Royal Caribbean is making some humanitarian efforts to help those affected in disaster-stricken areas.
The cruise line is sending its Spectrum of the Seas ship to Australia and its Celebrity Millennium to the west coast for special cruises for first responders.
"When things go wrong, this is a company that wants to find a way to help," Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said in a statement. "At Royal Caribbean, we consider ourselves fortunate to be able to use our ships in a positive way during difficult times."
For starters, Royal Caribbean will send 1 million N-95 protective masks to China for government distribution into areas affected by the coronavirus. The outbreak has sickened more than 66,000 people and killed more than 1,500.
"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.
Spectrum of the Seas will travel to Australia and be deployed on complimentary cruises sailing from Sydney in support of Australia's first responder community, who worked tirelessly over many weeks of the brush fire crisis that consumed millions of acres - and killed thousands of animals - earlier this year.
"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. "By welcoming and accommodating them aboard Spectrum of the Seas, we hope to recognize their contribution and offer them our hospitality."
Celebrity Millennium is repositioning to the west coast 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 travel the Pacific Coast. The sailings will leave from Los Angeles and details will be announced soon.
"The women and men of Celebrity were keen to have this opportunity to give back, even though this repositioning presented a challenging timeline," Fain said. "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.'"
And when circumstances improve, Royal Caribbean International 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.
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