Stuck off coast of Chile on a cruise ship, Charlotte couple hopes to return home.
UPDATE (3/17/20): Deborah Bell and her husband John Schriml report that the cruise ship they are on will be leaving the coast of Chile and heading out to sea for 10 days, heading to San Diego, California, where passengers have been told they will be able to leave the ship and return home.
A Charlotte couple is among thousands of passengers stuck on a cruise ship sitting off the coast of Chile.
Deborah Bell and her husband John Schriml contacted the Charlotte Observer from the Celebrity Eclipse ship on Monday, saying they’re fearful because Schriml is running low on medication he takes for heart trouble.
They’re on the Celebrity Cruise Lines’ ship, which BuzzFeed News reported has capacity of nearly 3,000 passengers and is in limbo after Chilean officials closed the country’s port on Sunday. The ship departed Buenos Aires March 1 for a two week voyage with a planned destination of San Antonio, Chile.
Bell told the Observer by phone Monday everything was great until they got to Chile on Sunday and attempted to dock. The ship’s passengers were not allowed to leave the boat.
Sunday night, Celebrity Cruise Line made a statement via Twitter that “The port of San Antonio, Chile, is now closed to all cruise ships. Celebrity Cruises is working with government officials to provide a controlled debarkation plan that would ensure all guests have travel arrangements to leave the country.”
Bell and Schriml said they believe no on board is sick — which matches what international news outlets have reported over the last day. Still, when the Eclipse arrived to dock, Chile’s minister of Health, Jaime Mañalich, had already announced a ban on cruises docking at the country’s ports. This came after a passenger on another ship tested positive for the new coronavirus.
“The (ship’s) captain has told us that the French, British and Americans are working with the Chilean government to coordinate some type of arrangement,” Bell said Monday. “But we’re trapped at this point. We’re just simply trapped with no place to go, no way to get there.”
Bell is in her 60s. Her husband in his 70s. Complicating matters is that Schriml is running low on two heart medications he takes. Schriml said he has two day’s worth left. He said the ship’s doctor is trying to help.
“It’s very frightening,” Bell said. “The ship’s doctors know about it but Chile won’t let us refuel or resupply (the ship), but they won’t let us come on shore to get to the airport.”
On the ship, Bell said passengers are practicing social distancing and said the cruise line is doing all it can to keep passengers happy. That includes providing free drinks and WiFi access.
Airport travel concerns
Schriml said when he and wife do get on their way to Charlotte, they have some anxiety about returning via airports. They worry about overcrowding at the 13 airports U.S. citizens are permitted to fly into from overseas.
As seniors, Schriml said, they are at-risk of complications if they contract COVID-19.
“That’s probably the most concerning,” he said. “I’ve seen pictures of (Chicago’s) O’Hare Airport and that’s a concern when you’re putting that many people together for extended hours. That’s really bad. The rest I can cope with.”
Still, the couple says they’ll cruise again. They have two more booked this year and three for 2021. They do say they will be more careful to research what issues are going on worldwide and in their destination cities.
And, for now, they will make the best of their situation, they said.
“As of this morning, the captain said we may have to go back out to sea and find somewhere else to land,” Bell said. “I think you just have to be positive. We have hundreds of friends who are doing what they can do to help us, and we know Celebrity (Cruises) and we trust them and know they’ll do the right thing for us.”
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 5:01 PM.
