Virgin Voyages cruise ship Scarlet Lady will depart from Port Miami today June 23, and set sail on a Transatlantic voyage back to Europe. Virgin Voyages is committed to repositioning the Scarlet back to Europe where she is expected to arrive on the 6th of July, at her birthplace Genoa, Italy.

About 160 Indian crew members stranded for the past 90 days on the CMV cruise ship MV Astoria, has gone on hunger strike today. The crew staged a peaceful protest on the ship’s open deck asking their government and state officials to help them return home to their families. The seafarers further requested the government of India to immediately give an approval for a repatriation chartered flights.

About 450 crew members of the cruise ship Seven Seas Navigator docked at the port of Barcelona are quarantined after one crew member showed flu-like symptoms. According to the Spanish Ministry of Health, the ship arrived at the port of Barcelona on Thursday, and one female crew member with mild symptoms on board had been isolated.

It breaks my heart to read of the ongoing struggles ship crew are facing right now. I read that most ships and cruise lines are doing what they can to look after crew and to keep you safe. Those ships that are not doing what they can and will be remembered when cruising starts again. It is sad that Governments appear to be guilty of keeping many of you from being with your loved ones and family.

With each day passing by the mental health of the crew still stranded on the cruise ships is deteriorating. One crew member stranded on the cruise ship has sent Crew Center the following letter saying “We don't live, we survive” and asks the government to return home. “I stay in my cabin every day I cry while praying and the walls come to me. A wall as long as it is high, it represents the height of patience that we have to wait.” sid the crew member.

There are still more than 1200 crew members trapped onboard the Holland America Line cruise ship ms Koningsdam, who comply 2 and a half months of not touching land and they wish to be repatriated to their countries to see their families. The ship is currently anchored in front of Puerto Vallarta, inside the bay, and it is visible from land. 

Disney Cruise Line crew member sent us the following message addressed to his fellow crew members and to their family and friends who are waiting for returning home of their loved ones.

Celebrity Cruises is preparing a major plan to send thousands of its crew members back to their home countries. In a letter sent to the crew, the President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises Lisa Lutoff-Perlo announced the repatriation plan of the shipboard employees from 60 different nationalities using cruise ships and charter flights.

P&O will send the cruise ship M/V Ventura to India to repatriate the Indian Crew members. P&O and Cunard will transfer crew from India to M/V Ventura only from the ships that didn’t have any cases of Covid-19.