Two Carnival cruise ships based in Australia are reportedly going to be taking crew members back home directly.
Carnival Cruise Line Preparing to Take the Crew Home Directly
It is becoming a dire situation for thousands of crew members who remain stuck on cruise ships around the world including those on the Carnival Splendor and Carnival Spirit.
The Crew Center web site is reporting that Australian-based cruise ships are planning on sailing to the Philippines and Indonesia directly so that crew members can go home, rather than arranging more complex flights that can be difficult with different countries implementing a variety of travel restrictions and quarantine protocols. The cruise line is also working with authorities in India to take crew there too.
Apparently both Carnival cruise ships will depart Australian waters on April 12, 2020, after taking on fuel and making sure the crew are all on board to be taken home.
Carnival Spirit will sail to Manila first, then Cebu City, and then finally Davao in the Philippines. The crew will be able to disembark in the region closest to them but no doubt there could be some kind of quarantine needed once they arrive.
Carnival Splendor will sail to Bali and Jakarta to drop crew members back home. The cruise line is also planning on making travel arrangements for all other crew members from those destinations with flights back to Europe and North America.
Crew members will be on the correct ships be being transferred by lifeboats before the vessels depart Australia. Strict health measures are to remain in effect during this time with social distancing and a cabin for each person.
We have reached out to Carnival Australia for further details about this and will be updating this post once we have a response.
This comes as P&O Australia is also planning on similar trips to take crew members back home via its own ships. The Australian government has not been helpful with the current situation when it comes to cruise ships. NSW Police had ordered a P&O Cruises vessel to leave the port even though there were no illnesses reported on board.
Also Read: Ways to Enjoy Cruising When You Can’t Take a Cruise
Cruise lines around the world have suspended operations through April and many even longer (exact dates vary by line). The industry has come to a standstill and there are thousands of crew members who remain onboard different ships, away from their families. Travel restrictions around the world have made it extremely difficult to get crew members back home, along with port closures and governments denying ships to dock, which further restricts travel options to reach airports and arrange flights.
