Gov. Blanco said they would love cruise ships

[huskerlaw]

to come in and help evacuate. How can we pressure the cruise companies to help out?

[Fridays Child]

1. Wasn't the presidential yacht just recently recommissioned?

It could be put to good use.

[huskerlaw]

4. Good point!

I think I'm going to put together a list of major cruise lines though. I think DU should create a PR nightmare for those who refuse to help.

[Fridays Child]

8. A military hospital ship would be good, too.

[Fridays Child]

12. And how about Jack Abramoff's cruise ships?

[halobeam]

2. Exactly... and didn't she say that FEMA would help "buy"?????

some ships??? I'm sorry... they shouldn't need to be bought. I hope I heard her incorrectly..

[huskerlaw]

6. She did say "buy"

but I'm thinking if we created a PR nightmare, they could be convinced to "help" for free.

[halobeam]

33. I'm ready... tell me what to do. I feel helpless.

[huskerlaw]

40. If I knew what to do

believe me, I'd be doing it. I was hoping others would have ideas. :(

[Horse with no Name]

3. To start with

Our government could strongarm them (wtf--they strongarm everyone else) and threaten not to let them dock on US soil if they refused--or they could give them the $75 million that they tried to bribe the Sunni's with to sign the Constitution.

[huskerlaw]

7. Yeah, but I think we all know

that our government isn't going to strong arm them. So...perhaps we should?

[randr]

5. Remind the owners how great their tax breaks from * were

and tell them its pay back time.

[Scooter24]

9. I think

the cruise lines would only do this if they have the assurance of the government that they will pay for any damage to the vessels.

I know its good idea, but from the chair of the CEO, imagine how he must feel to put a $400 million ship in an area where the ships safety could be compromised?

I've taken over 25 cruises on RCCL and am also a stockholder, so I'll drop them a fax and pray for the best. :)

[huskerlaw]

13. Perhaps,

but other people are putting their lives and property on the line. Why should the cruise lines be exempt just because it would be a financial risk? IMO, they have a duty to help if they can.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. Well if we had a President

He could order them to do it.

[Redstone]

28. What a wonderfully succinct post. You said what needed

to be said in so few words, and said it all in those few words..

Excellent.

Redstone

[htuttle]

11. I say we find 'em on the high seas, and just take 'em!

Arr! Arr!

Seriously, though. We commandeered commercial passenger ships for troop transports during WWII. I'm sure there an obscure Executive Order somewhere that allows the President to do that.

[Cleita]

15. I know. A ship I was on with my parents was comandeered for

WWII. However, before we do this, it seems we could give them money to make it worth their while. I mean I don't mind tax money going for humanitarian reasons, not war.

[huskerlaw]

17. I have no problem with defraying some costs

but shouldn't we be encouraging them to cut rates? Or to agree to help in the first place?

I'm not sure if they've even been contacted at this point, but perhaps some emails suggesting how happy we'd be if they helped in any way that they could would be useful?

[Cleita]

20. I think a package deal would work, since there won't be

the usual floor shows and other entertianment involved. They could probably cut back on the fancy food too to plainer fare that families will probably like better anyway.

[Cleita]

14. I think FEMA funds should be used to pay for the cruise ships

if they come forward. After all they have a big expense in fuel and crew, to begin with, not to mention everything else like food and water.

[Pirate Smile]

24. Certainly, not as charity. No one can expect that.

[LibDemAlways]

16. Cruising is big business. Those

ships are booked a year in advance. No way are the cruise lines, all but one of which operate under foreign flags, going to cancel paying customers to come to the aid of disaster victims. It's not going to happen.

[huskerlaw]

18. Many of them

operate under foreign flags for tax purposes only. I believe most of them are American owned.

[LibDemAlways]

30. Doesn't matter. Not going to happen.

The cruise lines are not going to put themselves through the hassle of voluntarily cancelling a bunch of cruises and having to offer mega bucks worth of refunds and incentives for rebookings, not to mention covering non-refundable airfare for thousands of passengers. And, even if they grew a conscience and wanted to help, their insurance carriers would never allow it.

