BALTIMORE — Carnival is teaming up with the Port of Baltimore to deliver items to Grand Bahama in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.
On Sunday, crews loaded Carnival Pride with relief supplies such as prepared meals, generators, medical supplies, chain saws and water.
"We can send something that's tangible. They can touch it. They can put their hands on it, so they can know just because you have to rebuild, we're not turning our backs on you," said cruise director Eversen Bevelle.
Bevelle said Carnival Pride sails weekly from the Port of Baltimore to Freeport, the main city on the island. A top destination, Bevelle said they want to show that they are in this together.
"People come to Freeport every week. We have friends in Freeport. We have working colleagues in Freeport... It's very important that those people, those families that are there that have provided this experience for all the guests that get to go, get the help they need," said Bevelle.
The ship, with guests on board, will deliver the supplies Friday. Those on the islands are trying to figure out how to distribute them, and any other donations.
"We are exploring every option by helicopter, via boat, to bring constant relief to those area," said John Michael Clarke, chairman of the Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Committee.
Thousands of Bahamians are now evacuating from the Abacos and Grand Bahama to Nassau and the U.S.
"I said, 'Lord, today has to be the day for me to get on this boat with these children. They cannot stay here," said resident Rymrih Nairn.
"A lot of people died and I thought I was going to be one of them and we just started praying and everything and we survived," said Abacos resident Carlen Merizier.
Now the efforts are shifting to keeping people safe and healthy as they start to rebuild.
"We want you to get better. We want to help to keep growing and we want Freeport to be whole again," said Bevelle.
The cruise line has partnered with multiple charities on the ground in The Bahamas to deliver meals and urgent medical supplies, as well as pledged $2 million for relief efforts.
