The last cruise ship trapped at sea during the COVID-19 pandemic has returned to land, delivering eight passengers back to reality.
The MV Artania cruise ship unexpectedly had to cruise around the world for six months after 36 of its passengers tested positive for the coronavirus. The cruise originally departed from Hamburg, Germany on December 21st, 2019 on a with a capacity to hold up to 1,200 passengers.
Of the 36 passengers who contracted the disease, there have been three deaths — two male passengers, ages 69 and 71, and one 42-year-old male crew member.
Passengers who remained healthy had to quarantine on the ship until the end of March when they were able to get repatriation flights. Most of the passengers were German and flew from Western Australia back to Frankfurt. Some passengers stayed in the hospital in Australia as they recovered.
The eight passengers who remained on the ship chose to return home via cruising rather than by flight. These passengers remained the last to cruise the ocean while the world was on lockdown.
MV Artania left Australia on April 18th en route to Germany but took longer than anticipated because stop-offs in Southeast Asia had to be made so that the remaining crew members could return to their homes.
Captain Morten Hansen made sure to keep the remaining passenger and crew members optimistic by sharing lighthearted conversations. On Mother’s Day, Captain Hansen planned out a route that mapped out the shape of a heart.
The last remaining cruise ship passengers have now disembarked, but there are still crew members who remain stuck on ships and awaiting their chance to return home.