Hold Put on Using Cruise Ships for Housing

[peaches from georgia]

It was just announced that there has been a hold put on using Carnival ships to house flood victims. There was not enough interest shown in this idea of living on ships by the victims themselves.

 

They feel they would be isolated from other family and friends and the possibility of securing jobs and other housing.

[JaniceB]

They way the article sounded on the home page, I thought it was a done deal. I have never been to the ports, so I don't know how close they are located to businesses. The evacuees certainly need to be able to go out and find jobs.

[kryos]

They way the article sounded on the home page, I thought it was a done deal. I have never been to the ports, so I don't know how close they are located to businesses. The evacuees certainly need to be able to go out and find jobs.

I heard the employment situation in Galveston is bleak ... where several of the cruise ships will be docked. And, that's why they were planning on putting the elderly folks on the ships first ... since they don't need to worry about looking for work.

 

I have to admit, though ... I can't imagine living in a standard cabin for any length of time. Even with only two people per cabin (and I'm sure with the number of folks needing to be housed, the number will probably be about double that), a standard cabin is gonna get really close after a couple of weeks. I can't imagine doing it for six months.

 

We've supposedly gonna start getting evacuees here in Philly starting today. From what I heard, our mayor committed to taking in about 2000 families. They will be housed in various locations, including out of service schools. I don't know how that's gonna work out. They're from the south. Wait until they hit their first Northeast snowstorm. I doubt they're gonna be too thrilled with it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Krazy Kruizers]

Talk about confusion!!

I imagine there are a lot of irrate people over on the Carnival board. Many of them were called this weekend and told that their cruises had been cancelled.

[cindiedee]

Read an article this morning about people refusing to live on the cruise ships - most said something like "I have seen enough water.....I am NOT going to live on a ship in the water"..............well.........you can sure see their point!

[Oceanwench]

Talk about confusion!!

I imagine there are a lot of irrate people over on the Carnival board. Many of them were called this weekend and told that their cruises had been cancelled.

 

Good point -- I hadn't even thought of that. I wonder if a lot of people canceled their flights, made alternate vacation plans, etc.?

[MarkSpark]

I posted this in another thread a few days ago.

 

 

" Using cruise ships is a bad idea anyway, now you are trapping these people on a ship with no way to start building a new life. You can't work, you can't go any where . Are they going to work on the ship to cover there costs, I doubt it. Really think about it. What are they going to do for 3 months trapped on a ship. Cruises are designed for spending $$$. They don't have any money to spend. I just wonder how many will board, than after a few weeks want to get off and go some where else.

 

A better idea would have been to open up all of the closed military housing from base closers. There are 10's of thousands of apts, houses and so on from base closers. It would give people a chance to get back out into the real world and start building a new life instead of being stuck on a ship for 3-6 months. They will leave the ship in 3-6 months no better than when they boarded the ship, still without a home or a job. "

So, I had an idea this wasn't going to work as well as there thought.

 

Mark

[sail7seas]

Yes, you're right but they don't want to go to some Military bases either. As I posted in another thread, Otis Air Force Base in Cape Cod, MA was all set to receive 2500 evacuees. Tons of work was done preparing living quarters, food, receiving clothes and necessities, volunteers were waiting for their plane. It didn't come and now these volunteers have been told to be on standby to be called back if they change their mind and decide some will be coming, afterall.

 

Please do not take this as any sort of criticism. I posted when I heard the plan of bringing people to MA that I didn't think that a wonderful idea to take them so far from 'home' and into a totally different climate than they are accustomed to.

 

Everyone is trying so hard to do the best they can. Everyone's heart is in the right place.....

[bruceh4]

I posted this in another thread a few days ago.

 

 

" Using cruise ships is a bad idea anyway, now you are trapping these people on a ship with no way to start building a new life. You can't work, you can't go any where . Are they going to work on the ship to cover there costs, I doubt it. Really think about it. What are they going to do for 3 months trapped on a ship. Cruises are designed for spending $$$. They don't have any money to spend. I just wonder how many will board, than after a few weeks want to get off and go some where else.

 

 

A better idea would have been to open up all of the closed military housing from base closers. There are 10's of thousands of apts, houses and so on from base closers. It would give people a chance to get back out into the real world and start building a new life instead of being stuck on a ship for 3-6 months. They will leave the ship in 3-6 months no better than when they boarded the ship, still without a home or a job. "

 

So, I had an idea this wasn't going to work as well as there thought.

 

Mark

In the beginning of these threads about using cruise ships I stated that it was not a good idea for the reason's you state above. These people need to be back in the community asap. Some of them are the ones who will participate in the rebuilding process. To me the best thing would be as soon as the water is gone and basic services restored would be to bring in trailers to sit on their lot so they can live in there own neighborhood again. Last year here in Florida FEMA did just that. To scatter these people to the 4 corners of the US is not helping them at all. Can you imagine a person who has lived in NO all their life spending the winter in North Dakota!:eek:

[peaches from georgia]

Can you imagine a person who has lived in NO all their life spending the winter in North Dakota!:eek:

I can't imagine anyone spending the winter in ND. :D

[Time2sail]

The ships could be placed in the harbors of LA, MS and AL to house engineers, contractors, workers, law enforcement, etc. when the rebuilding starts. There's certainly no place for them to stay on the Gulf Coast and all of the infrastructure must be rebuilt before residents can begin having a normal life again.

 

They won't be putting trailers on those lots for quite a while--the people will have to stay somewhere and shelters are not the answer.

