"The Fun Ships" to the Rescue!

September 3, 2005 10:40 PM

The U.S. government has chartered three cruise liners to act as temporary homes for Katrina victims. The three ships -- bearing the ironic (at least in this case) names Ecstasy, Sensation and Holiday -- have been chartered for the next 6 months and can house up to a maximum of 7,000 people combined. After all the screw-ups made at just about every level of government in the past week, I'm pleased and surprised to see a creative, "thinking outside the box" type of solution.
posted by AccordionGuy (59 comments total)

Love...exciting and new,
Come aboard, we're expecting you...

Seriously, this is cool, but I'd be pissed if I was on a cot somewhere.
posted by ColdChef at 10:47 PM on September 3, 2005

What?! No Halliburton involvement?
posted by mischief at 10:48 PM on September 3, 2005

The deadly pessimist in me's first thought was "Legionnaires' disease outbreak". I hate my brain.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 10:50 PM on September 3, 2005

Heh, heh, heh, Coldchef.

As long as we're making Love Boat jokes...

Captain Stubing: Finder.
Isaac: Looter.
posted by AccordionGuy at 10:51 PM on September 3, 2005

I'd be pissed if I was sleeping on the 50 yard line in the Astrodome.
posted by mert at 10:52 PM on September 3, 2005

doh. someone already said that
posted by mert at 10:52 PM on September 3, 2005

Remember folks, the new anti- bankruptcy bill takes effect in october, and an amendment allowing for bankruptcy in the case of a natural disaster was voted down. In a strict party-line vote.

Now, enjoy the cruse!
posted by delmoi at 10:55 PM on September 3, 2005

Isn't it disgusting that those ships had to be chartered?

on preview: Good call, delmoi. I forgot all about that!
posted by brundlefly at 10:59 PM on September 3, 2005

You know...this only makes sense if each ship comes equipped with: JJ Walker, Charo, and the Harlem Globetrotters.

(or Gene Hackman and Shelly Winters...YAY! I beat PST!)
posted by ColdChef at 10:59 PM on September 3, 2005

Carnival shares closed down 28 cents Friday to $48.24 on the New York Stock Exchange.

If you aren't feeling down enough on humanity after this week, check out the newly invigorated Yahoo Finance message board for CCL.

Im supposed to leave sun. out of galvaston and will still leave but instead of 7 day will be 6. They say after that they are going to house refugees on it. I would be scared if I was CCL stock holder unless they get hugely reimbursed for this. They are only offering me 15% refund and $50 0nboard credit, not near enough for me and I am contemplating canceling entire cruise. I only get to vacation once every 3 years or so, so this was very important vacation. Give me more CCL or may loose repeat customer forever.

posted by Armitage Shanks at 11:01 PM on September 3, 2005

not a bad idea at all, i wonder who thought of it.
posted by destro at 11:05 PM on September 3, 2005

That CCL board makes me thankful I have mefi, Armitage.

but a week in to the perpetual niggie cruise...

picture this: these fucks are going to slip into "entitlement mode" they will be sunning themselves on the deck DEMANDING fresh towels and "where's my mi-tai!" ... complaing that the bananas foster did not float their palat properly...

Wait.. this guy sounds very familiar. Perhaps he's found a new home.
posted by drpynchon at 11:10 PM on September 3, 2005

This is going to be surreal.


I can imagine these ships sailing around the coasts, full of refugees, being refused at every port...
posted by Jon-o at 11:16 PM on September 3, 2005

This seems absurd and a complete waste of money. WTF? I honestly thought it was an Onion headline.
posted by shoepal at 11:20 PM on September 3, 2005

Armitage: Holy crap? These people are the engine of commerce in this country? While the comment you posted is desturbing for the poster's lack of empathy, check this:
this out:

<sub>You couldnt pay me to sleep in a room that has been used to house these people.

And make no bones about it, the hurricane didint make them the fat, unclean, inconsiderate, lazy leeches that live off the government that they are.

Have fun getting that stentch off your cruise ship.

And just wait until the animals that didnt get this housing find out about the animals that did, that could be a pay per view riot in itself.

I will buy $50,000 worth of puts as soon as the market opens...dam long weekend</sub>

Still, I do wonder if this is really a practical solution.
posted by delmoi at 11:21 PM on September 3, 2005

Another selected quote from their yahoo finance board:


Now saying it will take up to 4 weeks to process refunds. Only took a few minutes to take my money from my account in July when I booked this cruise. Guess we know where the priority is placed.

