Coronavirus: Filipino cruise ship workers serve quarantine in luxury, but joblessness awaits
- Over 5,300 workers on board some 20 cruise ships are awaiting clearance to return home from abandoned cruises
- While room-service meals, free entertainment and other services help to break up the monotony, none of the crew members have any guarantee of a job at sea again
More than 20 vessels collectively weighing about 2 million tonnes are clustered off the coast of the capital, awaiting coronavirus clearance for more than 5,300 Philippine staff to return home from abandoned cruises, with no guarantee of a job at sea again.
More ships are set to join the flotilla, says the coastguard, which has been shuttling between ships to administer 4,991 virus tests for crew quarantined for the 14 days mandatory for repatriates. No suspected cases have been reported.
Crew said they were bored, lonely or frustrated being so close to home, but felt fortunate to be confined to their cabins in comfort, knowing that thousands of Philippine returnees are in tougher quarantine conditions elsewhere.
“Each person is staying in a suite room – we feel like the guests now,” joked Michael Torralba Martinez, speaking from one of the cabins that he normally cleans.