Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) is to send two ships to Australia and California to support some of the people affected by recent crises.
‘Spectrum of the Seas’ will sail to Australia and be deployed on complimentary cruises from Sydney in support of Australia’s first responder community who have fought the bush fires.
“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,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International (RCI). “By welcoming and accommodating them on board ‘Spectrum of the Seas’ we hope to recognise their contribution and offer them our hospitality.”
Bayley stressed that the ship and its crew had not been in China for more than two weeks, exceeding public health guidelines. And when circumstances improve, RCI will offer a ship in China to undertake a series of complimentary sailings to thank first responders and medical personnel for their efforts to contain the virus.
In addition, ‘Celebrity Millennium’ is repositioning to the west coast of the US earlier than previously scheduled and will offer a series of ‘Cruising for Heroes’ sailings in support of California firefighters, other first responders, and veterans throughout March and April.
A variety of three-, four- and five night sailings have been added to the brand’s offerings to cruise along the Pacific Coast. These sailings will leave from Los Angeles.
“When things go wrong, this is a company that wants to find a way to help,” said Richard Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises. “At Royal Caribbean, we consider ourselves fortunate to be able to use our ships in a positive way during difficult times.”
Royal Caribbean is currently working with its suppliers to deliver 1 mill N-95 protective masks to 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.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, said, “While the circumstances have not been what any of us would have wanted, we now have the opportunity to show the State of California our stunning ‘Celebrity Millennium’ and do some good in the process by honouring and helping our everyday heroes who do so much for so many.”
