When Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) decided to relocate the Norwegian Sky to Miami, the cruise ship was upgraded to the new Freestyle 2.0 enhancements. Part of the initiative was all new bedding on board, and because of that, NCL donated more than 1,300 of the old mattresses to the Salvation Army. The mattresses were off-loaded from Norwegian Sky, which offers 3- and 4-day Bahamas sailings from Miami, and donated to the Salvation Army’s local Miami chapter.

The mattresses will serve as upgrades to the residential dorms at the Salvation Army’s Miami Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) and will also be sold in Salvation Army Family Stores. Proceeds from the store sales will support the ARC to fund expenses such as food and counselors.
The Salvation Army has more than 100 Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARC) across the nation serving men with substance abuse, social, emotional and spiritual issues. Similar programs for women are also available at most centers. Each residential care center provides participants with free housing, regular meals, medical check-ups and mental health programs. As part of a nine-month treatment plan, participants are offered individual and group counseling, job-skills training and substance abuse courses.
“We rely on in-kind-donations, such as this generous one from Norwegian Cruise Line, in order to change our ARC participant’s lives and make our community stronger,” said Lieutenant Jay Ward, administrator of the Miami ARC. “This opportunity will allow us to further the ARC program and provide these men with the help they need to overcome their handicaps and live better lifestyles.”
In addition to Norwegian Sky’s charitable donations, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Jade, and Norwegian Dawn are also involved in initiatives to give back to the community, as well as the environment. Norwegian Star will donate approximately 2,000 mattresses to benefit the Seattle chapter of the Salvation Army and The Cross Disciples Center and Church. Norwegian Dawn donated more than 500 mattresses in New York to a waste-to-energy facility where they were converted into re-useable resources. Norwegian Spirit has an established donation program aiding charities in various ports of call it sails, providing items ranging from pillows to wheelchairs. Norwegian Jade, as part of a fleet-wide recycling program, has recently off-loaded scrap metal to be recycled in Southampton. This month, crew members from Norwegian Majesty picked up 1,300 pounds of trash along the streets and beaches in St. George’s, Bermuda.