146 Indian crew members stranded on a cruise ship due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will disembark in Mumbai India on Thursday, April 23, over a month after the liner set off from Thailand, Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office (CMO) announced on Wednesday.
The TUI-owned cruise liner Marella Discovery reached Mumbai on April 14. None of the crew has tested positive for the virus, the CMO revealed in a statement. The vessel was scheduled to sail to Cochin, Mangalore, Mormugao-Goa and Mumbai between April 2-6. When the pandemic started, Marella Discovery disembarked all its passengers in Thailand on March 14. However, in Cochin, the ship was denied staff and crew debarkation.
The statement also said that according to the ship operator Marella Cruises UK "despite leaving Thailand 37 days ago and although no employee was found coronavirus infected, it was not getting permission for the ship to enter the (Mumbai) harbour."
India's Ministry of Shipping had allowed the cruise to come to Mumbai harbour after the matter was pursued by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Accordingly, the 146 crew will disembark in Mumbai on Thursday. They'll undergo a medical checkup. A separate building was readied in case there's a need to quarantine them. The employees will "have to provide the details of their 28-day of travel history, undergo COVID-19 test and get themselves quarantined if there is a need. They will be provided transit pass and vehicles till their home". Marella Discovery will leave from Mumbai for Norway (via Suez Canal).
India's Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order to enable the employees of professional and commercial ships to land on Indian harbours and move out. The decision of the central government will help up to 40,000 Indian employees of ships stranded at sea.
For other Marella Discovery accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.