Home at last for Mother’s Day. Tri-Cities woman stranded at sea by coronavirus

Shannon Bogen is expecting the best possible Mother’s Day gift.

The Richland woman’s daughter is due back on dry land for the first time since mid-March — and home in the Tri-Cities.

Amanda Bogen, 27, has been stuck at sea on a cruise ship because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“She’s definitely ready to be home,” said her sister Leah Mercer of West Richland. “She made the best of the situation and has taken it in stride, but we’re all looking forward to seeing her.”

Amanda’s family thought her life would be back to normal a month ago.

The 2011 Hanford High grad was the assistant cruise director on Holland America’s Zaandam when it was turned away March 17 from Punta Arenas, Chile, because of the new coronavirus outbreak.

The ship continued to be denied entry at port after port as the ship traveled up the South American coast, and some guests and crew members fell ill with COVID-19 and several people died.

Finally in early April, the ship was allowed to dock in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and 14 critically ill people from the Zaandam and another Holland America ship were taken to a hospital. Guests with no symptoms also were allowed to disembark.

At the time Amanda was three months into a four-month contract with Holland America.

Banned cruise ships

But even as other passengers on the ship who had milder symptoms were transferred to a different ship, crew members stayed on the Zaandam in international waters in the Atlantic. Amanda was one of just three U.S. citizens on board.

A Centers for Disease Control “No Sail Order” prevented her and other staff from disembarking onto American soil except as directed by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Even when the ship was allowed to pick up supplies at a port in Fort Lauderdale on April 28, the order prevented Amanda and her fellow Americans from leaving, said her father, Greg Bogen.

When the order was extended until July 24, her family feared she would have to remain at sea until at least then.

But Holland America eventually would successfully apply to the CDC to allow U.S. crew members off the ship.

Two weeks ago, Amanda was transferred to the Emerald Princess, where U.S. and Canadian crew members were being consolidated to return home.

It most recently had been waiting off the Bahamas, where Canada had chartered a plane for Canadian crew members to leave. However, neither Canadians or Americans were allowed off the ship there.

With permission now granted for Americans to leave the ship, it was expected to dock Saturday, May 9, in Port Everglades, where American crew members were to be bused to a Miami airport.

Then, Amanda is scheduled to be one of just seven passengers on a plane flying to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Her family plans to pick her up, but she won’t be allowed in the terminal, her father said.

She must be picked up at a back entrance to the airport and taken straight to the Tri-Cities for a two-week quarantine.

She’d already been in quarantine for 16 days in international waters, her sister said.

Challenged by coronavirus

Her friend Mariah Brush of Richland also was stranded as a crew member on Holland America’s Oosterdam in the Pacific.

It docked in Los Angeles on April 28 but American crew members were threatened with arrest if they came off the boat.

She was later transferred to another ship, the Koningsdam, were some crew members were allowed to disembark on Friday.

She posted a photo Friday of herself standing on the dock and wearing a mask.

“56 days later and we made it,” she said.

Amanda’s family have described her as having “a heart to serve.” She believed she was where she was needed, as passengers were falling ill on the Zaandam.

She worked to entertain people quarantined in their cabins by coming up with 30-minute television programs daily for the ship’s television station. She came up with televised quiz shows and exercise classes.

She searched passenger lists for special occasions, like birthdays, so chocolate or other treats could be delivered to passenger rooms.

She also volunteered with guest services, taking phone calls from quarantined passengers and helping them get what they needed.

It was a challenging time to be an advocate for her guests but she remained “super positive,” her sister said.

Amanda Bogen has worked for Holland America Line since 2016 and her sister says the last few months haven’t changed how she feels about her career..

“She loves it” and plans to continue, Leah said.

In the meantime, her family is relieved she’s no longer stranded at sea.

“As you can imagine, this will be the best possible Mother’s Day gift for my wife,” said her dad.

This story was originally published May 9, 2020 at 11:27 AM.