Belvidere North grad off cruise ship, ‘elated’ to see trees again

After more than six weeks stranded on a cruise ship, Julia Whitcomb is finally headed home

Julia Whitcomb, the Belvidere North graduate who has been stranded in isolation on a cruise ship off the Miami coast for more than six weeks, finally was let off the boat Saturday morning.

“When I saw the gangway I realized I was going home,” Whitcomb said by telephone Saturday afternoon. “When they said (Friday night) that I was getting off, I didn’t believe them because I’ve heard that before.”

The 24-year-old, who while at Belvidere North won the 2014 Illinois High School Musical Theater Award, has been a singer on the Celebrity Cruises Infinity for nearly two years.

The ship hasn’t had a paying customer on board since March 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic. She was one of nearly 1,000 crew members stranded on the ship because of a dispute between Royal Caribbean and the Centers for Disease Control. Since March 30, the crew members have largely been in isolation, stuck in their cabins for 21 hours a day.

“I was so elated,” she said. “I saw trees! I hadn’t seen trees in months. I saw grass! It had been so long since I saw grass.”

On two earlier occasions, April 13 and April 29, Whitcomb had been told she would depart only to have it rescinded. The issue was a legal one. The CDC issued very strict guidelines on how crew members had to be returned home and that the cruise companies would be liable for the crew if the guidelines weren’t followed. As of mid-April there were more than 80,000 cruise ship crew members stranded around the world.

Royal Caribbean’s leadership was unwilling to take on that liability until last Sunday as pressure mounted. Whitcomb became the public face of the stranded. After her story appeared in the Register Star, her name was included in stories from news outlets from Miami to Chicago and in France, England and the Virgin Islands. Cosmopolitan ran a long interview with her and she appeared on CNN.

The cruise line arranged for Whitcomb to be driven directly back to Illinois on a small bus. Whitcomb said there are two drivers on board so they can share driving duties without having to stop somewhere overnight. That’s one of several CDC guidelines. She was given a care package with enough food for the 21-hour trip and gloves and cleaning supplies.

“We’re only supposed to stop if someone needs to use the bathroom,” Whitcomb said. “And I have to clean the bathroom before and after. You know, I don’t really care. I just want to get home.”

She should make it to her parents’ home in Poplar Grove between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. At some point Sunday, they will then take her to a private home in St. Charles where she can self-quarantine at least until May 19.

Although she learned Friday that she would finally be leaving, it was a sad day. Her boyfriend, Bruno Cruells of Argentina, was transferred to another ship. He’s going to be transferred again before he finally gets taken home.

“We’d spent every day together since December. I don’t know how I would have gotten through this without him,” Whitcomb said. Now, they have no idea when they’ll see each other again.

“I’d planned on going to Argentina for a month to meet his family and travel, but we have no idea what travel rules are going to be.”

She is sure about one thing. Her cruise ship singing career is over. Ironically, before the coronavirus paralyzed world travel, Whitcomb said she’d earned a promotion. She was asked to work on Celebrity Cruises’ largest ship as the lead singer.

After her plight appeared in the media, the offer was rescinded by email. Whitcomb’s career goal remains to work on Broadway.

“I’ll have to figure out a different way to get to New York,” she said. “I’ve just been working for the past two years. Now, I want to rest and work on my mental health. I’m going to see a therapist, get in the gym and see family and friends.”

Alex Gary is a freelance correspondent