The ‘last three cruise ships on Earth’ finally returned to port on Monday. One of those ships, the MSC Magnifica, even made it quite an odyssey by staying at sea for no less than six weeks.
And all this because of the corona virus, something that did not bother passengers on the way. In fact, while one country after another announced a lockdown, normal life on board continued. That meant drinking a beer on the deck and not having to keep 1.5 meters away from others.
The Magnifica left the port of Genoa on January 5 for a world trip. At that time there was no question of a pandemic. The ship sailed to Brazil via Cape Verde. On February 21, the cruise boat left Chile.
“We have always kept in touch with the local authorities, but after we left South America, the situation started to get dire,” Sicilian captain Roberto Leotta told the BBC.
Last stop was New Zealand
The ship’s last stop was six weeks ago in the New Zealand capital of Wellington. The cruise ship was on its way to Australia when ports began to close due to the corona virus.
The Swiss ship was nowhere more welcome, especially after the stories of various virus outbreaks on other cruise ships, such as the Diamond Princess in Japan. Although no one on board the Magnifica was infected, the crew saw no other option than to make the long journey back to Europe.
On Monday, the 1,760 passengers arrived safely in the French port city of Marseille, without the corona virus ever reaching the ship.
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The coronavirus in short
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