Yes, I guess we do know where their priorities are...
posted by delmoi at 11:23 PM on September 3, 2005

These people are the engine of commerce in this country?

Maybe Yahoo Finance's message boards regularly attract a large number of racists. I never read them, so I don't know. But it makes me wonder what percentage of people in this country are really having those thoughts, and how much that will contribute to the administration's ability to duck any real consequences for the last week.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 11:26 PM on September 3, 2005

Those comments are frightening. I had thought racism had at least become more subtle.

I have just posted a message telling them exactly what I think of them.
posted by jb at 11:29 PM on September 3, 2005

I don't know how effective this will be, but one great advantage I can see relates to a thought that has been haunting me these last few days: the fate of typical emergency shelter (tent cities, etc.) constructions in the case of another hurricane or major tropical storm. Hurricane season isn't over 'til the end of November, guys.

At least with this idea, the ships can simply move out of harm's way.
posted by taz at 11:29 PM on September 3, 2005

It would suck if the ships sank.
posted by ackeber at 11:34 PM on September 3, 2005

I dunno who thought of using cruise ships in an emergency situation, but during the Super Bowl last year Jacksonville chartered cruise ships to make up for a lack of hotel rooms. That may have inspired this.

Strange how football seems to be so involved in the aftermath of this, eh?
posted by furiousxgeorge at 11:38 PM on September 3, 2005

I hope the Racists get a new ship for their cruise and just as they reach the deepest part of the ocean it sinks. Then they are rescued by an all Ethnic Minority rescue search team.
posted by Meccabilly at 11:41 PM on September 3, 2005

Does history repeat the Exodus 1947 tour? Does history remember where the tour ended? Are Concentration Camps in America for you?
posted by augustweed at 11:43 PM on September 3, 2005

Yahoo Finance message boards are useless. I never even look at them anymore.

This is actually the largest portion of the rescue effort. Hundreds of thousands are homeless, and for several months at least.
posted by b_thinky at 11:44 PM on September 3, 2005

I think this is a GREAT idea. True, some of the folks sleeping in the Astrodome might be pissed that they missed out, but they probably don't know what the majority of the cabins on a cruise ship actually look like. It's gonna be tight, esp. if folks are allowed to bring along whatever belongings they may have salvaged.

I originally worried about this when I thought they were going to be kept near New Orleans... modern cruise ships have a pitifully small amount of storage capacity for supplies (so says my partner, who works for a steamship company that services such ships), so they have to be resupplied every couple of weeks. But if they're going to be parked near undamaged cities, then that shouldn't be a problem.

I was going to point out the Jacksonville connection, too, but furiousxgeorge beat me to it.
posted by BoringPostcards at 11:55 PM on September 3, 2005

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the yahoo boards were full of racist idiots. I'm sure they aren't the only finance message boards on the web talking about this.

Two of the ships, the Ecstasy and Sensation, have a maximum capacity of 2,606 each and will be based in Galveston, Texas, while the third boat, the Holiday, has a maximum capacity of 1,800 and will likely be docked in Mobile, Alabama, the Miami-based company said.

The only thing is, as taz said, hurricane season isn't over for another three months. Perhaps they should try for Alaska instead.
posted by somethingotherthan at 11:57 PM on September 3, 2005

WHOA, that Yahoo board is unreal.

Remind me never to go on a cruise, if I'm going to be stuck in the middle of the ocean with that crowd.
posted by BoringPostcards at 12:04 AM on September 4, 2005

I sent an email to Bob Dickinson of Carnival yesterday.

While I like to think that he got the message, I doubt it.
(besides, it wound up turning into an argument between myself and Carnival's mail admin. He refused to forward the mail to Dickinson, so I tried sending to variations of Dickinson's name until one didn't bounce - was finally successful).

and delmoi - those people on the yahoo finance board are revolting pigs.
posted by zerokey at 12:05 AM on September 4, 2005

America has a full blown refugee problem on its hands. Unfortunately the refugees are in large part "Economically Disadvantaged African Americans". White America will not tolerate them being rehoused in their backyards any more than Hutus tolerate the Tutsis.

