Royal Caribbean Heads to the Bahamas for Disaster Relief

On September 5, 2019, more than 100 crewmembers from Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas led a disaster-relief operation to bring relief supplies and 20,000 daily meals to Freeport, Bahamas.

Crewmembers prepared sandwiches, proteins with rice and fruits and snacks that were distributed to residents in the community.

More Royal Caribbean ships are also on the way to the Bahamas to provide relief. Symphony of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox, Mariner of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas will repeat the process in the coming days.

Royal Caribbean is also deploying container ships with much-needed supplies including 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.

“We can’t make every bad memory of Dorian go away. But we can start making things better—today,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

The cruise line has committed $1 million to Dorian disaster relief and is matching every dollar of guest and employee donations.

Royal Caribbean is working to ensure that the money gets where it needs to go as well, partnering with the Bahamian government, its nonprofit partner, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), and a network of Bahamian charities and other local organizations, including the Bahamas Feeding Network.