Working in the Cruise Industry during Covid-19!

The travel industry is suffering big time. As someone who has been in this trade for the last seven-ish years I can’t believe what is happening. Yes, no one could have predicted what would happen and nothing like this ever has occurred before, which is why everything has gone peeeeeetong. I was on board Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas as a Sports Staff and by god was it turning out to be one the best contracts. Then we were hit with Covid-19 scares. None of us actually had it or were in the line of the disease, but it hit the US like a hurricane.

We were stranded at sea for twenty days; it was one of the craziest most surreal experiences I have ever gone through. I had the opportunity to actually go home on April 5th. I remember going to the airport (Miami) which is one of the busiest airports in the US. It was DEAD. There were only people there for our flight to London. Around 40 people in the airport I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. I can remember sitting with the crew with masks on, and peering at the departure screens. Around seven screens, one hundred flights and four of the one hundred weren’t cancelled. To say I was afraid was an understatement I was so afraid my flight would get cancelled and I would have to go back to the ship.

At the point when we left Bayonne, New Jersey with no actual plan to dock anywhere or sure if were actually going to be allowed was so scary. We had been confined to separate guest cabins and I was at a wits end as I didn’t like being alone and wanted my freedom. I now am super grateful as I left just as a travel ban was put in place. So, I left on the 4th June, landed in London, England June 5th and Donald Trump implemented a travel ban to and from the US for thirty days. PHEEEEEW. I now know how close of a call it was as some of my friends including my roomie (Hi Claire! Love and miss you) couldn’t get off at that time and have only just returned and some of my friends (Hi Natasha!!!) Miss you!!!!) are still on board and have just sailed away from India. So I know I am truly blessed to be home, with loved ones super safe.

Home life now, adjusting was so strange. I came back from Miami, being on board fed my meals three times a day to queuing up for an hour to get into a shop and fight over loo roll. It is very surreal. I know that places are handling it differently but I feel as though we were a couple of months behind other countries which is why things got as crazy as they did. But as I am writing this on the 21st June, it seems to be calming down, restrictions are being lifted slowly - which has apparently entitled people to assume the virus has disappeared. The only issues I am having at this time is finding work as everyone who worked in public sector jobs were furloughed by the government meaning they were being paid eighty percent of their wages. I had come from overseas and stopped receiving payments mid-March. So I am here trying to find employment whilst I wait for something miraculous to happen where I can get back to work as I miss it dearly. I am also gutted as I had booked a holiday to visit some dear friends (my US family) but everything happens for a reason and I will soon be back on board cruising and laughing at people attempting to surf!

Keep your fingers crossed for me and STAY SAFE! :D