A dream trip to Antarctica has turned to horror for almost 150 Australian travellers stranded at sea on a cruise ship near South America.
After three weeks sailing to the Earth's southernmost continent without phone and internet service on the Ocean Atlantic, Brisbane couple Garry and Mary-Anne Brown, both 65, said they had no idea their return port of Argentina had closed its borders to combat the spread of coronavirus.
The ship is now anchored off Montevideo in Uruguay, but that country has also closed its ports.
"We are coping, although we have our moments wondering if we will ever see home," Garry Brown told SBS News on Monday morning.
"We thought we were going to leave through Buenos Aires but a presidential order closed our escape and we weren't allowed to dock. And on Sunday morning the Americans and Canadians (on board) were refused entry to the Coral Princess going to Florida, when told the night before they were leaving."
Mary-Anne Brown, 65, on board a cruise to Antarctica. Source: SBS
Mr Brown said unlike a large cruise liner, there was little luxury on the Ocean Atlantic, an expedition ship built for the Antarctic.
"Our cabin is very small - two and a half metres wide by three and a half metres long - with a toilet and shower cubicle fitted into that space.
"The air conditioning is set for polar regions and is not coping with the high 20s so it gets hot on board."
Mr and Mrs Brown at Iguazu falls, only a few days before they boarded the cruise. Source: SBS
He said none of the 198 passengers or crew were unwell and that doctors checked their temperatures every day.
"What I am hearing about the rest of the world is we may be the only place virus free," he said.
Families rally to help
Mr and Ms Brown's daughter, Claire-Mary Thomsett, is doing all she can to help bring her parents home.
She's created a Facebook group connecting friends and relatives of the stranded Australian passengers to share information and lobby the state and federal governments to take action.
"We know the government has a lot of issues to deal with at the moment, but the biggest one it comes down to is people and we would like to see some visibility that they’re actually trying to get their people home. They need to be talking to their counterparts overseas."
The MV Ocean Atlantic has been unable to dock at several ports in South America. Source: Supplied
Ms Thomsett said her parents had already been charged $5,600 each for a charter flight back to Australia with LATAM Airlines but had not received confirmation if or when the journey would be going ahead.
Hundreds of other Australians are also stuck on ships in South America, Europe and the Pacific, including a large group of doctors and medical professionals who were attending a conference on board the MS Roald Amundsen — now stranded off the Chilean port of Punta Arenas.
Chimu Adventures, which charters the Ocean Atlantic, said it is working with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and international port authorities to arrange repatriation flights for Australian and New Zealand passengers later this week from either Buenos Aires or Montevideo.
"Things are changing by the hour; we are in touch with the expedition leader who is keeping us posted in real-time. We hope to have a clearer picture of how disembarkation and onward travel will look closer to the time," the company said in a statement.
Asked on Sunday about Australians stuck in South America due to the coronavirus lockdowns, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said DFAT was working to repatriate Australian citizens, particularly “where there are larger groups”, but did not commit to organising evacuation flights.
