Royal Caribbean International will use one of its ship as a vehicle to keep employees and their families safe from Hurricane Irma, which is expected to strike the Miami area this weekend.

The Enchantment of the Seas' Sept. 8 cruise was canceled because of the hurricane, so Royal Caribbean opened the ship to its workforce.

The ship will depart around noon on Friday and sail out to sea away from the projected path of the storm.

The plan is to return to Miami once the storm passes and the port reopens.

The-20 year-old Enchantment holds 2,252 people at double occupancy and typically offers three- and four-day cruises to the Bahamas.

"We decided to offer the ship to our employees and their families so they could evacuate," said spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez. "[We] felt that it was the right thing to do."