Royal Caribbean is preparing a major plan for the repatriation of thousands of its crew members back to their home countries. In a letter sent to the crew signed by Michael Bayley - President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, the company announced the repatriation of the crew from 60 different countries using cruise ships and charter flights.
Listed below are Royal Caribbean current repatriation plans pending approval from various governments around the world, and a rough estimated dates. Under these plans, Royal Caribbean will be transferring certain crew members by nationalities and regions onto different ships and proceed to ports where flights will be organized.
Royal Caribbean crew repatriating plan
The Caribbean, Central and South American crew will be transferred to Vision, Rhapsody and Adventure.
Vision of the Seas plan is to depart from Port Miami on May 15, and sail to St. Kitts, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, Trinidad, St Vincent and the Grenadines where the ship will end her repatriation voyage on June 7.
Rhapsody of the Seas plan is to depart from Port Miami on May 13, and sail to Cartagena, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize where the ship will end her repatriation voyage on May 23.
Adventure of the Seas will depart from the Bahamas on May 9, and set sail to Haiti and Dominican Republic, ending her repatriation voyage in Jamaica on May 23.
Filipino crew will be transferred to Harmony and Liberty.
Harmony of the Seas will sail to Barbados, where Royal Caribbean have asked to operate harter flights to Manila every three days, starting May 11.
Liberty of the Seas will stay near Miami, from here Filipino crew will be repatriated by charter flights statring May 18.
Indian crew will be transferred aboard Anthem of the Seas
The ship will depart on May 9, and set sail to Goa, where is expected to arrive on June 3. The Indian government has country shut down, except for ship repatriation of the Indian nationals.
Indonesian crew will be transferred to Explorer and Enchantment
Explorer of the Seas will set sail to Barbados from where charter flights will be organized for the Indonesian crew from May 9 to May 12.
Enchantment will sail to Miami for a charter flight on May 15, returning the crew to Jakarta and Denpasar.
The US crew repatriation plan
US crew close on Royal Caribbean ships sailing close to US ports will be repatriated with private transportation beginning May 6. US crew from Asia will be repatriated home from the Philipines as soon as Manila airport reopens. US crew on the ships located in the Mediterranean will be flown by May 20.
The Ukraine and Romanian crew will be transferred aboard Navigator of the Seas which will arrive in Miami and charter flights will be organized for May 16.
European, Canadian and all other nationalities will be transferred to Freedom, Empress and Majesty. All three ships will cross the Atlantic Ocean and sail to Southampton where charter flights will be organized for crew repatriation.
Empress and Majesty will depart Port Miami on May 15, and arrive in Southampton on May 28.
Freedom of the Seas will depart Port Miami on May 15, and arrive in Southampton on May 24.
There will be some last-minute changes but the company will not stop in their efforts to send the crew back home, the company says.
