Blount offers ship housing for medical front-liners

Two Warren-based cruise ships could soon take part in the fight against the Covid-19 virus.

Blount Small Ship Adventures officials on Friday offered the use of their sister cruise ships, the Grande Caribe and the Grande Mariner, as isolation housing for medical staff and first responders. Should the need arise, president Nancy Blount said her firm is ready to deploy them to wherever they’re needed. Cleaning and food and beverage services, as well as all other operations, will be provided by the ships’ crews.

“These heroes on the front lines who are taking care of us should have a comfortable place to stay,” she said. “We are proud to be able to offer our ships as a haven to them.”

The two small cruise ships normally ply the East Coast on small coastal adventures. With cruise operations shut down for the foreseeable future, Blount Vice President Pete Palumbo said it made sense for the firm to offer its 184-foot sister ships to the cause.

"We kind of got together, myself, my mother (Ms. Blount), and my ops manager, and we were trying to put our heads together on what we could do to help and aid in the relief effort," he said. "It's terrible what's happening and we would like to help."

Blount officials reached out to the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Emergency Management Associations, and received enthusiastic responses. Though the boats aren't needed yet, Mr. Palumbo said they're ready at a moment's notice.

"It's in their hands now and we're ready," he said.

The two vessels will be able to house up to 120 first responders, medics and others on the front lines. Each will have his or her own room with shower and isolated HVAC systems, and crews will provide a full commissary with hot meals. Mr. Palumbo said all crews have been briefed on the potential service, and he said all are on board with the idea.

Though the cruise ship industry has received a lot of negative press lately, Mr. Palumbo said Blount "is the complete opposite" of the large foreign-flagged operations that have come under scrutiny as the crisis has unfolded.

"We are U.S.-flagged, U.S.-owned and U.S.-crewed," he said. "There's only seven of us US-flagged cruise lines left. We want to do the right thing."