Cruise ship crew: No place like home

DRUMMER Andy Edwards who has been at sea on board a cruise ship for 54 days and counting, said he is thankful for the treatment he and other members of the crew are receiving, but they want to come home.

“The company is doing the best. We are safe. We are being fed. Twice a day temperature checks are being done to make sure we are good. But there is no place like home.”

“At the end of the day we are just drifting on the ocean. It’s a bit frustrating,” Edwards said in an interview with the Newsday on Monday.

He said when he left TT for his first Caribbean tour with the band Xcite on the Princess Cruise line, he was expecting to be back on home soil after the contract ended on April 19, in time to celebrate the birthday of his only son, Daniel.

Daniel turned seven on April 21. Edwards said he was pained at not being home to hug his child or celebrate with him.

“I have been out here since January. The tour would have ended on April 19. By now we would have been home.

"For the first time I missed my son’s birthday.”

While he understands government is trying to protect citizens from contracting the virus and applauded the initiative, he said, “We are nationals too. The company is doing as much as they could, but how much longer can they keep us on board? All other crew members are disembarking and soon it might be us Trinis alone on board.”

Another member of the band, lead female singer Esther Dyer, said the captain announced on Sunday that clearance had been given for Caribbean Princess to dock at ports, in St Eustatius, the Dominican Republic, St Maarten, St Lucia and Barbados and Jamaica.

“Those countries are taking their nationals. But we will have to stay on the ship until TT ready to take us.”

Dyer said, “I feel kind of abandoned by my home.”

After doing tours for the past four years, Dyer who has performed with Roy Cape band, Traffic, Dil E Nadan and Burning Flames, among others, said she is accustomed to spending at least half of the year on cruise ships, but under the circumstances frustration has set in.

“Everybody wants to come home. I think we are fed up not knowing what is going to happen to us. We are packed and ready waiting for our government to welcome us home.”

She said no one has displayed any symptoms of covid19 since they have been locked down on the ship but they are willing to be quarantined on their own soil.

“Listen, this ship is clean. It has been deep-cleaned and rooms sanitised. As fast as people leave, they do it again.

“Let me tell you, the ice cream shop is open, pizza shop is open, burgers, everything. The company is handling us straight up as normal.

"It’s just the frustration not knowing what will happen, and people with children and families want to go home.”

She said she has been trying to keep a positive outlook and finding ways to pass the time.

“I woke up this morning, said my prayers, did a little exercise, eat, play a little music, dance up, watch some movies and that’s what I am focusing on. I am not trying to depress myself.”