Stuck at sea

Jonathan Mayuyo, fleet financial controller. At sea between Miami and Orlando (onboard a cruise ship).

How has your day-to-day life been affected by COVID-19?

Lockdown on a ship is very different to lockdown on land. All of the crew have been moved to a guest cabin (most with balconies) and confined to our rooms, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. No one is allowed to leave their cabin unless they are assigned to work to ensure we practice social distancing. Our food is delivered to us three times a day like room service in a hotel. All of this is for our safety and to ensure that any potential spread of the virus is contained and not transferred. The ship is constantly sterilized to ensure we are living in a clean environment, so despite the negative media coverage, we are safe.

What’s been keeping you busy?

Working and providing support to the fleet of approximately 38 cruise ships. I also volunteer to do various things on the ship. My favourite activity has been DJing for the crew who do not have sea view balconies. It seems like a strange concept because the floor is empty, but when I look up and see them dance and enjoy themselves, it feels like I make a small difference to what would normally be a boring day.

—My favourite activity has been DJing for the crew who do not have sea view balconies... when I look up and see them dance and enjoy themselves, it feels like I make a small difference to what would normally be a boring day.

— DJing for the crew on their balconies whilst maintaining social distance. And sporting protective gear!

The place you miss the most?

What I miss are the experiences and feelings I associate with visiting different places. Last year I went to Paris for the first time with my wife. It had been her dream to visit the Eiffel Tower since she was a child. Watching how happy she was is what made that place memorable for me. We also did a road trip in the Philippines to Benguet and Banaue rice terraces and I really enjoyed the 16-hour drive. I believe it’s the actual journey that is most memorable rather than the actual destination. It also taught me to appreciate what we have on our doorstep. I have been living in the Philippines for over seven years now, during that entire trip I kept saying: ‘Why haven’t we been here before?’.

Who do you miss the most?

Officially, my wife (I will get into trouble otherwise), she can normally travel with me but this time she didn’t. It’s worse now because of lockdown and not being able to get home due to various travel restrictions in the USA. I also miss my annoying nieces and nephews, they are smelly and noisy, but you do kind of get used to them.

— Reminiscing about travels with my wife and places I’d rather be.

— No one is allowed to leave their cabin unless they are assigned to work to ensure we practice social distancing. Our food is delivered to us three times a day like room service in a hotel.

— Balcony fine dining.

What have you learned about yourself?

That I can be compassionate to other people and empathise with their situation. It’s very easy to think about oneself and say, ‘I can’t do this or I don’t have that’. But when you see other people suffering and needing more than you, it puts your problems into perspective.

— High seas tea.

First thing you’ll do once out of lockdown?

Eat a Birds Eye fish finger sandwich. I have been served very fancy food on the cruise ship, so I actually crave something simple.

Favourite lockdown challenge?

If binge-watching a TV series on Netflix is a challenge, then challenge accepted.

Soundtrack to your lockdown?

‘Don’t Rush’ by Young T & Bugsey ft. Headie One. Mainly because in the cruise industry there have been so many videos posted of our crew flashing their passports and going from one crew to another to show them going back to work. So it has kind of become a theme tune for us onboard.

— Room with a view.