What a great testament to HAL and the world of Post-Pandemic cruising!

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Couple stuck on cruise to start pandemic, booked on cruise for next month

Mollie LairWARREN COUNTY, Ohio —

A Warren County couple spent the first few weeks of the pandemic stuck in their room on a cruise ship.

Now, they're ready to set sail again.

Rob and Andrea Anderson said they didn't overthink it. They booked a cruise to Alaska in a moment of spontaneity.

This time last year, they were thanking God they finally disembarked the MS Zaandam.

The couple was quarantined in their cabin for nearly two weeks.

Four people died on the ship.

And yet, this couple is ready to board another one. 

"We like to travel. We like to experiences new places. We meet such interesting people and we're ready to go," Andrea Anderson.

The Andersons both contracted COVID-19 on the Zaandam.

Now that they're fully vaccinated, they said they're ready to get back to living.

"Vaccination has really been the key in getting us to this point," said Rob Anderson.

They are still a little hesitant but said they feel confident about the cleaning and safety protocols.

"They're only booking it at 50%, and there are no interior or ocean view rooms. That was one problem we had. We had an ocean view, so we had that one half hour of fresh air in 12 days," said Andrea.

This time, they have their own balcony, a requirement for trips from here on out.

"We were the very last passengers off a Holland America ship when the pandemic started, and we'll be the very first ones on, on July 24th," said Rob.

Andrea said it's unlikely she'll ever get back on the Zaandam.

Cruises aren't ruined for her, but that boat might be.

They haven't left Ohio in nine months.

The couple said they've been safe and have done everything right.

Now, it's time to get back to doing what they love.

"I think it basically comes down to the safest thing you can do is cower in your basement for the rest of your life, but that's not how we want to live," said Rob.

They plan to take hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes.

They already have another cruise scheduled for next year when they will travel to Antarctica.