Haiti - suggestion to NCL

[pcreek]

NCL - (other than cost) Any reason NCL can't park a ship off shore Haiti to house relief workers..?

Perhaps also part medical/hospital on board?

 

Just asking...

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

NCL - (other than cost) Any reason NCL can't park a ship off shore Haiti to house relief workers..?

Perhaps also part medical/hospital on board?

 

Just asking...

 

I can't think of another reason.

 

However, NCL is a for profit company not a charitable organization so I don't think they would nor should do what you are suggesting.

 

Best option is to donate to the American Red Cross if you want to help.

[roger001]

Cruise ships were used in New Orleans after Katrina.....but someone has to pay for them.

[pcreek]

I've already donated to Red Cross - and I give blood. :)

 

Was just thinking... and I thought there were cruise ships for NOLA!

 

Sometimes, a for profit company can write off a large chunk of $$ for charitable donations...and sometimes helps their bottom line.

 

Just thinking, anway..

[Simon_B]

No way Haitians can afford $12pp/day.

[pcreek]

Just read this from CNN:

 

The USS Carl Vinson was expected off the coast Friday, carrying 19 heavy-lift helicopters that could bring relief supplies to the devastated nation.

A hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, is due to deploy on the weekend.

 

:D

[discjoker]

Float the Dream on over.....

[pcreek]

Float the Dream on over.....

 

Absolutely a great idea! :rolleyes:

[garycarla]

Please, all due respect for what is going on in Haiti, but...

 

I could not imagine the postings here from people that had a cruise booked and now it is cancelled. They would want their airfare costs reimbursed, hotel expenses, rebates, etc. etc.

 

As to write offs - please, please understand what a write off is and is not. Most anything a company SPENDS money on is an expense. They get to deduct it from their earnings. The remaining amount is taxed. So, they do have to spend money, there is no free write off. It would be exactly the same if you or I would donate half of our income to charity and called it a write off. You have to give up that money and then it reduces what you pay in taxes.

 

Just like when you donate money to something. It lowers the amount you pay taxes on. There is no such thing as a write-off as most people call it. Sorry to get on the soapbox, but the term "write off" is used so much and so incorrectly it drives me nuts.

[zetachi]

NCL - (other than cost) Any reason NCL can't park a ship off shore Haiti to house relief workers..?

Perhaps also part medical/hospital on board?

 

Just asking...

 

That's what the worlds navy's and coast guards should be used for. As another poster stated the ships that are designed for those tasks are on their way.

[pbxtech]

I thought their ships are booked to be used for the winter olympics

[mmarsh]

If you go to cruise critics home page and click on cruise news you can read that Royal Caribbean is still docking in Labadee which is 100 miles from Port-au-Prince Haiti. Navigation of the Seas docks tomorrow, Liberty of the Seas on 1/19 and the Celebrity Solstice will be docking on the 22nd. The article reports that they have already been loaded with relief supplies - rice, beans, water, dried milk and canned foodstuffs.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Remember the Carnival ships that were docked for Katrina..remember how much Carnival got paid for that? I remember it turned out it was more then the cruises that they were selling during those times so I think Carnival actually made money on that deal. It was nice of them but don't think they donated three ships for the cause.

[garycarla]

Yes, the Carnival ships were were long term vs immediate relief. They were also some of their older ships that had been going on those cheapo cruises. Carnival "rented" them out, just like Home Depot sold supplies, and Delta sold air tickets, etc. etc. Carnival probably also spent alot of money taking care of people that had already booked cruises on those ships.

 

As to Olympics - yes a company actually chartered the ships to be used as floating hotels during the games.

[zetachi]

With downtown Vancouver hotels nearly completely booked for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Newwest Special Projects LP, an entrepreneurial travel company, chartered Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Star for the duration of the games. The ship will be docked in North Vancouver from Feb. 10 through March 2, adding 10 percent capacity (1,119 rooms and suites) to the city’s downtown hotel inventory of 12,000 rooms. The Norwegian Star will arrive in Vancouver after a four-day sailing from Los Angeles. On March 2, the ship will head south, arriving back in Los Angeles on March 6. A variety of packages are available in either three- or four-night durations during the games. Nightly stateroom rates start at $350 per person, double, and include meals, airport transfers, daily transfers between the ship and North Vancouver’s Sea Bus Terminal, and a city tour of Vancouver. Since the ship is a private charter, custom packages can be arranged that could include private coach transfers, multilingual guides, private meals and onboard functions for up to 1,000 guests. For more information, call 800-661-7281 or visit http://www.vancouver2010cruiseship.com.

