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Bermudians locked down on cruise ship

Uncertain days: the Diamond Princess is shown docked at Yokohama Port, near Tokyo, on February 7. Twenty-two Bermudians are on board the Diamond Princess’s sister ship, the Coral Princess, which is on lockdown while on a cruise from Chile, around South America and through the Caribbean. It is expected to dock in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday (Photograph by Sadayuki Goto/Kyodo News/AP)

Bermudians marooned on a cruise ship denied entry to a series of ports in the southern hemisphere because of the Covid-19 pandemic are confined to their cabins after some passengers showed “flu-like symptoms”, it was revealed yesterday,

There are 22 Bermudians on board Princess Cruises’ Coral Princess, which was on a cruise from Santiago, Chile, around South America and the Caribbean.

Pamela Maybury, who works for island travel agents Travel Edge and a passenger on the ship, said: “It was announced on Tuesday that some people have flulike symptoms — they did not use the word coronavirus.

Ms Maybury added: We are confined to our cabins and all meals are left outside for us to collect.”

The Coral Princess set sail from Santiago on March 5 for a 32-day cruise in the Latin American region, but is now steaming back to its final destination, Fort Lauderdale, just north of Miami.

Ms Maybury said she and other passenger had been tested for symptoms of the highly contagious coronavirus that causes Covid-19 and all had come back clear. She added: “All Bermudians are fine.”

She admitted the emotional stress had affected them.

Ms Maybury said: “I would think they would be concerned, especially now.

“Everybody in the group has been in contact with their families and jobs back home all day, every day, so everybody is on the same page.”

The Coral Princess is due to arrive in Florida on Saturday.

Ms Maybury said the ship had stopped in Barbados for fuel and supplies on Tuesday night.

She added: “We were all looking forward to Saturday when the ship would arrive in Florida. But there is now some doubt as you see and hear so much from the outside world.

However, she said: “The captain has not said anything different regarding an April 4 arrival in Florida.”

Ms Maybury added: “Our concern will be when we get off the ship, as we know we have to be quarantined for 14 days.

“The reality will set in after we leave the ship, just wondering if you’re safe on your way to the airport and things like that.”

There were, at first, 34 Bermudians on the Coral Princess, but 12 managed to catch a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and travelled in a bus escorted by police after the ship was granted permission by local authorities to enter port.

The rest missed another flight because of a delay in the return of the bus to the ship to pick up the remainder and were stranded on board.

An unsuccessful bid to disembark passengers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was also made.

The vessel’s sister ship, Diamond Princess was earlier quarantined in Yokohama, Japan, after hundreds of passengers came down with Covid-19.

At least ten on board have since died. The coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on the $45 billion-a-year cruise industry.

Passengers on other ships have had their trips cancelled or altered and operators such as Carnival and Royal Caribbean International have warned that the crisis will have a serious effect on their business.