The Last Cruise from
There was a good documentary on HBO last night called The Last Cruise. The program used footage from peoples’ recordings on the ship during the Covid outbreak which began when it left Yokohama, Japan in January 2020. The way the crew were treated was just awful. There is also footage of the crews sleeping quarters, cramped Covid inviting conditions. One of the crew quoted that she earned $997 a month. Many of the crew came from Indonesia. This is why I’m not sure how crews from these big ships will be able to get vaccinations in the near future.
I’ve actually been ‘Backstage’ on one of the Ponant ships. The contrast is really startling compared to what passenger see out front.
Another show we watched was Ariel New Zealand from the Smithsonian channel. That one starts with the speed boat ride on the Shotover River that Tauck takes on their New Zealand tour, we loved it. Viewed from above on this show, it’s even more thrilling.
I’m eager to see more of New Zealand. It was shocking to me that the top tourist attraction is the fictional Hobbiton!
Comments
I would imagine if crews are vaccinated it will be due to the cruise company acquiring the vaccine themselves for their employees. Plenty of financial incentive for them.
Count me in as another Tolkien fan. Would definitely go see Hobbiton. Though actually I wasn't a big fan of the movies. Too much violence and not enough heart. Of course I'd also want to see the rest of New Zealand too.
Nice photo Cathy. A cozy hobbit hole.