Bahamas Paradise Cruise canceled its scheduled sailing Thursday in favor of a humanitarian trip to assist stranded Bahamians with free passage home.
The Grand Celebration ship headed for Grand Bahama Island late Thursday loaded with emergency supplies and a large team of aid workers and technicians, including electricians and firemen.
"We have a lot of people on the ship who will have a major positive impact on the recovery of the island," company CEO Oneil Khosa told CNN.
The ship will be the first allowed to dock at Freeport since Hurricane Dorian.
With appropriate ID documents including birth certificate and passport, Bahamians will also be be allowed aboard free of charge to evacuate to Florida.
"We felt like we had to do this for the people of the Bahamas and the island of Grand Bahama, especially given our history with the island, Khosa added.
Other lines are contributing to alleviate the hardships with cash donations and supplies.
Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian are each giving at least $1 million and are encouraging employees and guests to contribute via various donation matching programs.
