When I interviewed a flight attendant on the Diamond Princess Cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port in Japan on February 14th, I was able to confirm the situation on board. The situation was worse than the reporters knew. Based on what the crew told, we also broadcasted on SBS News alone. Reports at that time were new and shocking, as many domestic broadcasters were only interested in passengers, and no one was interested in the crew.

This time again, they covered their lives, and unfortunately they couldn't broadcast them, but they decided to deliver them in more detail through the coverage files.

Three months passed, and the crew was curious about how they were doing. I was also worried.

What is surprising is that 100,000 crew members are still unable to get off the ship on cruise ships around the world. 100,000 people. (Of these, 57,000 are known to be off the coast of the United States.) Not all of them are in a day, but they've been trapped on board for over 50 days.

Even if I open the window, I can see only the sea. The crew who ate and slept in a small space began to complain of insomnia and depression. An employee said that at night, you can sleep with alcohol.
● Why not?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order to ban cruise ships from sailing in the United States on March 14, after a series of confirmed cases of corona19 infection on cruise ships. As of the 11th, 124 cruise ships are anchored on the coast of the United States alone. There are crew members of various nationalities, including the United States, Mexico, India, and Italy, on board, and it is impossible to get off the boat due to immigration issues.

Also, due to the provisions of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cruise ship crews are only allowed to disembark if they are repatriated via special charter aircraft or private vehicles, or between ships.

Another reason for the reluctance of the document is that the cruiser must submit a document proving that there is no corona19 confirmer on board, and that the crew must be liable if they respond positively after the crew has been dismissed.
● "I can't stand it anymore!"

On the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, 15 crew members fought for three days. There was only one condition to let them get off the ship. The cruise ship said it had met all the requirements. However, there was also a flight attendant who took his own life. A 39-year-old Ukrainian crew member, a crew member of a cruise ship anchored in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, made an extreme choice. It has been reported that there are not many cases like this.
Some U.S. nationals crews are allowed to go home on condition that they are subject to demanding conditions. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stipulates that disembarked crew members must use private transportation to their homes and not contact the public on the way home. Julia Whitcomb, from the Royal Caribbean, got off the ship in six weeks. With the Royal Caribbean arranging a bus for Julia to take a stand alone, Mr. Whitcomb was able to go home. Upon arriving in his hometown, Mr. Whitcomb is currently in quarantine.

Few crew members are as fortunate as Mr. Whitcomb. It has already been 63 days since Taylor Graim lived on a cruise ship with no passengers. He worked at a jewelry store on a cruise ship, but he doesn't know when to get off the boat and get home. Mr. Graim's words are even more shocking. "I have no hope now. I think I should live forever in this little boat."

Tens of thousands of crew members, such as Mr. Graim, remain on the sea. I will also pray for all crew members to return home safely.