fbpx

Carnival offers cruise ships as temporary hospitals

Cruise ships from Carnival Corp. & plc are being offered for use as temporary hospitals amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s largest cruise company announced on Thursday.

Miami-based Carnival’s brands include Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and P&O Cruises Australia.

The announcement is a welcomed contrast to previous news accounts about sinking share prices and passengers on Princess being quarantined after the coronavirus outbreak. Miami’s trio of major cruise companies—Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean—have all stopped cruises for a month at the request of President Trump.

Shares of Carnival (NYSE: CCL) were trading up 7 percent to nearly $10 in mid-afternoon trading on Thursday after the announcement.

The cruise industry is likely to be part of the federal aid program for an array of travel and hospitality businesses. A key reason for federal support is the cruise industry supports over 421,000 American jobs and contributes nearly $53 billion to the U.S. economy, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.

Cruise ships are capable of being quickly provisioned to serve as hospitals with up to 1,000 hospital rooms that can treat patients suffering from less critical, non-COVID-19 conditions, Carnival said. Staterooms can be quickly converted to install and connect remote patient monitoring devices over the ship’s high-speed network—providing cardiac, respiratory, oxygen saturation and video monitoring capabilities. The rooms also have bathroom facilities, private balconies with access to sun and fresh air, as well as isolation capabilities, as needed.

Ships can provide up to seven intensive care units in the ship’s medical center, equipped with central cardiac monitoring, ventilators and other key medical devices and capabilities, Carnival said.

There has been major concern about whether the U.S. will run out of ICUs if the virus keeps spreading.

The cruise ships would be berthed at a pier near the community in need and operated by the ship’s crew, with all maritime operations, food and beverage, and cleaning services provided by crew members on the ship, Carnival said. Medical services would be provided by governments or hospitals.

As part of the temporary hospital offer, interested parties would be asked to cover only the essential costs of the ship’s operations while in port, Carnival said.

You May Also Like

Clamor Grows for More PPP

Anticipation is growing for Congress to free up another batch of PPP loans for small businesses as part of additional legislation to respond to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. “For the past month, Congress has abandoned small businesses in turmoil,” said Small Business Majority Founder and CEO, John Arensmeyer, upon Congress’ return to

Heroes of the Pandemic

By Clarissa Buch and Sally-Ann O’Dowd • photography (where indicated) by Eduardo Schneider “It’s so terrifying because as a pregnant female, I’m considered immuno-compromised. If I get infected, my immune system won’t be able to fight off the virus as well.” Edmara Nieves Attending physician, emergency room, Broward Health Medical Center Background: Nieves earned her

Business as usual

In the aftermath of our spring feature on how companies were dealing with the shutdown, businesses from all over South Florida continue to share their pandemic stories with SFBW. Here are some of the recent businesses that reached out to us. By SFBW editorial staff   Tim Coffield President and CEO, YMCA of the Palm

Business as usual

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text] By SFBW editorial staff Kevin Sheehan Jr. President, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line Business backstory: The only two-night cruise sailing from the Port of Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island and Nassau gives travelers a mini-getaway option that the larger cruise lines don’t—with many of the same

Other Posts

Stephanie Green Appointed South Florida President of Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third South Florida has 76 full-service banking centers and over 550 employees.

Proficio Capital Partners Opens Miami Office

Proficio takes a strategic approach to diversification by creating a well-diversified portfolio comprising various asset classes and securities.

Atlantic Group of Companies Begins Sales of Ultra-Luxury, Boutique Project in Palm Beach Shores

The Atlantic Group of Companies is a comprehensive, multi-division real estate brand focused on all aspects of real estate development with successful properties throughout Florida and North Carolina. 

Breakwater Hospitality Group Unveils Sneak Peek of New Miami Headquarters

Interior architecture designers have crafted a space that exudes the lively and hospitable coastal vibe of Miami.