More than 30 cruise liners remain at sea due to coronavirus: how their passengers live

Newlyweds from Texas, Jay and Carmen Martinez, celebrated a beach wedding and went on a honeymoon cruise in the South Pacific aboard the Norwegian Jewel. CNN.

Photo: Shutterstock

Ahead of their February 28 departure date for Australia, the couple were worried about the spread of coronavirus but were unable to cancel the 23-day trip they had booked two years earlier. Now they are among the thousands of passengers still at sea aboard more than 30 ocean cruise ships, many still struggling to find a port that will welcome them amid the global shutdown of the cruise industry due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It is believed that the Norwegian Jewel is heading to Hawaii, but there is no official destination yet, and the ship has not been accepted at several ports.

“We had some hesitation,” Jay Martinez said. “But until the day of departure we had no opportunity to cancel the trip. And since we spent a lot of money on our honeymoon, we had no choice but to board the ship."

The couple was afraid that their route would be changed, but they had no idea that they would be in a difficult situation at sea when their ship would fight for the right to find a parking place.

Escalation of the situation

Jay and Carmen aren't the only ones trapped. As coronavirus outbreaks hit numerous ships at sea, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) decided on March 13 to suspend operations at US ports of call for 30 days. CLIA includes 38 cruise lines, representing more than 95% of the world's cruise capacity - a total of 277 ships.

“Several ships—about 14% of CLIA's total fleet—are currently at sea completing their voyages,” the organization said in a statement to CNN. “We are focused on getting these ships back to port as quickly as possible.”

The situation sharply worsened about a week ago when the CLIA recalled its ships, and French Polynesia did not allow Norwegian Jewel to moor. At first, the ship planned to go to Fiji and unload there, but the plan was rejected on the way when the island country announced that the cruise ship would not be accepted. New Zealand followed suit.

Subsequently, the ship was allowed to refuel in American Samoa.

“And that’s when we started our long journey to Hawaii,” says Jay.

The Norwegian cruise operator has not yet officially confirmed the final destination of the vessel. In response to a request from CNN, the spokesperson confirmed that the New Zealand docking plan was phased out.

“We will share an update as soon as it becomes available,” they said.

Jay says travelers are "riding waves of emotion" - relief at news they'll be docking soon, then disappointment when those plans are scrapped.

So far, everyone on board the Norwegian Jewel is healthy, with no cases of coronavirus or quarantine. However, Jay says the guests are worried and very concerned about the increase in tension as the ship's trajectory is becoming increasingly uncertain.

Everyone knows, according to him, that there is a real possibility of stretching the situation for days or even weeks. People are becoming more worried about stopping medication, the health of friends, families, and livelihoods at home.

On the subject: Dirt, flies and expired food: 4 cruise liners with worse sanitary conditions named in CDC

Pacific princess

On the other side of the Pacific, Ron Ernst, 76, is playing the same expectation-versus-reality game aboard the Pacific Princess, a 338-cabin cruise ship with capacity for 670 guests.

Ron and his wife Susie boarded the ship on January 20 in Los Angeles. An elderly California couple visited 25 cruises, including survived three trips around the world. They embarked on a 111-day cruise odyssey, barely aware of the growing threat of coronavirus.

“I'm sure we heard about some virus in China, but we haven't had any problems,” says Ron.

In late February, it became known that the virus could affect their route.

The ship missed calls on the Indonesian island of Bali, Singapore and the Thai resort of Phuket. Passengers were also prohibited from leaving the ship in Sri Lanka.

Like the Norwegian Jewel, the Pacific princess has had no confirmed cases of coronavirus — but is still riding a wave of uncertainty.

“The night after Sri Lanka, the captain made the shocking announcement that due to evolving and rapidly changing conditions, the cruise would end in Fremantle/Perth,” says Ron. “We quickly realized that things were getting serious.”

The ship made a 180-degree turn in the middle of the night and began an 18-day voyage back to Australia.

“Life on the ship continued with great food, entertainment and lots of socializing,” says Ron. “We were healthy and comfortable in our safe cocoon. Not everyone was looking forward to returning to the world. The crew is absolutely fantastic. Their future is completely unclear, but they do not allow themselves to show it. The vessel did an amazing job, especially given these unprecedented conditions.”

When asked about the status of the ship and those on board, Princess Cruises sent CNN an online statement confirming its final destination and offering a helpline for friends and family.

