The Carnival Cruise Line has chartered 3 ships to FEMA to assist in the relief effort for Hurricane Katrina. The contract was designed to be revenue neutral. Carnival would have made the same amount of money as if the ship was used for their cruises.

“As we have stated previously, the charter contract was priced to be profit-neutral to Carnival,” Jennifer de la Cruz, Carnival’s director of public relations, said this week.

 

“The contract price may or may not be adjusted as we continue to operate the three vessels under the charter agreement and gain better information as to our operating costs,” she said. “In the end, we will make no additional money on this deal versus what we would have made by keeping these ships in service.”

 

The contract calls for the payment of 192 million dollars, with 44 million for additional costs. These additional costs may be the refurbishment of the 3 ships that were lent to the effort.

The Travel Weekly Cruise email tells this tidbit.

* The Ecstasy, which also is under charter, will resume its four- and five-day schedule from Galveston on April 8. Carnival said its three chartered vessels would each receive a comprehensive refurbishment once the FEMA charter expires.

 

Would this be why the 44 million is needed? It would be interesting if the federal government would be paying the costs for a refurbishment of the ship. Or is the wear and tear so bad already that Carnival is already prepared for the worst.