Aussie passengers jump ship for mad dash home
Dozens of Australians onboard an international cruise ship have evacuated the vessel in lifeboats to join another cruise ship bound for Fremantle, Western Australia as the government urged those overseas to return home “as soon as possible” amid coronavirus concerns.
The Cruise and Maritime Voyages ship MV Columbus, which had hundreds of Australians onboard, was this week ordered to cease its world cruise and come back to its original port in Tilbury, England.
Passengers were given the option to remain at sea for four weeks until the ship arrives in England or join a nearby Australian cruise ship bound for Fremantle.
EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of Australians onboard an international cruise ship have abandoned the vessel in lifeboats to make the mad dash home amid the coronavirus pandemic @newscomauHQ #coronavirus #CoronaVirusUpdate #CoronavirusOutbreak pic.twitter.com/HFO2xLoYRa
— Megan Palin (@Megan_Palin) March 18, 2020
The two ships exchanged passengers using lifeboats as 67 European and British passengers on the Australian vessel made the switch to the Columbus.
“We chatted to some Australians last night who were leaving and they were very philosophical,” a passenger told news.com.au.
“No panic, no anger …. just a bit sad that they missed the Great Wall of China, the pyramids, the valley of the Kings, and so on.”