Facing a hotel bed shortage, some condo rescue crews will sleep aboard a cruise ship
Royal Caribbean Group has piloted its Explorer of the Seas cruise ship into PortMiami to host relief crews from the Surfside condo collapse.
With hotels booked for the upcoming July Fourth weekend, officials were having trouble finding lodging for traveling first responders and other personnel.
The ship, which was previously anchored at sea without commission, will host groups of 80 at a time; the first group arrived Thursday. Onboard, they will receive individual staterooms, hot meals, laundry service and WiFi.
“This tragedy in our own backyard is heart-wrenching,” said Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean Group’s chairman and CEO, in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the families and our whole community, and our thanks go out to the hardworking search and rescue teams. Providing them shelter is a small way to show our support.”
The lodging solution could yet be complicated with the threat of Hurricane Elsa, a growing worry for authorities managing the response. Port authorities said Explorer may have to leave Miami if the storm becomes a more serious threat. Friday afternoon, forecasters had one likely path for Elsa streaking past the southern tip of Florida before curling up the state’s west coast.
Royal Caribbean coordinated with Gov. Ron DeSantis, Miami-Dade County, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to receive the necessary approvals for Explorer to take on the crews.
This story was originally published July 2, 2021 at 4:06 PM.
