Holland America Line is offering up one of its cruise ships as temporary accommodation for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The cruise line's Volendam ship will be docked for three months in Rotterdam to provide temporary homes for around 1,500 Ukrainians.
Refugees will be given their own private rooms and will be able to use the ship's facilities such as the public spaces, fitness facilities, and housekeeping services, as well as having internet access.
The company also said that it will be staffing the 781-ft-long ship with around 650 crew members, and providing refugees with three hot meals per day.
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"We are in a unique position to accommodate the immediate need for food and housing, so we felt it was very important to work with the City of Rotterdam and charter this ship," said Gus Antorcha, president, Holland America Line.
"Our company was founded in Rotterdam around the mission of helping immigrants find a better life. So today we’re proud to be a small part of a similar mission for Ukrainians who have tragically been displaced."
The cruise ship was originally scheduled to return to service on May 15, with sailings to Norway, the British Isles and Iceland, but three of these have been cancelled to accommodate the ship's three-month commitment.
Instead, Volendam will resume services on July 3, with guests due to sail on the cancelled cruises being offered similar itineraries.
Addressing the cancellations, Mr Antorcha said: "We are very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause to guests booked on the three cancelled cruises. We hope they understand the unprecedented nature of this situation and why we felt it was important to work with the government on this initiative in support of these families in need."
Offering up Volendam as temporary accommodation isn't the only contribution the cruise line is making to help Ukrainians.
As well as setting up a $1million emergency assistance fund, the cruise line is fundraising with a On Deck for a Cause programme, where guests on any cruise can take part in a non-competitive 5K fundraising walk, with proceeds going to Direct Relief.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian members of staff for the cruise line are being offered the likes of counselling assistance, free internet service to communicate with family, while accommodations are being scheduled to help as needed be that early disembarkation or an extension to stay on board.