[newmexicoNita]

Just read this from CNN:

 

The USS Carl Vinson was expected off the coast Friday, carrying 19 heavy-lift helicopters that could bring relief supplies to the devastated nation.

A hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, is due to deploy on the weekend.

 

:D

yes, that was on Fox news last night.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

I thought their ships are booked to be used for the winter olympics

 

No, some ships are being used and can you imagine the money they are making on this venture.

 

Nita

[LOWTYD]

I read on FB that NCL is asking for Red Cross doantions on all their cruises. I know us CC members are a generous group but I hope NCL kicks in some of their own money too.

 

I wish that hospital ship could get there a lot sooner. These people are desperate. It's so heart wrenching to watch.:(

[MadBrewer]

Just like when you donate money to something. It lowers the amount you pay taxes on. There is no such thing as a write-off as most people call it. Sorry to get on the soapbox, but the term "write off" is used so much and so incorrectly it drives me nuts.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I 'thought' what you said was the case but felt too stupid to ever ask. I didn't see how it worked though if not how you suggested and you're right people flippantly think having a company seems to mean you are responsible for doing x and y in the community.

 

With regards to the cancelled cruise point. Theres a couple of ships (Dream etc) that probably would be available though depending where it is now, would cost possibly hundreds of thousands to get them to Haiti which comes back to the point about donations I suppose.

[mmarsh]

I read on FB that NCL is asking for Red Cross doantions on all their cruises. I know us CC members are a generous group but I hope NCL kicks in some of their own money too.

 

I wish that hospital ship could get there a lot sooner. These people are desperate. It's so heart wrenching to watch.:(

 

 

On cruise critic news I believe I read that NCL is matching donations.

[nancyox]

i read today that RCCL and Celebrity, who have their "private island" in labadee, haiti, are continuing to make this a stop....the ships will be bringing provisions to the haitians; beans, rice, water, etc. on each of the stops; so they are helping out.

[martinchem]

I heard that too.

[CannonFodder]

i read today that RCCL and Celebrity, who have their "private island" in labadee, haiti, are continuing to make this a stop....the ships will be bringing provisions to the haitians; beans, rice, water, etc. on each of the stops; so they are helping out.

 

Yep. And they're getting crucified (unjustly in my opinion) in the press for their efforts.

 

Also, regarding an earlier comment - yes, three Carnival Cruise LInes cruise ships were used for temporary housing in the aftermath of Katrina in New Orleans. However, they were not donated. They were leased and paid for by the US taxpayers. From the Carnival Wikipedia entry:

 

"Three of the Carnival cruise ships were chartered by the United States government for six months to serve as temporary housing in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Holiday was originally docked in Mobile, Alabama and later Pascagoula, MS, and the Ecstasy and Sensation were docked at New Orleans, Louisiana. The six-month contract cost $236 million. The contract was widely criticized because the vessels were never fully utilized, and Carnival received more money than it would have earned by using the ships in their normal rotation."

 

Not to bash on Carnival, but it wasn't like they donated the use of the ships. Also, the three ships used in New Orleans were three of their five oldest ships in service at the time. It was simply a business decision.

[garycarla]

Yep. And they're getting crucified (unjustly in my opinion) in the press for their efforts.

 

Yes, I read some and actually heard some on CNN saying how terrible it was. If those ships pull out, those people should explain to the Haitians why they no longer have income from the ships, and why they are not getting supplies from the ship.

 

People should not run their mouth without knowing the facts. And the networks should not allow them to do so.

[DMAB]

Yes, I read some and actually heard some on CNN saying how terrible it was. If those ships pull out, those people should explain to the Haitians why they no longer have income from the ships, and why they are not getting supplies from the ship.

 

 

We went on a 2 week land tour of Thailand 2 months after the tsunami. Several hand wringers told us how inconsiderate it was to go there with all the suffering the country was going through, even though we didn't go within 50 miles of any damaged areas.

 

Everyplace we went Thai people thanked us for coming because their tourism was down well over 50% even over 100 miles inland and 2 months after the tsunami.

 

Our tour should have been 40 people, but there were only 12 of us on a 40 passenger bus with driver, tour guide and bus attendant. We were very pampered.

 

People can be idiots.