"After the 921 quake, this is my first time to be treated to a field trip," said 14-year-old Chen Hsuan-yu (
She was one of 60 quake-affected students to be invited aboard the Star Taurus liner tied to the pier in Keelung Harbor. The ship is operated by Star Cruises.
The event was a benefit trip for children who were sent to live in Keelung after the quake hit their homes in central Taiwan in September of last year.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Accompanied by relatives and teachers, the children had the run of the ship, ate dinner on board and played video arcade games.
"We hope to arrange activities that make children feel more comfortable living in Keelung," said social worker Tsai Hsin-yi (蔡欣宜), a staff member of the Keelung Family Support Center (基隆家庭扶助中心).
Since Keelung Harbor and the cruise ships have become symbols of the city, the center set up the ship visits in cooperation with Star Cruises.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
According to members of the family support center, about 100 elementary and middle school students were sent to Keelung from quake-stricken areas after the 921 quake.
Most of the students lost their homes, and some lost parents and siblings. Several school buildings were also destroyed in the towns and villages they once called home.
Chen lost her parents and a brother when her house collapsed in Tungshih, Taichung County.
"When she first arrived in Keelung, she was very quiet," said Lin Tsen-chu (
Many of the students who came to Keelung suffered from post-traumatic stress disorders, said Wu Chia-chou (
Next month, the cruise company plans to take around 100 children from low-income families on a cruise trip to Okinawa, Japan.
Star Cruises, a Malaysian-owned firm, entered the Taiwan market a year ago. However, a series of high-profile accidents made national headlines and put the company on the defensive.
In two recent incidents, passengers disappeared without a trace from a Star Cruises ship while at sea.
In addition, there was an alleged robbery aboard one of the ships last year.
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