Mass Maritime Ship Returns After Weeks Assisting With Hurricane Relief

BOURNE (CBS) -- For nearly 600 relief workers on board the T.S. Kennedy, the last few months have been relentless. On Friday, it all came to an end.

The Mass Maritime training ship has played a roll in the recovery efforts after hurricanes hit Texas and Puerto Rico. It took off on September 6 for Houston, spent a week there, and headed straight to Puerto Rico where it would spend the next six weeks.

"It feels good to contribute, it's a safe place for somebody to go at night, good place to sleep, they can take a shower, they can do their laundry, have a good meal," said Capt. Mike Campbell.

Ship chef Keith Mason helped provide 30,000 meals to FEMA workers on the ship.

"They sat down, had their meal and they went to sleep," he said.

Chef Ellie Durkin said, "We saw who we were helping that were helping the people of Puerto Rico."

After a long day, the Kennedy, a converted freighter, could seem more like the Ritz.

"They need time to unwind, said Maritime Administrator Jeff Brown.  The ship helped provide "movies and internet access and just open space."

Brown said it was important to create a sense of normalcy for the workers as they helped residents to get back on their feet.