The hundreds of seafarers stuck aboard Global Cruise Lines ships detained in the UK are heading home.
The International Transport Workers' Foundation (ITF) said on Thursday that it had reached an agreement with the company on crew repatriation from six ships berthed at Tilbury and Bristol.
Five of the six are being held by UK authorities after the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) investigated crew conditions after the seafarers had complained.
"We appreciate the good relations we have with the ITF and the support they are providing in these difficult times," Global's chief executive Christian Verhounig said.
"Their involvement has greatly assisted us in speeding up the repatriation of all our valued crew members."
Like cruiseship crews worldwide, the Global Cruise Line crews have not been able to return home due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, with many world governments concerned seafarers could spread the highly contagious respiratory illness.
The Global ships were held on 19 June after authorities found several crew members had been on board for a year or more in violation of the Maritime Labour Convention.
The vessels are the 16,144-gt Astoria (built 1948); the 20,704-gt Astor (built 1987), the 63,786-gt Colombus (built 1989), the 56,000-gt Vasco de Gama (built 1993) and the 22,020-gt Marco Polo (built 1965).
A sixth, the 46,052-gt Magellan (built 1985), was not detained.
At the time, a Global Cruise Lines spokesman told TradeWinds the detentions arose after crew had complained about wanting to go home.
The spokesman said the company was trying to get them home, but that doing so was "extremely difficult".
Repatriations worldwide
Tens of thousands of seafarers worldwide have been stuck on their ships, with world governments slow to enact policies that would allow for the change of crews.
On 16 June, the ITF said it would begin helping seafarers leave their ships and return home after having previously negotiated contract extensions.
In announcing the move, the union blamed authorities for ignoring shipping's pleas for key-worker status for crews and the IMO's proposed regulations.
Many seafarers have been denied medical treatment, the union said, and the situation has led to suicide becoming the leading cause of crew deaths, according to a report from Seafarers Hospital Society released this week.
"The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on the maritime industry, especially the cruise industry. The ITF recognises that this company is a victim of these circumstances," ITF general secretary Stephen Cotton said of the Global Cruise Lines repatriation agreement.
"The crew of the vessels are of many nationalities and we appreciate the continuing efforts of the company to arrange repatriations. We look forward to Global Cruise Lines returning to normal operations and to continuing the long-standing relationship with them."
