First Batch Of Seafarers Disembark In Mumbai

145 crew members of Marella Discovery sent to quarantine after undergoing four-stage clearance at the port

A total of 145 crew members disembarked from U.S. cruise ship Marella Discovery on Thursday, making them the first batch of Indian seafarers to be allowed by the government to return.

The seafarers spent over 40 days in Indian waters as the government put together a standard operating procedure (SOP) for them in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Marella Discovery called in at the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) around 10.30 a.m., the Indian crew were put through a four-stage disembarkation process before being sent to a government-authorised quarantine facility. It was an emotional moment as the remaining crew of Marella Discovery, led by its captain Chris Dodds, bid their Indian colleagues goodbye, with promises that they would all sail through the pandemic and regroup for another voyage in the near future.