So until they build the refugee camps, this provides a convenient "out of site, out of mind" solution. You can bet there will be no stop-offs at Martha's Vineyard. What will be interesting will be the jockying amongst the littoral states for the profitable contracts to service them.
posted by RichLyon at 12:09 AM on September 4, 2005

From what I hear (never been on a cruise of any kind), Carnival is sort of a floating motel. Not "glamorous cruising" for the fancy set.

Not sure what that insight (if any) that gives on the execrable excuses for humans over on that yahoo board, but there you go.
posted by zaack at 12:09 AM on September 4, 2005

Remind me never to go on a cruise, if I'm going to be stuck in the middle of the ocean with that crowd.

I hope some day to visit New Orleans.
posted by delmoi at 12:11 AM on September 4, 2005

You'll be able to, delmoi--it's a great, unique place.
posted by amberglow at 12:14 AM on September 4, 2005

I hope you get to, as well, delmoi. (And I'm optimistic that you will.)

As I've said in other threads, it's one of my favorite places on this planet.
posted by BoringPostcards at 12:16 AM on September 4, 2005

I wonder who they'll assign first class cabins too. Could become an issue.
posted by b_thinky at 12:23 AM on September 4, 2005

"I will buy $50,000 worth of puts as soon as the market opens...dam long weekend"

I've also noticed that whenever someone uses a dollar figure or share number on a Yahoo! Finance board, you can knock off at least the last 4 digits.
posted by b_thinky at 12:29 AM on September 4, 2005

Anybody who imagines this as some sort of luxury accommodation for those poor people is a peabrain. I don't have a better alternative to offer, but with the level of policing that will be required just to make sure people are safe and somewhat organized (and even assuming all the best intentions otherwise), it seems to me that this will be just one step above prison conditions.

This is totally an emergency, temporary solution in a situation that doesn't offer a lot of solutions and I definitely don't condemn it, but it won't be a party, or even anything at all much above tolerable, for the refugees.
posted by taz at 12:33 AM on September 4, 2005

I wonder who they'll assign first class cabins too. Could become an issue.

Large families.
posted by jb at 12:41 AM on September 4, 2005

Small families will have the tiny cabins.
posted by jb at 12:41 AM on September 4, 2005

As long as we're making Love Boat jokes...

Captain Stubing: Finder.
Isaac: Looter.

Heh. Thanks for the laugh, AccordionGuy. I needed it.
posted by LeeJay at 12:48 AM on September 4, 2005

Yeah, I'm sorry but... people who just survived massive flooding... and you're putting them out on the WATER?! Seems like a cruel joke to me.
posted by papakwanz at 12:48 AM on September 4, 2005

"Yeah, I'm sorry but... people who just survived massive flooding... and you're putting them out on the WATER?! Seems like a cruel joke to me.
posted by papakwanz

Dude, the ground SQUISHES down there on a good day. These are not people freaked out by water, and anyway, after sitting on your roof for a week in the Louisiana sun, I suspect you'd take the offer of a hot shower and a dry bed even if Jacques Cousteau led you to it with a snorkel.
posted by BoringPostcards at 12:56 AM on September 4, 2005

How will they choose who gets to be on the cruise liners?
posted by TwelveTwo at 1:14 AM on September 4, 2005

The deadly pessimist in me's first thought was "Legionnaires' disease outbreak". I hate my brain.

I don't understand. Is Legionella more likely to exist on a boat than any other high density accommodation?
posted by nthdegx at 2:34 AM on September 4, 2005

Isn't it disgusting that those ships had to be chartered?

§196, Title 50, calls for "just compensation" if the government requisitions a merchant marine vessel. §197 provides for voluntary purchase or charter, which this probably is.

PST: The most common illness problem aboard cships isn't legionellosis, but the Norwalk virus -- that nasty stomach flu that lasts for hours on railings and doorknobs. When a ship gets it, they often shut down and have every surface wiped down with Clorox.
posted by dhartung at 2:57 AM on September 4, 2005

Excellent. Now they can offshore refugee camps that are outside U.S. jurisdiction. I wouldn't get on one of those boats even if they had excellent magic acts.
posted by srboisvert at 3:16 AM on September 4, 2005

Oooh. Look at the brochure. Several exciting ports of call on the itinerary. First stop: Haiti! Last stop: Guant... Guat... Honey, where's Guantanamo?
posted by hal9k at 4:38 AM on September 4, 2005

srboisvert: I'm only surprised there were any spare.
posted by RichLyon at 5:22 AM on September 4, 2005

No pun intended, but this idea has been floating around for about 5 days. Carnival said on Tuesday or Wednesday that it was seeing what it could do about getting ships to NO. Part of me is surprised this took so long to become official. Another part of me is amazed that the bureaucrats have made it happen at all.
posted by nyterrant at 6:04 AM on September 4, 2005

Thank you, nyterrant. Before everyone goes praising Carnival for this generous act of charity, know that it took them several days to reach an agreement with the federal government on compensation. When they announced the agreement they were asked what their 'just compensation' was, and Dickinson refused to put an exact figure on it, citing only the 'tens of thousands' he was losing by cancelling cruises and inconviencing people.

