Coronavirus: 95 Aussies trapped at sea don’t know when they’ll get home

Confined to cabins on a ship off Uruguay, almost 100 Australians have no answers on when they can get off or how they’ll get home.

Rowena and Wayne Hamilton in Antarctica. Picture Supplied

Almost 100 Australians are trapped in their cabins on a cruise ship off the coast of Uruguay, completely in the dark about when they’ll be allowed to disembark and how they will get home.

95 Australian passengers of Aurora Expedition’s Greg Mortimer cruise ship, which left Chile on March 15 for an Antarctic expedition, have been confined to their cabins for over a week after a fellow passenger developed a fever. The passenger since tested negative for the illness, but with other passengers subsequently developing a fever, the ship has been denied permission to berth in Chile, the Falkland Islands and now Uruguay.

Delay means missed mercy flight

The delay means the passengers may miss a flight chartered by the Australian government and travel company Chimu out of the Uruguayan city of Montevideo on Wednesday.

Australian Passenger Rowena Hamilton has been confined her stateroom with husband Wayne for days and is desperate to get home.

“There is an undetermined fever on-board and three passengers and six staff have been infected,” Ms Hamilton told The Australian.

‘I just want to cry’

“We do not know what it is, but they tested negative to COVID-19 … However, this has stopped us from being given permission to dock by the Uruguay government and therefore we cannot access the plane.

“I just want to cry.”

Passengers of the Greg Mortimer are receiving consular assistance from the Australian embassy in Argentina.

In an email sent to the passengers by the embassy on March 30 acquired by The Australian, Consul Therese Rynne provided no clear path forward but said no matter what happens, the ship “will not be left hanging.”

“We have been working tirelessly with the Uruguay government, Aurora and Chimu Adventures to arrange a charter,” the email read.

“We understand last night the Uruguay government refused permission to berth.

“We are working today on options for the boat, and of course, you. Please be assured that if the boat elects to stay in Montevideo or sails onwards, you will not be left hanging.”

Ms Hamilton says Aurora Expeditions has done the best they can to help their passengers, and wants more assistance from the government.

“We need Australian government assistance … We would be happy to all go into forced quarantine in Christmas Island or Darwin to just know that we are under Australian protection,” she said.