Haiti earthquake: Travel brands join the relief effort

Travel brands are beginning to release details of how they are joining the relief effort following Tuesday's devastating earthquake in Haiti.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday evening local time, flattening schools, hospitals and apartment blocks, with one local resident estimating as much as 80% of the city has been destroyed.
Latest reports indicate between 45,000 and 50,000 people have been killed.
British Airways
British Airways (BA) has already offered aid agencies a relief aircraft to fly emergency services and equipment to Haiti.
A Boeing 747, with capacity for up to 50 tonnes of cargo, is standing by to fly to the region on Saturday crewed by volunteer BA pilots and cabin crew.
BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: "The situation in Haiti is desperate and we must do what we can to help."
Just A Drop

Clean water charity Just A Drop has joined the Haiti relief effort with the launch of the Just Help Haiti appeal.
Funds raised will be used to respond to the immediate and longer term need to rebuild water infrastructure in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is reported to be collecting donations for the Red Cross on board its ships and matching it dollar for dollar.

It is also working with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association, a non-profit organisation representing 15 cruise lines, to have supplies diverted to Haiti.

Royal Caribbean International
Cruise ships from Royal Caribbean International, the parent company of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises, will call at Labadee, Haiti as scheduled but will be bringing aid with them. Independence of the Seas will be the first to dock tommorrow.

Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive Adam Goldstein commented on his blog: "We loaded Independence of the Seas with relief supplies today at San Juan, Puerto Rico, which included 60 cases of badly needed water and other dry goods.
"We have also started to receive additional provisions, including four truckloads of drinking water, from our suppliers at our logistic center, which we are preparing to load on to Navigator of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, to arrive on Monday and Tuesday."

source: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/