Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line CEO Oneil Khosa has confirmed discussions with U.S. authorities on potential ship charters.

“We have also been asked about the availability of our ships,” said Khosa, talking to Cruise Industry News. “We have told the government we will make them available.”

Bahamas Paradise has two vessels, the Grand Celebration and Grand Classica, which had offered two-night cruises from Palm Beach until operations were paused last week. 

Ships could be used for temporary housing due to the coronavirus outbreak, while other sources have suggested the concept of surge hospital capacity aboard a cruise vessel. 

The Celebration is available and is currently docked in Palm Beach while the Classica sits ready to sail in the Bahamas.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) previously worked closely with Bahamas Paradise in 2017 to charter the Celebration for worker housing in St. Thomas, where it spent 90 days dockside in September 2017.

Following hurricanes that hit the Bahamas last summer, the cruise line was among the first operators to step up to help, sailing a number of humanitarian cruises to evacuate residents and deliver supplies.