Passengers and crew to the rescue

Following yesterday’s news about the aid given by the crew of P&O’s Oceana to the people of St Lucia, I have been sent some heart-warming pictures from Holland America’s Noordam.
The second cruise ship to return to Castries after Hurricane Tomas hit the island, Noordam provided 45,000 gallons of drinking water and 15,000 lbs of food, including beef, rice, sugar, vegetables and flour to help the relief effort.
Passengers chipped in by donating $3,300 (about £2,100) in cash, and crew gave bottled water and food from their own stocks
A group of 19 orphans from the Holy Family children’s home – who get a Christmas treat on the ship every year – were invited on board for the day. They had been trapped in their home for a week without running water or electricity, and relished the chance to play in the pools and eat pizzas, burgers and ice cream. Prime Minister Stephenson King said: ” Today is our day of thanksgiving; we give thanks to the gracious people of the Noordam”