[shipcafe]

Pretty interesting now that a six month charter has been signed and cancellations made on all three ships for guests who were booked . . . .

[Southbound]

Just received this msg from a friend living in Corpus Christi:

Those evacuees are getting out of hand down here, they're going into bars and restaurants trying to shake down people to buy them booze. This town is already oppressed due to being a border town. It sure is changing fast for the worst.

 

Certainly not pleasant news to hear. :(

[kryos]

Pretty interesting now that a six month charter has been signed and cancellations made on all three ships for guests who were booked . . . .

I read somewhere on these boards that the plan had been revised at some point to use the cruise ships to house the elderly. Now, that struck me as a bad idea. What the heck are they gonna spend their days doing? They are probably not going to be going to work in the rebuilding process, and will be spending their days sitting in a 160 square foot cabin? We wouldn't be able to stand a 160 square foot cabin on a cruise if there was nothing to do onboard!

 

Think about it. The ship is not moving, there will probably not be very many "recreational" opportunities available onboard. Lounges will probably be converted into various service areas ... offices for FEMA personnel, medical facilities, pharmacy facilities, etc. There will be next to nothing onboard for these people to do.

 

I had always thought using cruise ships for housing to be a good idea ... but those cruise ships should be brought back to the devastated ports ASAP. The people onboard should be younger families, where the adults could go to work to help with the rebuilding process. Habitat for Humanity is gonna need loads and loads of laborers to help with constructing new homes, and their whole philosophy revolves around the "sweat equity" principle. The beneficiary of a new home has to invest so many hours into building homes for others. I am sure that federal monies will even be freed up to pay these people something for their labors. Additionally, they will learn new skills that could help them in getting better jobs once these ravaged communities are back on their feet.

 

Those who couldn't work in physically-intense areas would have plenty of work available to them on the ship ... assisting the teachers in the makeshift classrooms, helping with child care and with other services onboard.

 

At least by putting younger families on the cruise ships, and then basing those cruise ships in the areas where the rebuilding process will be intense, would negate the need for shipboard recreational activities, and would make living in that small cabin much easier to deal with. After all, when you spend your entire day out and about making a living, sometimes all you want when you get home is a nice meal and the warmth of your bed.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[bruceh4]

Carnival Ships Heading to New Orleans?

It looks like federal officials have now given up on the idea of housing hurricane evacuees on Carnival's Sensation and Ecstasy -- largely because folks who had just resettled in Houston had no interest in moving again.

 

According to media reports, the ships will be sent to New Orleans where the Federal Emergency Management Authority says they will be used to house relief workers and displaced residents.

 

Carnival's Holiday is slated to return to Mobile today.

 

This is the latest on this. Looks like the idea has fallen thru!

[HeatherInFlorida]

I was under the same impression Bruce reports ... that the plan was to use the cruiseships to house relief workers, clean-up workers, etc., along the Gulf coast. That's the perfect way to use them. I was not surprised at all that the evacuees didn't want to move onto a cruise ship where they couldn't even begin to get pick up the pieces of their lives.

 

But I think it's an excellent way to house the people who will be working along that entire area. Personally, I'd be disappointed if my cruise was cancelled for that reason, but I'd also view it as just one more thing I could do.

 

It is a lot to ask of the cruiselines, however, because they would have enormous clean-up and renovations to do when all is said and done. The best bet would be to find older cruiseships that were ready for a facelift anyway!:)

[kryos]

It is a lot to ask of the cruiselines, however, because they would have enormous clean-up and renovations to do when all is said and done. The best bet would be to find older cruiseships that were ready for a facelift anyway!:)

I was thinking the same thing, Heather. Betcha after these cruiseships are used as temporary housing for thousands of relief workers, evacuees, etc., that they will all need to go into drydock for a couple of weeks before they can be placed into service for cruising again. Also, I wonder if any "modifications" were done to them before they were chartered to the government, such as removing artwork, removing dining room tables, etc.?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Sierrachik]

Carnival's site had stated that the ships would be refurbished after the charter was over.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I also read on Carnival's website that the 3 ships would be refurbished.

But that is a good point about the art work and other valuable items. Are they still on the ships?

[sail7seas]

Seeing as these workers will (sadly) be trudging through the remains of all that filth that has been left behind, their boots, clothes,hands wll be bringing all that disgusting grime aboard when they return each evening. En route to their cabins to enjoy a well deserved hot shower, what kinds of e-coli germs, NLV, and all the bacteria will be brought aboard?

 

That will require huge fumigation/scrubbing and sanitation to keep the ship ' 'healthy'.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I agree. I don't think "refurbishment" will quite do it. They would literally have to rip up carpets, etc., when they are done. That's why older ships in need of major work would be the best way to go and would certainly fill the need just as well.

[bruceh4]

Accommodation Ships Arrive in New Orleans

September 12: Carnival Cruise Line's ECSTASY tied up at the Riverwalk in New Orleans today while police officers and their families took up new temporary quarters on board. It was reported that 70% of the remaining police force are homeless at present. Carnival's SENSATION also docked today. She is further east along the New Orleans wharf and will be home for firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, starting tomorrow. The two 2,600 passenger cruise ships join the USS IWO JIMA, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship that arrived in New Orleans on September 5 to support rescue helicopter missions into the city. The 1991-built ECSTASY and 1993-built SENSATION were chartered by the US Government for six months to provide shelter to evacuees following Hurricane Katrina. Both were moored at Galveston, Texas, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency dropped the plan after displaced residents did not want to move again or risk not finding relatives, jobs or schools. Others cited a fear of being near water.