Eagles Nest couple finally home from cruise

REGIONAL – An Eagles Nest Township couple stranded on a cruise ship infected with COVID-19 for nearly a month is finally back home.
Valerie Myntti and her husband, Frank Sherman, boarded the Zaandam cruise ship March 7 for a South American excursion, and within days the couple found themselves, along with every passenger onboard, isolated in their cabins and stranded at sea as the coronavirus spread throughout the ship.
Their experiences were related in the April 3 issue of the Timberjay.
By that day, Frank and Valerie were able to disembark their at-sea isolation chamber in Florida, but their ordeal was far from over.
They had to self-quarantine for two more weeks before finally being allowed to head for home. They holed up in a family condo.
“We cooked healthy light meals. We had a friendly parrot family living in a mango tree that shaded our balcony and chattered at us all day,” Valerie said.
After their 14 days of isolation and before they left South Beach, they both tested negative for COVID-19.
“We felt that we could then drive back to Minnesota without infecting everyone we met along the way,” she said. 
“We both love road trips and this was no exception,” Valerie said of their trip to northern Minnesota. “We took our time enjoying the scenery.”
They stayed in hotels along the interstates, and were surprised that most were open.
“The motel receptionists typically told us they were disinfecting the rooms more rigorously than normal. We also used sanitizing wipes to wipe down faucets, the remote control, light switches, and door knobs, etc. in our motels/ hotels,” she said.
All restaurants were closed for inside dining, but they were able to use drive-thru and take-out services.
“We ate in the car,” Valerie said. “We wore masks and gloves whenever we left the car. Many folks we met, in gas stations or grocery stores, looked at us like we were bonkers.”
Frank said they were fascinated to experience the different reactions to the virus that were exhibited in different states.
“It ranged from New York-style strict restrictions in South Beach, Fla., with everyone wearing masks and gloves whenever they left home, to a complete lack of taking any precautions whatsoever. People in northern Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee acted as if the coronavirus had not come to their states,” he said.
They made a stop in Duluth to greet Valeries’s 96-year-old father from outside the window of his assisted living facility. They arrived home to their little cabin on the lake last Thursday.
“Once we got to Eagles Nest we were positively ecstatic,” Valerie said. “No more ‘official quarantining’ for us after 26 days of isolation– although social distancing is a way of life and an art form here in the north woods.”
Looking back on the whole ordeal, Valerie said, “It was very comforting to be with Frank during this challenging time. He is a very steady man with a great sense of humor. The perfect companion with whom to be quarantined in a teensy windowless state room.”
She added, “We were also very fortunate to have a fantastic Captain (Captain Ane Jan Smit) along with an amazing and experienced crew from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Captain Smit was a calm, wise, and compassionate leader who was a skilled crisis manager and communicator. We trusted him and were relieved on a daily basis that he was in charge.”
Frank commented on the politics of getting back home.
“Seeing the Broward County politicians and the Florida governor initially refusing to let the Zaandam dock at Port Everglades (Ft. Lauderdale), despite having U.S. citizens on board and having very sick passengers who desperately needed medical care was frustrating,” he said. “These circumstances and antics were disappointing. Being with Valerie and having our friends and family in Ely working to let the Zaandam dock and get us home was a great comfort.”
Valerie gave “a huge shout-out to our friends and family” who pleaded that their elected politicians get involved in the plight of the Zaandam.
“Their efforts, and those of Reps. Ilhan Omar and Pete Stauber, along with Sens. Klobuchar and Smith and their staffs, to pressure the cruise line, the U.S. State Department, caused the Florida politicians to listen to their better angels and find a humanitarian solution,” she said
Will the couple continue traveling when it is possible again?
“I was born with the travel bug,” Valerie said. “And nothing will dampen the desire to see the world. I am happy to travel overland by bus/ truck and camp along the way in areas where hotels don’t exist.”
Frank said he would like a bed and to minimize some of the stress that goes with traveling on their own.
“When we travel together, it will likely be on a cruise,” he said. “We are very sad that our Zaandam experience turned so tragic for the five people who died, and for the many who became sick. Traveling during a pandemic was not a wise thing to do, and we take full responsibility. We will never do that again. But when it is all clear again, we will sign up for other Holland America cruises, and we would travel anywhere in the world with Captain Smit.”