Three Carnival Cruise Lines vessels have been called into service to act as shelters for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Up to 7,000 survivors of the hurricane and flooding in New Orleans and the US gulf states can be accommodated on the ships.
The line’s 2,606 passenger capacity Ecstasy and Sensation are due to house evacuees in Galveston from tomorrow (Monday) while the 1,800-capacity ship Holiday is expected to dock in Mobile, Alabama, from Thursday.
All three ships have been chartered by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency and their cruises have been cancelled for the next six months, Associated Press reported.
The vessels usually operate out of Galveston, New Orleans and Mobile offering short cruise itineraries.
Report by Phil Davies
