Wouldn't be cost effective and very helpful for our gov't to pay cruise

lines the cost of six months revenues to house the people from NO and MS who need to be evacuated? hell, we pay more than that to Halliburton to feed our troops and rip us off.

at their jobs in NO and surrounding areas. Those without jobs could be given reconstruction jobs (think urban CCCC.)

support by donating a couple of ships gratis. With hurricane season here and probably horribly active, I can't imagine them doing a whole lot of cruising anyway.

I'm guessing entire fleets of them.

and those with sever medical problems who need continuous medication like dibetics. Some ships can house up to 2,000 plus crews.

I'm going to look up the cruise lines on-line but we it will do no goog unless some Federal official can ok the contract and payments.

at least a 4-week charter of a ship. Hell, I know some churches that charter ships for their conventions. I know this can be done. If the cruise line doesn't lose any money it would be a great PR action to help people in a time of need.

Absolutely an option.

Maybe we could all send e-mail or make phone calls.

About the ICCL: The International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) represents the interests of 16 passenger cruise lines that call on major ports in the United States and abroad. ICCL member lines include: Carnival Cruise Lines; Celebrity Cruises; Costa Cruise Line N.V.; Crystal Cruises; Cunard Line; Disney Cruise Line; Holland America Line; NCL America; Norwegian Cruise Line; Orient Lines; Princess Cruises; Radisson Seven Seas Cruises; Royal Caribbean International; Seabourn Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises; and Windstar Cruises. These vessels account for approximately 90% of the North American passenger cruise line industry.

International Council of Cruise Lines
2111 Wilson Boulevard, 8th Floor
Arlington, VA 22201
Tel: 703.522.8463
Toll-Free: 800.595.9338
Fax: 703.522.3811
E-mail: info@iccl.org

Park a few hospital ships, a few troop-transport trips, and maybe an aircraft carrier or two off of NO and you could probably have accomodations for most of the displaced.