Variety Cruises vessel Panorama embarked on a 14-day diversion to help repatriate 19 Cuban crew from an MSC Cruises ship.
Panorama had spent the winter season cruising off the coast of Costa Rica and Panama and was due to travel to Europe for a season in the Mediterranean. Pausing for a stop in Barbados, the ship berthed close to 4,360 passenger MSC Preziosa (pictured).
Following a request from Cuban Government officials, Panorama‘s captain Vasilis Mazarakis agreed to repatriate 19 Cuban crew members to Havana. The group were thermo-scanned prior to boarding an on every subsequent day of the seven day long journey.
The Cuban Government covered the cost of the fuel.
Mazarakis said: “During these difficult times we are facing it is important to help each other.
“Knowing that we were helping fellow seafarers by getting them back to their families makes us all happy. We wish and hope that all stranded crew and passengers alike manage to get home to their loved ones and that the world will return to normal soon.