STRANDED AND MISSE D MOTHER’S FUNERAL VICTIM TO BE GIVEN ‘VIRTUAL’ SEND-OFF
Couple stuck on cruise ship since March 7
AN IRISH couple in their 50s are stranded on board a cruise ship in the Mediterranean after one of their fellow passengers tested positive for Covid-19.
Jerry and Terry Daly, both in their 50s and originally from Meath and Dublin, are confined to their cabin on a ship banned from most ports.
In a sad twist, Terry’s mother, Kitty Quinn, aged 86, died last week and she missed Friday’s funeral.
The Costa Victoria has hundreds of passengers on board but the closure of European ports as a result of the coronavirus outbreak means the couple don’t even know where they will be docked when the ship is free to do so.
The couple, who have been living in Perth, Australia, for almost 30 years, have been on the ship since boarding on March 7. It had been set to dock in Venice but has now changed course for Rome, where it is expected to arrive this morning. Passengers on board were unaware that there was any case of the virus on board until Monday night, when news broke that one of them tested positive.
After becoming aware of the confirmed case, passengers were confined to their cabins, where they have stayed since.
‘Being confined to the cabin would test patience but hopefully it will only be for a few days,’ said Jerry.
The case of the Costa Victoria has echoes of the Diamond Princess cruise ship’s situation. In that case, several Irish people were stuck on board for several weeks as numerous cases of the coronavirus were detected on board.
With half of the passengers on board being Australian, the couple are hoping that makes finding a flight home easier.
‘Being confined would test your patience’