Source:Tradewinds
Cruise operator says its ship is on standby at the request of the Indian government
Indian domestic cruise operator Angriya Sea Eagle said on Wednesday that it was reactivating its sole cruiseship for possible use as an evacuation ship for Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus crisis.
The company’s 6,900-gt cruiseship Angriya (built 1997) has been idle in Mumbai since the Covid-19 pandemic began earlier this year.
According to a statement by the operator, the Indian-flagged ship is now being prepared to “to respond to a call of duty for the evacuation of fellow Indians stuck overseas”.
The company said it was doing so at the request of the Indian government, and was awaiting further details on departures and destinations.
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“The team on board the Angriya are now preparing for ‘sail and command’ mode while a second team is on standby on land and is also coordinating logistics and operational preparedness for the voyages.”
Angriya Sea Eagle is a relative newcomer to the cruise industry, having begun operations in 2018. Its ship had previously operated in Asia under Japanese ownership.
The Agriya is the first cruiseship that is being used by a government to repatriate its stranded citizens because of the coronavirus.
However, an armada of cruiseships is in the process of repatriating crews from idled cruiseships to their respective countries, especially nations in Southeast Asia such as the Philippines and Indonesia.
A dozen or so cruiseships called at Manila this week to disembark Filipino crew, with some having arrived from as far away as the US and Europe.
More such repatriation voyages are underway as a resumption of cruise voyages looks highly unlikely until the third quarter at the earliest.
Cruiseship crews, like their seafaring counterparts on other types of commercial vessels, have been stuck on board their vessels for several months due to many countries placing severe restrictions on crew changes.
The near shut-down of the airline industry has also led to large numbers of tourists and expatriate workers being stranded across the globe.
The Agriya is scheduled to return to its regular cruise schedule in October.
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