Her boyfriend boarded in New Zealand and left on January 31. At the beginning of the global outbreak, the ship sailed to the west coast of the US because it seemed possible to find replacement there, go ashore and fly home. That turned out to be impossible, and after that the shipping company tried the same in Southeast Asia, Krom explains.
“Now they are on their way to Cyprus at the Suez Canal. The shipping company travels around the world to try to relieve people.” In her view, the problem can be solved in part if seamen are now classified in the essential professions. “Because as long as they are not, all travel bans still apply.”
250,000 sailors
The KVNR estimates that there are a quarter of a million seafarers in a similar situation worldwide. In the Netherlands, this concerns about 40 to 50 percent of the 5,000 seafarers. In total there are about 2000 ships under Dutch management.
Sailors are used to being away from home for a long time, but the lack of perspective makes it much heavier now. “If he normally stays away for six months, that’s no fun either, but you know – he’ll be back,” says Krom. “Now it feels like it always stays that way. He’s on board and I am alone here.”
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