A couple has described how their dream cruise turned into a nightmare when fellow passengers died around them.
Jennifer Haig-Harrison, 64, and husband Ray Brown, 73, set off on the luxury liner for a trip of a lifetime.
They were cruising around South America with 400 British tourists when disaster struck and two passengers fell ill.
The Coral Princes ship was put into quarantine while at sea as other started to suffer coronavirus symptoms.
Jennifer, of Barry Island, South Wales, said: “At first we felt as though we were in a bubble and safe from the virus.
"But then there were more and more people on board being diagnosed.
“The crew were washing down the walls and sanitising everything. The ship was sailing from port to port but we were told we had to stay on board.”
The couple went on the cruise on March 1 after they were told it was safe to travel.
But a few weeks into the dream holiday the Captain confirmed there were cases of coronavirus on board.
Jennifer said: “We were given masks and told to use them when answering our cabin doors. A menu was pushed under our door every day as we couldn’t leave to get food.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office worked to get the couple home - along with the hundreds of other Brits on board.
Jennifer said: “We were so worried. We kept asking the crew how we would get home but they didn’t seem to know.”
On April 5 the ship was able to port in Miami and a chartered flight was arranged to take British passengers home.
Passengers were ordered to stay two metres apart from one another as they were led onto a coach to take them to their flight.
Jennifer added: “The beaches of Miami were deserted, I was in a daze. Before our luggage was allowed on the coach it had to be cleaned and sanitised.”
The British Airways Flight that brought Jennifer and her husband Ray safely home was crewed by furloughed workers that had volunteered to take part in the rescue mission.
Princess Cruises arranged private cars to take passengers home once they arrived at Heathrow.
Jennifer and Ray are now back home and following government advice to isolate for 14 days.