[HadItUpToHere]

31. regardless- the cruiselines won't and shouldn't do it-

they're saying that they'll be needing housing for people for MONTHS- those cruiseships would end up trashed, plus the economies of all the regular ports, and destination ports where the ships normally operate would be greatly affected.

[huskerlaw]

34. they weren't talking about housing

they were talking about using them for immediate evacuation purposes. As far as trashing the ship, yes, that's possible...and that's where the government steps in and pays for damage.

[HadItUpToHere]

38. evacuation to where?

doesn't overland evacuation make more sense?

[shraby]

19. At this point it won't help. By the time a cruise

ship of any sort gets there people will have either drowned or died of dehydration. Local boats or helicopters, possibly those troop transport helicopters would get a bunch out.

[Cleita]

23. There are ships docked close by like in Galveston who

use NO as their port ordinarily.

[HadItUpToHere]

44. and what shape are the NO docks in?

in order to board passengers/supplies.

[Cleita]

45. The same way they have done it in ports without docks and

piers since the Bronze Age. They anchor off shore, preferrably in a harbor and they row into shore with long boats, life boats or small boats with outboard motors. Well in the Bronze Age, they pulled the shallow draft ships on the beach. If there was no beach, they anchored and swam ashore. Odysseus could tell you all about it.

This is how myself and my parents went ashore in northern Chile for years when we lived there back in the forties. We were met by a small boats with outboard motors. We climbed down a ladder on the side of the ocean liner. Our baggage and trunks were lowered into the boats and we were taken ashore to a marina where the small fishing boats unloaded and docked. This marina was too small for the ocean liners, which is why they anchored in the harbor.

I see no unsurmountable problem. It will be a BIG project, but if people get all their resources together, land, air and sea, I think it could be done. It should be tried anyway instead of walking away saying it can't be done. Life boats could be used. The life boats on ocean liners hold a lot of people.

[Pirate Smile]

21. Here is a thread on this which was the first I had heard of this idea.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4513385

[huskerlaw]

22. Sorry for the dupe

I should have searched for that. :dunce:

[Pirate Smile]

25. I didn't know the Governor mentioned it though. That thread is from

much earlier so I'm glad you posted your thread. I wonder if it was someone who got this idea online who called Larry King or if this idea has been floating around somewhere else as well.

edit to add - I certainly thought it had some potential. How many options are there for movable rooms for thousands of people which include plumbing, kitchen facilities, etc.

Trucking tents/trailers in and setting them up will be enormously expensive, time consuming, plus you need the plumbing and food, etc. and a pain in the ass plus where do you set it up at - it can't be in NOLA. We are talking refugee camps.

[huskerlaw]

27. A caller did mention it

but the Governor said they'd been considering it, and would greatly appreciate the help.

[HadItUpToHere]

26. what are the people who work in the cruise industry supposed to do?

they're saying that they will need to have housing for people for MONTHS-

tents/quanset-hut type buildings make A LOT more sense....or even floating dormatories- but using luxury cruiseships wouldn't be very feasible.

[huskerlaw]

29. I don't think they were

considering using them for long-term housing. They were discussing evacuation.

[HadItUpToHere]

36. evacuation to where?

and where would they dock to pick people up?

doesn't overland evacuation make more sense?

[huskerlaw]

39. Texas? Florida? Georgia?

There are plenty of places around Louisiana with working ports. As for over land evacuations, they can't exactly drive cars into downtown New Orleans right now.

[HadItUpToHere]

43. they can't take cruise ships into downtown NO, either-

so tell me again- why would cruiseships be preferable to overland travel...?

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. How about naval vessels?

[huskerlaw]

37. I believe I just read something about that

although frankly, most of them are in the Persian Gulf.

[Catherine Vincent]

35. They'd have to be offered money first.

[FreedomAngel82]

41. They can have a heart and

put humanity before money.

[halobeam]

42. Yes .... THAT they would.

After reading this thread, I happen to think I wouldn't want another industry in our country to go belly up though... maybe if it would take the chance by at least meeting the costs...without profit.

I don't know... but God, it doesn't seem after all of this, to just let more human beings die because money took priority. This just overall sucks.

[julialnyc]

46. randi's site had a thread with helpful info on this

http://forums.therandirhodesshow.com/index.php?showtopic=64141