Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) has confirmed that two of its cruise ships have rendezvoused 12 nautical miles off the coast of Phuket, Thailand to undertake a unique passenger transfer.

The ship to ship passenger exchange on Columbus and Vasco da Gama followed the recent CMV announcement on 13 March that all cruise operations were being suspended and voyages curtailed with the CMV fleet returning to their home ports.

The line’s chief executive, Christian Verhounig, said: “We are tremendously proud of our onboard and shoreside teams for their fantastic job in delivering this safe and effective evacuation and relief operation.

“On behalf of the directors, staff and especially our hard-working crew CMV would like to thank all our current passengers for their support, patience and understanding during this repatriation operation.”

Despite representations and last-ditch mercy pleas to the Thai Authorities, the Port of Phuket remained closed to cruise ships along with all other ports in South East Asia and the wider Indian sub-continent rendering an air repatriation not an option.

Columbus was operating a four-month ‘Round the World’ cruise carrying 1020 passengers while Vasco da Gama was operating a Northbound voyage from Fremantle and Singapore via the Suez Canal to Tilbury carrying 839 passengers.

In a statement, the line said that the repatriation operation was a “huge logistical challenge” for the officers and crew. It involved the transfer of over 500 pieces of luggage, 239 passengers and the transfer of provisions all undertaken by tender.

Columbus is now undertaking a 7,842 nautical mile voyage directly back to the UK with 907 passengers including 602 British nationals and 619 crew members on board.

The voyage includes a technical call in Colombo, Sri Lanka then via the Suez Canal with a final technical call before arriving back in Tilbury on 13 April.

Vasco da Gama will undertake a 2,837 nautical mile voyage directly back to Australia with 952 passengers including 907 Australian & New Zealander nationals and 552 crew members onboard arriving back in Fremantle (Perth) on 27 March.

The line stressed that it does not currently have any cases of the coronavirus onboard either ship. Stringent hygiene protocols remain in place on board Columbus and Vasco da Gama.

Both repatriation routings are also within SAR service should back-up services be required.

For the latest information, visit gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus.

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