The US government has chartered a cruise ship to accommodate rescue workers in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s 47,263-gt Grand Celebration (built 1987) to the island of St Thomas.

The Bahamas-flagged vessel house and feed between 1,000 and 1,500 relief workers from Saturday for an initial period of 90 days.