, operated by subsidiary Celebrity Cruises, is en route to the US west coast earlier than previously scheduled and will offer a series of short cruises out of Los Angeles for California fire-fighters, other first responders, and veterans, throughout March and April.
"The women and men of Celebrity were keen to have this opportunity to give back, even though this repositioning presented a challenging timeline," said Fain. "We know the hard work and sacrifice of those who have been keeping Californians safe, and it feels good to be able to say 'thank you.'"
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo , president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, added that while the circumstances were not what anyone would have wanted, the company now had the opportunity to do some good in the process by honoring and helping everyday heroes who do so much for so many.
Spectrum of the Seas, which has been idling off Japan since the coronavirus outbreak, will head to Sydney to perform a similar role for those fighting the massive bush fires that have swept through much of southern and eastern Australia in recent months.
Michael Bayley , president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International (RCI) noted that the ship and its crew have not been in China for more than two weeks, exceeding public health guidelines.
"We are in a fortunate position to offer these brave and selfless members of the Australian community the opportunity to join us for a few days and let them relax and unwind in the company of other volunteers and first responders," Bayley said.
China has not been forgotten
RCCL is also stepping up its aid efforts in China. It is working with its suppliers to deliver one million N-95 protective masks into China for government distribution into affected areas.
"We admire the all-out efforts of the Chinese government and people to address this crisis, and we want to bring our resources to bear to help their efforts," Fain said.
And when circumstances improve, Bayley added, RCI will dedicate a ship in China to a series of complimentary sailings to thank first responders and medical personnel for their heroic efforts to defeat the virus.
