Cruise during the "plague"

Vladislav Solo, organizer of author's trips on the platform YouTravel.me After conducting several author tours in Southeast Asia, I decided to return home by cruise liner and bought a cabin on the Costa Victoria ship when the COVID-19 epidemic began to spread more and more powerfully around the world. Here's what came out of it… (Further - the words of the author)

After the tours, I stayed in Bali, but decided it was time to go home. It was back in February. As usual on the way home, I wanted to explore a new country. Snow-white beaches and a warm ocean - that's what the soul demanded, and my choice fell on the Maldives, besides, a ticket from Kuala Lumpur was inexpensive, and from the capital of the Maldives it was quite budget to get to Europe by cruise. Without thinking twice, I booked a cabin on the liner on the Male-Venice route for 670 euros.

I got to the Maldives without any problems. It was the third day in the Maldives, and I was already imagining how I would ascend the snow-white karma of the liner and try a new type of travel - a cruise. But the adventures began much earlier — I received an e-mail from the cruise company informing me that due to the spread of the coronavirus, the Maldives closed the port for cruise liners, and my cruise starts in Dubai. The company gave a few days to decide whether to go on a cruise or return the money.

I immediately began to calculate air travel, but there were no cheap options to get to Europe. A ticket to Dubai, which suited me by dates and did not require visas to third countries for transfers, cost 600 euros. At such moments, I want to roll whiskey, but I gathered my courage and began to compose a letter to the cruise company. I wrote that I was already in Male waiting for a cruise and attached a passport photo with an entry stamp. I wrote that the cruise is my old dream, and dreams should come true. The fact that the ticket that suits me costs 600 euros, I have already spent all the money, but I really want to get on a cruise, and therefore I ask the company to pay for my ticket.

A day passed, there was still no response from the cruise company. I wrote them two more letters about how tedious the waiting is and how I am burdened by a sense of uncertainty, how dreams are crumbling before my eyes and how difficult it is to live in this harsh world. And the answer came: the cruise company is ready not only to pay the cost of the ticket, but also to allocate an additional 100 euros for the inconvenience caused for purchases on board the liner.

And here I am on board the liner. A cruise ship is a huge "living" organism, whose work is perfectly adjusted. There are just over 750 crew members per 2,400 passengers. My liner is not more than a quarter full. There are no queues in restaurants, you can easily find a free table, and most of the sunbeds on the upper decks are empty.

However, the impressions from the first cruise promise to become not just "bright" against the background of the latest news about the closure of borders due to the spread of coronavirus.

Let's start with the fact that the first port on the way (Fujairah in the UAE) was closed to cruise ships due to the threat of coronavirus. How many such changes are still waiting for us? Although they have their advantages: the cruise company credited 50 euros to each passenger as compensation for the inconvenience caused. For several days I was engaged in "prevention" from the virus in the ship's bar.

The first stop after the UAE is Oman. Oman became my 82nd visited country. Initially, the cruise itinerary did not include a visit to the port in Muscat, but I was not at all upset that the route was changed. ⠀

In Muscat and in Salale everyone got off the board without any problems and went for a walk around the city. There was no control, but in the port of Salala, the border guards did not let anyone into the city without a medical card (PHOTO). This card was issued on board the ship, while absolutely checking nothing. I had a runny nose (thanks to the air conditioners), but no one cared about it.

After Oman, the liner was supposed to sail in an area where pirate attacks are possible. This was reported by the captain. In the evening, in the cabin, I even found a special instruction on how to behave in case of a pirate attack and carefully studied it. We sailed past Somalia and Yemen, but I never saw the promised pirates.

I am often asked how I survive on the ship. At the moment I feel great and I don't regret for a minute that I went on this trip.

I didn't bother with choosing a cruise company, a ship and a route. Initially, I considered this cruise as an alternative to expensive air travel. Why pay 600 euros for an 8-hour flight if you can buy a 20-day cruise for this money and get a new travel experience and vivid impressions?

Of course, because of the threat of the coronavirus, everything went wrong, and the work of the crew members increased significantly. But they take disinfection very seriously here and I feel safe. From the first days sanitizers were installed everywhere. Hand treatment is mandatory, especially before meals. Cleaning on the ship does not stop 24 hours a day.

In the morning, the Stewarts are busy cleaning cabins, and in the afternoon and evening - disinfecting surfaces in the endless corridors of the ship. Every day, the staff conducts thorough cleaning in crowded places: bars, swimming pools, theaters, lobbies, stairwells. In the most popular restaurant, which operates according to the "buffet" system, there is a separate staff who is engaged in disinfection.

There are information signs on the ship calling for keeping a distance of 1 meter with other people on the ship.

More than one change has been made to our route: the ports in Eilat, Israel and Aqaba, Jordan are closed. The cruise company charged 200 euros each for the inconvenience caused. Very timely, otherwise I have already spent the previous accrued 50 euros. Now we are in The Red Sea, and all the next stops should be in Europe. Taking into account the latest news about the closure of borders, it will be very difficult to get home, but I hope that everything will be resolved…