Though efforts were taken by cruise lines and the Center for Disease Control to return crew members to their countries of origin, many report being unable to return home.
What We Know:
- The CDC issued a No Sail Order to the cruising industry March 15th due to the coronavirus pandemic and has extended that order multiple times since. The order currently delays cruise lines from operating before October 1, 2020.
- A representative for the Coast Guard told USA Today that over 70,000 crew members were stranded on cruise ships due to the coronavirus pandemic back in May, and as of last week over 12,000 crew members were still stranded on ships throughout U.S. waters.
- One cruise line is even facing a class action suit over the repatriation of its crew members. Crew members aboard the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line report being stuck on their ships and asked to work without pay according a lawsuit filed in US District Court in Florida last week.
- However, the disembarking process is not as simple as it seems, as the CDC has issued specific guidelines to those cruise lines whose crew members still need to return home:
“Safe disembarkation of crew has included a requirement for cruise lines to submit a signed attestation and use non-commercial transportation for their crew members. Ships that want to disembark crew members using commercial travel will need to meet certain additional eligibility requirements.”
- The CDC’s guidelines aren’t the only hurdle crew members face. Even if all conditions are met by the cruise lines, there are some countries that will not allow their citizens to return home from the ships in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Back in June, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General of the United Nations called the situation a “humanitarian and safety crisis”, and it appears this crisis is far from over.