I don't know -- maybe it's sour grapes, but there's a big difference between stepping up with an immediate, open-hearted, can-do voluntary response, and waiting until the government asks you and then driving a charter bargain with them.

I think of the 9/11 response. Ferry companies from near where I lived on the Jersey Shore carried people off of Manhattan all the first and second day, burning through thousands of gallons of expensive diesel fuel...for free. Many recieved compensation much later, but they didn't stand on the street corner haggling at the time, they just went in to help. That's really the kind of American response I expect.
posted by Miko at 7:32 AM on September 4, 2005

the idea was the police chief of new orleans. he asked if he could have a cruise ship so his officers could have some comfort - airconditioning, water, rest, bathrooms, etc. while they worked and then he started to cry from exhaustion and frustration.
posted by sixdifferentways at 7:33 AM on September 4, 2005

i can't imagine that months crammed into a 9x9 room is going to be any picnic. the refugees who get this may be the unluckiest.
posted by 3.2.3 at 7:35 AM on September 4, 2005

Why wouldn't this have been done on Tuesday? Once the levee broke, why would they not have put every single possible plan in action at the same time to get out the tens of thousands of people who were trapped?
posted by flarbuse at 9:03 AM on September 4, 2005

Oooh. Look at the brochure. Several exciting ports of call on the itinerary. First stop: Haiti! Last stop: Guant... Guat... Honey, where's Guantanamo?

The boats will be docked in the US. Texas, I believe.

Before everyone goes praising Carnival for this generous act of charity, know that it took them several days to reach an agreement with the federal government on compensation.

Their costs have to be covered somehow. If not, people will lose jobs. The costs of hosting thousands of people for several months must be huge. I doubt Carnival is getting full retail value out of this.
posted by b_thinky at 9:16 AM on September 4, 2005

3.2.3: I can't imagine that months crammed into a 9x9 room is going to be any picnic.

"No man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get himself into a jail; for being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned...A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company."
—Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
posted by cenoxo at 10:06 AM on September 4, 2005

I doubt Carnival is getting full retail value out of this.

Exactly. And if you've ever owned rental property, you just know that it's not coming back to you in the same condition, except in a small minority of cases.

It's gonna be crowded and they're all gonna hate each other at the end of it, but the people getting on these ships will be the lucky ones. They could be in Oklahoma. Or the Astrodome. Instead, they'll have a (cramped) hotel room with working plumbing, and perhaps even access to a swimming pool. Though they may convert some of the common areas into bunkhalls.
posted by dhartung at 11:57 AM on September 4, 2005

Their costs have to be covered somehow. If not, people will lose jobs. The costs of hosting thousands of people for several months must be huge. I doubt Carnival is getting full retail value out of this.

Yep. I know, and I believe they do deserve compensation. I would have preferred for this company to set an example by responding immediately to the government request -- no, how about by offering -- and worrying about the bill later. Instead, we saw them delaying and negotiating. It's good that they're going, bad that they had to be convinced.

Worth noting that these ships are variously registered in Panama, Libera, Gibraltar, France etc...to avoid American insurance charges and labor costs. It's the business-friendly climate of the U.S. that has allowed them to become a large, wealthy company. I think they can stand to give back a little.
posted by Miko at 1:06 PM on September 4, 2005

"i can't imagine that months crammed into a 9x9 room is going to be any picnic."

Come on, there will be ballroom dancing on the Lido deck.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:28 PM on September 4, 2005

...and the band played 'Nearer My God to Thee."
posted by Miko at 9:22 PM on September 4, 2005

I remember the head of FEMA mentioning this cruise ship idea on CNN a few days ago. Good to hear that it's coming to fruition.

They should be housing aid/relief workers there. Evacuees probably require a more permanent location.
posted by slf at 8:12 AM on September 5, 2005