Stranded on a cruise ship with the CORONA Virus

Brendt Reil is a New York-based Actor and Singer. He has performed in various tours and regional productions across the US, as well as numerous concert halls and cabaret settings. He studies with the Deena Levy theater studio and has a degree in Vocal Performance from Indiana University.

While traveling abroad on a dream vacation tour of South America, visiting his best friend who was performing on The Zaandam Cruise ship, he suddenly found himself quarantined, with COVID-19 on board. After battling the horrible symptoms himself he made it back to the US a month later with a life-changing experience and story to share. As we all manage life in quarantine, hear the inspirational story behind Brendt’s journey from ground zero with COVID-19 on a stranded cruise ship.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR CONVERSATION

1:24 - Ground zero with COVID-19 on a cruise ship

6:17 - A once-in-a-lifetime vacation turns dramatically

10:03 - Things start to change on the ship

15:14 - "And what happened next nobody could predict."

19:12 - Brendt's experience with COVID-19

24:10 - The emotional experience of living with COVID-19 on a stranded cruise ship

29:21 - The cruise ship goes mainstream media

33:55 - The price of a human life

37:45 - The impact of living through COVID-19 on a cruise ship

43:04 - Would you get on a cruise ship again?

48:21 - Dreaming about going home