Frustration sets in for stranded Trinis on Caribbean Princess

WITH each passing day, Trinidadians on board the Caribbean Princess are losing hope that their government will open the air or seaports anytime soon to facilitate their return.
“It is really a hopeless situation to be in,” said Sterling Howell, leader of the band Xcite, which was hired by the Princess Cruise ship line to play on a Caribbean tour between January and April.

The cruise ship docked the Dominican Republic on May 6, when crew members from that country were repatriated, drummer Andy Edwards told the Newsday.
He said they were heading to St Maarten ,hoping to dock there on May 7, and to St Lucia on May 8 to drop off citizens there.
He said frustration was setting in as other nationals depart and “We are still waiting on Trinidad to get confirmation and a proper date to disembark.”.

There are approximately 250 Trinidad and Tobago citizens on various cruise ships seeking exemption from the government to open the borders to them.
Howell has been appealing through social media for the seven Trinidadian musicians on board Caribbean Princess to come home. He said he cannot understand what is the problem, seeing that the borders were opened to allow in nationals from Barbados and Suriname, as well as Cuban nurses.

“It is like they are not taking us seriously at all.
“We are being treated as though we are walking covid19 patients, but we are not sick. No one on board the ship (is sick), so I don’t know why people are scared about the ship,” Howell said.
Among the cases in TT, 40 came from a group of 68 returning nationals who went on a seven-day Caribbean cruise on March 5. The group was quarantined at Camp Balandra on their return. Some from this group were among the eight recorded covid19 deaths in TT to date.

Another group of nationals who went on a tour to Dubai on February 25 and were rescued by Barbados after TT closed its borders. They were kept in quarantine at their own expense and were eventually allowed to return home after chartering a plane also at their own expense.
On arrival in Trinidad, the Barbados group, who exhibited no symptoms, were quarantined for an additional 14 days, finally being released on Tuesday.
Howell said although they have not shown any sign of the virus, his group is willing to be quarantined uwhen they arrive home.

Xcite’s lead female singer Esther Dyer sent a message on Wednesday to say, “I think my company has had contact (with Trinidad) but nothing has happened.
“They (Princess) are hoping to get some confirmation, but to no avail.”
With no word from National Security Minister Stuart Young or Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses, Dyer said, “We will just stay with the ship while they try to get the others home. So far St Lucia and Barbados have responded positively and their people will go home.”