Landlords of a popular Norwich pub are hoping to be on the plane home soon after being trapped in their cabin on a coronavirus quarantined cruise ship where two people died.
Anthea, 71, and Roger Cawdron, 75, of the Ribs of Beef, set off on their 50th wedding anniversary on March 5 aboard the Coral Princess for a cruise of South America.
The holiday was set to end on March 19 but after 12 cases of COVID-19 on board, it forced the 1,000 guests and crew of 800 into lockdown.
Mrs Cawdron said that no-one has been allowed off the ship since March 13.
She said: “We got a letter early that morning to say that in the last 48 hours they had more people reporting with influenza type symptoms and were struggling to breath and to distance ourselves on the ship.
“By the afternoon the captain said there had been more case reported and for our own safety to go to our rooms and stay there. We are lucky that it’s our 50th wedding anniversary trip and we treated ourselves to a really good room with a balcony.”
While in quarantine the ship was not able to dock anywhere. Two people died on board.
“When we first heard about the deaths we were all sadden and it was a very quiet day, we thought about those poor people and their families.
“We have been able to dock at Miami, it’s the first time we have been allowed to dock and people have been allowed off.
“The sick came off first with three ambulances and later in the evening they let the people who live in Florida off who would be driving home.
“There are two plans coming from Heathrow and that’s comforting which was confirmed in an email. We hope to be off home and we’ll be taken to straight to the airport.
The couple have been able to find some light during the dark time, joining in with clapping for the NHS with other British passengers on board.
“We’ve been clapping for the emergency services the same time the UK has, that’s been quite funny as before all the Brits did it as a group but now we do it from our balconies and all the other passengers are wondering what the Brits were doing.
“But there was a great hurrah when the first passengers left the ship.”
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