TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Cruise Abaco Staff Fundraiser

Hello TTOL friends. It's been some time since I've been on the board. Life keeps getting in the way.

No doubt everyone has been following Dorian. I sincerely hope those in FL and the coast spare any destruction.

I posted a travel trip in 2015 from our first experience chartering out of Marsh Harbor with Cruise Abaco. Abaco and BVI Comparisons

We have remained friends with the team at Cruise Abaco and just chartered there in June. Abacos2019 Trip Video

Along with our friends/charters, we are raising awareness of two fundraising campaigns started to help the staff at Cruise Abaco who live locally and have lost so much. All funds will be delivered to a group of their staff to ensure equitable distribution with their team. Some of have checked in safe - some have not, yet.

Cruise Abaco Staff GoFundMe Campaign

Cruise Abaco Staff Facebook Campaign

Anything you can give is greatly appreciated. But we hope everyone will amplify and share amongst your networks. Thank you.

Be careful folks. I received an email from Mark that appears at conflict of Ags comments above.

This page on their website confirms there isn’t a Cruise Abaco gofundme site:

https://cruiseabaco.com/hurricane-dorian/


Like Ag, we’ve sailed Abacos a few years ago, and just last year, rented a wonderful house on Elbow at White Bay, next door to the Abaco Inn. Hate to think of what either of those properties look like today.

Agreed, be very careful where you donate with regard to any of these situations. They seem to spawn the worst in the human spirit, with deliberate scammers, and also well meaning people, who just are not experienced in these areas and start off well meaning, and end up somewhere else because of many different factors.

Hi, all. Thanks for the comments and concerns, JPH.

I've also been in touch with Mark, Patti, and several of their staff through these events. Mark and Patti are amazing folks, and their primary concern is not to make it seem Cruise Abaco is selfishly taking away from the broader recovery efforts throughout the Abacos or that they are not in a position to help their staff during this time. Again, neither of those could be further from the truth - they are in full support of the area's recovery and have the backs of all of the staff.

If it wasn't clear in my post or the campaigns (I will read them again with a new perspective), the support effort is strictly from friends of Cruise Abaco who have chartered with them and have since developed good friendships with the staff. These are supporters who either may not feel that a donation to a broader GFM campaign will have much of an impact or simply aren't emotionally connected to the folks there (to no fault of their own). Again, my efforts are to do what I can from the couch to help support a group of people that we have cared about and to motivate/influence my circle of friends and contacts who may not otherwise get up to give. In the past 24-hours, we've been able to raise $2,500 for what is intended to be personal recovery funds for that staff.

Regarding my intent to post this in TTOL, I thought my tenure with the group would also build some confidence that we would be responsible for raising funds and ensuring it gets into their hands. Some may recall that I've done this a couple of times:

2017 Gumption's Relief Fund Following Irma ($11,500 raised for him)
2018 Gumption's Fundraiser to support Anegada ($6,000+ raised for the school)

As a side note, you will find on my Abaco GFM page that Gumption also donated to the cause, which he likely would not have if I had used him to scam from the two campaigns above.

Again, this was not requested, endorsed, or managed by Cruise Abaco. Just some friends banding together to help people we know. Certainly contribute to any relief efforts that Mark and Patti recommend or that you trust. The main thing is to SHARE. There is strength in numbers, and we all have personal and professional friends that would not feel compelled to give if we didn't ask them and they had a personal connection with the cause (us). Find your campaign of choice and spread the word!

Why is it you don’t set up a fund me for the thousands of small businesses along the East coast that are battered by Hurricanes almost on a yearly basis and don’t receive FEMA funds?

Thanks for the update Ag,

I’m sure your motives were, and are, very well intentioned. Thanks for the clarifications!

Dorian will have a devastating impact on the Abacos and Grand Bahamas. As we’ve seen in other islands, they can and will bounce back over time, and it is easy for us tourists to spend our dollars in support. The poor local folks are hardy and tough, but they will continue to need our support.

Safe travels, and a speedy recovery to all.

Because I'm not friends with any of those business owners. But I would strongly encourage everyone to find the charity of their choosing and spread word throughout your personal/professional networks! There are excellent community foundations that also collect donations and award grants to local businesses in need. Those are excellent groups to support. Or just walk down and hand the business a check directly as a donation after an event like that. Or load up your car at Home Depot and roll up you sleeves to help (as I did with friends in Texas after Harvey). At the end of the day, are we talking about the problem or doing something about it?

Good point!

Just wondered if any of the beaches in your great video were of Treasure Cay. We honeymooned there in 1973!

Yes! From the 3:50m mark with us coming into the marina, the drone ariels, and up to the 5:55m mark. Sadly not what it looks like today. As the BVI's know, they will come back stronger and better!

Airplane Footage on Facebook