Also aboard the Pacific Princess was the 63-year-old CJ Hayden, author and business coach from San Francisco.

Hayden, traveling with partner Dave Herninko, told CNN that she hopes to return home as soon as possible, in case additional travel restrictions are imposed.

“Our biggest concern right now is whether we can get home to North America before airports, cities or even borders close,” she said. “The ship cannot go faster.”

There were 547 passengers on board, and 448 were Americans. Princess Cruises says it arranged flights for each passenger and paid for airfare. Anyone unable to fly for medical reasons will remain on the ship when the ship departs for Los Angeles.

Australia previously announced that it is closing its ports for cruise ship passengers. Hayden says Pacific Princess passengers have been granted boarding authorization, provided they depart immediately to the airport.

Those who have not booked tickets for the flight on March 21 will remain on board until their flight is ready for departure the next day.

“Almost all of the passengers are elderly, many in their 70s and 80s, and many with disabilities,” Hayden said earlier this week. “Some people are holding up well, others are worried.”

Like Ron, Hayden said “uncertainty” is the hardest thing to deal with.

On the subject: 'Contagion': how a 2011 film predicted the coronavirus epidemic

To stay connected

On board the Norwegian Jewel, Jay, a foreign affairs officer, is attempting to engage in remote work from the ocean. Carmen, who works in the field of disease prevention, does not have such an opportunity. Like some of the younger and more tech savvy guests, both are trying to help older passengers.

“We're helping, reaching out to family members who are having trouble connecting online or on the phone to those on that ship,” Jay says.

He praises crew members stranded on board and uncertain about their future, highlighting their "phenomenal job of cleanliness and hygiene" - and their consistent generosity and understanding.

"There are a lot of disappointed people, and it's unfortunate that they blame it on the cruise line's shortcomings because the crew did a great job," Jay says.

Indefinite times

Right now, those aboard the Norwegian Jewel are crossing their fingers to be allowed to land in Hawaii, but Jay says they have not received clear information on how to get home from the island.

“This uncertainty, this unknown about what our fate will be, I think is the hardest thing to understand,” he says.

Much of the travel industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with hoteliers laying off workers, airlines asking for government help, and cruise ships making headlines for every possible reason.

Will Jay and Carmen ever go on a cruise again?

Jay is diplomatic - no one knows what the tourism landscape will look like in six months or a year, he says. He also hopes cruise lines will adopt new methods to deal with such situations.

“I wouldn't say this rules out cruises in the future,” he says. “I think that's a discussion we're going to have when we get home and the dust settles on this story.” A lot will depend on how things continue to evolve and how the cruise line responds after their 30-day pause due to this outbreak.”

And despite the fact that they were stuck in the sea and not sure when they would see land again, there were joyful moments on board.

In the end, Jay and Carmen celebrate their honeymoon. March 19, they celebrated one month from the wedding day.

“It was a cruise, a vacation, and a honeymoon like no other, for both great and terrible reasons,” says Jay.

“We are very connected to each other, I think we find comfort in each other, finding humor in our situation, passing on problems from different countries and sharing that news,” he says.

CJ Hayden tells similar stories with the Pacific Princess.

“Some of us help each other learn new skills,” she said. — Two volunteers helped me, while others studied watercolor painting. Another passenger taught my husband how to use the machine. We taught several people how to play dominoes."

She recalls how the ship stopped in Sri Lanka for refueling.

“On the pier next to the ship there were soldiers with guns and dogs, and workers unloaded supplies wearing masks and gloves. At 10 a.m., the passenger choir gathered on the pool deck and sang "Put on a Happy Face."

Jay says he is proud of how passengers and crew collaborated in the face of uncertainty.

“It’s wonderful because I feel like our world is very divided sometimes,” he continues. — It's nice to feel like we can take a stand in this pandemic as a global initiative, and I think we have our own little mini-community that is just that we care about each other's well-being and want everyone to come home , and not just one nationality.”

Read also on ForumDaily:

Poll: what threats do Americans see from the coronavirus

'Stay home': which US states have introduced isolation and what it means for residents

Epidemiologist: quarantine stretches a pandemic in time, but does not reduce the number of infected

Trump has activated the national guard, Merkel in quarantine: the latest news about the coronavirus in the world

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.