Coronavirus

Coronavirus News: Long Island couple stuck 18 days on cruise ship off Chilean coast

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Coronavirus News: Long Island couple stuck on cruise ship 18 days off the Chilean coast

Sandra Bookman has the details.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A couple from Long Island say they are stuck aboard the Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship just off the coast of Chile as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Kantrows, along with 3,000 to 4,000 passengers, were supposed to be enjoying a two-week cruise in South America but instead have been docked off the coast of Chile for 18 days after the Chilean government had sealed its borders.

As of right now, there are no passengers on the ship who reported having the coronavirus.

The Kantrows say they've followed developments online as the pandemic has spread around the globe.

The couple says there is some encouraging news: for the last two days, they say they've watched as barges have ferried much-needed fuel and supplies like medicine to the cruise ship from the Port of Valpariso, Chile.

Passengers are being told that the Eclipse will soon set sail for the United States. "We're supposed to sail to San Diego," Fred Kantrow said.

The couple says this ordeal has at times been anxiety-inducing, and not as relaxing as their more than two dozen previous cruises, and not knowing what lies ahead when they finally do make it back to Long Island is a bit unsettling, as well.