Scarborough's Kimberley hoping to return home this week after 60 days stuck on cruise ship

Kimberley Gretton, from Cayton, has not set foot on land for over 60 days after the pandemic stopped her ship in the middle of its tour.

The 32-year-old is hoping to finally be allowed to board a flight home later this week.

“All we can do is stay positive at this point that it will follow through and that I'll be back home in Scarborough soon,” she said.

Kimberley, who went to Cayton School, Pindar School and Yorkshire Coast College, has worked for Carnival Cruise Lines since 201 and is an entertainment host in a team known as the ‘Fun Squad’.

She travelled to Sydney, Australia, and signed onto the Carnival Splendor to start her fourth contract with the company on February 18 and.

But she only worked for a month before guests were ordered off because of coronavirus restrictions.

“We were then stranded on the ship as crew weren't allowed to disembark in Sydney,” she said. “We spent the next 25 days on the Splendor out at sea in Australian waters.”

The Splendor was permitted to sail to Indonesia where the crew transferred to another ship and headed to the Philippines.

“We have now been on the Carnival Spirit for a month,” said Kimberley. “We are currently in Manila, surrounded by 20 other huge cruise ships.

“Personally I feel that we have been lucky. We are living in guest cabins, we are still being fed well and still have facilities such as the coffee shop and the gym which we can use. We just have to practice social distancing.

“We haven't had any cases of coronavirus on our ship so have never had to be confined to our cabins.

“We have to get our temperature checked at 10am and 4pm but apart from that we are just trying to occupy our time and keep hoping for the best.

“I really do believe that Carnival are doing all they can to to try and get their employees home. I feel very lucky to work for them.

“Luckily we have been given free wifi so that we can keep in touch with our family and friends. I speak to my family every day, which is nice. They just want me home safe.”

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