Cruise ships embark on a new mission to house Ukrainian refugees

WITH refugee numbers recently topping four million, according to the United Nations, Holland America Line has decided to set aside one of its cruise ships to host people fleeing the war in Ukraine while relying on the goodwill of its customers to agree to reschedule their trip on another ship.

Regularly under fire for their harmful impact on the environment, cruise ships have, in recent weeks, found a new calling in this changing world. As the war in Ukraine rages on, these giants of the seas are now becoming safe havens for a population in need.

In the port of Rotterdam, as it prepared to resume service after a long period of inaction due to the pandemic, the Volendam was scheduled to take its 1,432 passengers to visit Norway, but also the British Isles and Iceland. In the end, the passengers will board another ship, however.

The 240-meter-long liner will instead accommodate men, women and children fleeing the conflict in Ukraine for the next three months.

They will be provided with three hot meals a day, while the ship's staff will remain on board to provide them with all the care necessary for their wellbeing. The 1,500 Ukrainians will be given a key to a cabin, an internet connection and access to all public areas of the Volendam.

Usually, the ship entertains its passengers with a variety of activities, including concerts given in a room equipped with a giant LED screen for total audio immersion.

The Volendam's travel program has been canceled and will not resume until early July.

This isn't the first initiative of its kind in the nautical world. In the French port of Marseille, the Méditerranée, a ferry belonging to the Corsica Linea company, welcomed nearly 1,700 Ukrainian refugees on March 29, reportedly making the ship the largest reception center for Ukrainian refugees in France.