Admittedly, this could be a cruise ship anywhere. But it isn’t. It’s one of seven ships that were today anchored in the bay off Weymouth, Dorset. The ships are (the only word I can think of) furloughed because of Corona Virus. This is the Aurora, owned by the Carnival Line, The other ships were; Marella Discovery, Queen Elizabeth, P&O’s Britannia, Queen Victoria, Marella Explorer, Queen Mary. The Jewel of the Seas was berthed at Portland Bill. We have been on two of these ships, and were due to go on a third. Then Lockdown kicked in, putting a stop to that.
These seven ships would normally carry about three thousand people each. Every day they are here, not doing their job, means around 21,000 people are not on holiday. When operational, each of these ships would have at least a thousand crew, from the captain down. Are these people all on board still? Have they been sent home? Many of the crew(s) are not British, therefore not subject to our laws, therefore not furlowed. Are they receiving pay? Do they even have a job? I don’t know, but I wish them well, not that it will do them any good.
It was an amazing and lovely view, something that you wouldn’t normally see, but it symbolises a sad and disturbing time, with no end in sight.
Bills Posts 