The 13 South African crew, scheduled to return to cruising last week, now have to board in the US at the end of August.
Cape Town resident Ilana Sebastian, who works in the shore excursion department in a major cruise company, said they couldn't make the first leg of the journey due to German travel bans imposed on South Africa.
The German government has imposed a general ban on travel and entry with countries with the widespread occurrence of SARS-CoV2-variants, including South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho.
According to the German Missions in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini website, transport companies may not transport any people from these countries to Germany.
"Entry for such travellers into Germany is not allowed under Art. 14 (1) / Art. 6 (1) lit e of the Schengen Borders Code," it said.
Sebastian, 38, who hasn't worked since February 2020 due to the pandemic, told IOL Travel that the embassy denied their visas.
The German embassy cited in correspondence that "during the travel ban, we do not issue visa to crew members on crew ships." (sic)
According to Sebastian, the crew may depart for the US sometime this week. The exact day remains unknown.
"The office in Miami called me on Wednesday. I was told that we will now be joining in the US," she said to IOL Travel on Monday.
"I pretty much check the US embassy's website on a daily basis as things change so quickly. We are allowed into the US as we are in possession of C1/D visas (air/sea crew visa)," she added.
The crew will have to quarantine for two weeks once they arrive in the US. The ship is set to arrive in the US on August 20, 2021
"Upon arrival into the US, we will need to quarantine for two weeks. The company will be covering all costs, including flights, during this period. We will be transferred from the hotel to the ship once our quarantine is over," she added.
The news couldn't have come at a better time for Sebastian.
"Going back to cruising was meant to be my saving grace, especially since I have been out of work for so long. I tried to find work in South Africa during this time, but there were no jobs available.
"As a result, I had to tap into my savings to survive, and as it has run out, I have no other option than to go back. I am not sure what will happen if I do not get back to work," she said last week.