Cruise ship dancer couple break down as they reveal they've been stranded in the Bahamas for 54 days and forced to stay inside their rooms for 21 hours in a 'hostile environment' where 'many are suffering mental health issues'

A couple who have been stranded on a cruise ship in the Bahamas for 54 days have given an emotional account of their harrowing experience during a live appearance on This Morning today.

Lauren Carrick, 29, from Norwich, and her dancer fiance Joseph Harrison, 27, from Hull, are on the Celebrity Infinity ship alongside around 900 other crew members, and have been unable to return home since the pandemic hit.

The couple, who began the tour in December and were due to cruise around Florida Keys and the Bahamas before finishing in June, but when the pandemic hit in mid-March were kept on-board after the passengers disembarked.

Now caught in a battle between cruise ships and the CDC ( Centre of Disease Control) they have watched  other nationalities return home to countries including Romania, while five of their flights have been cancelled.

The dancers became emotional as they spoke about not being allowed to leave their room for 21 days during isolation, despite the ship now being declared corona-free, and how it affected their mental health - claiming that one person aboard another ship had even taken their life.

They are now allowed to leave the room for meals and have been given a balcony room, however say that the atmosphere is so tense, they often don't feel safe - and have even decided to change their career path as a result of it.  

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Lauren Carrick, 29, from Norwich, and her dancer fiance Joseph Harrison, 27, from Hull, are on the Celebrity Infinity ship alongside around 900 other crew members, and have been unable to return home since the pandemic hit

Speaking to Phil and Holly this morning, Lauren broke down into tears as Joseph said: 'When the guests left everything started off normal but on the 28th March we went into 21 days isolation, we had no fresh air and it was very hard just staring at the same four walls.

'It's been really rubbish, really hard to get through.' 

Lauren added: 'Then we another 11 days where we had to be in the cabin for 21 hours and were allowed out for meals only, that process just seeemed to go on forever. We've been at sea now for 54 days.

'Smokers got priority for cabins, we had a window so luckily we had daylight but some people didn't have a window. The MP fought to get us a balcony room so luckily we have that now but we didn't get that until we were out for meals.'

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Celebrity Cruises said they have already been able to help more than 12,000 of the crew members return safely home, and thousands more are going home in the coming weeks

Explaining that they were desperate to get home and their hopes have been continuously dashed, Joseph continued: 'This has been a clean ship since April 18. 

'The CDC are letting us off, Royal Caribbean have signed a document recently where they will let us off the ship, but we can only take charter flights which the company organise. 

'But so far the five flights that have been organised for us have been cancelled - apparently through the CDC. Apparently though they're going to sails us home now, which will take 16 days to cross the Atlantic.

'We've decided through the contract that this is definitely our last cruise.' 

The couple even claim that someone on another ship took their life, as crew battle to remain positive under the circumstances. 

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The couple, who began the tour in December and were due to cruise around Florida Keys and the Bahamas before finishing in June, but when the pandemic hit in mid-March were kept on-board after the passengers disembarked

Lauren said: 'It's just crazy how up and down I've been through this and that someone had to take their own life for them to sign the document. It happened on a different vessel within the same company.'

Revealing how people are coping, Joseph said: 'People are dealing with being trapped in such horrific ways, we know people who have eating disorders, people who are suffering from anxiety, got depression, and it's quite a hostile environment.

'People are just in each other's faces all the time and it's not a nice place to be, everyone is very stressed.'

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Speaking to Phil and Holly this morning, Lauren broke down into tears as Joseph said: 'When the guests left everything started off normal but on the 28th March we went into 21 days isolation, we had no fresh air and it was very hard just staring at the same four walls.

Sharing their frustration, Lauren added: 'They're trying to transfer the Romanians and some other countries back - they all get charter flights but I don't know why we don't.  

'At the moment, we've just got loads of Indians on board so there's a lot more men than women at the moment so all the girls are just getting stared at.

'You just don't want to leave your cabin. You're getting grief from people, you're getting stared at.'

Celebrity Cruises said they have already been able to help more than 12,000 of the crew members return safely home, and thousands more are going home in the coming weeks. 

'We are working with the government and health authorities around the world on our plans and we very much appreciate our crew's patience, understanding and good spirit.

'Each country has its own rules on who can travel home, and share the common goal of getting home safely and we continue to work around the clock to make this happen'. 

FEMAIL has contacted Celebrity Cruises for comment.

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And despite sympathising with the couple, some Twitter users claimed the comments had been racist, with one writing: '@thismorning the guests stuck on a cruise ship, had my sympathies, until the mild racism.'

And despite sympathising with the couple, some Twitter users claimed the comments had been racist, with one writing: '@thismorning the guests stuck on a cruise ship, had my sympathies, until the mild racism.'

Another added: 'Female guest says 'lots of Indians on board, we feel uncomfortable!' Embarrassing. #thismorning.' 

A third wrote: '#ThisMorning So the lady on the cruise ships casually slips in a bit of racism and nothing is said. Bigot much.'

'What an awful thing to say... this woman's shown her true colors with this casual racism #ThisMorning,' another commented.

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They are now allowed to leave the room for meals and have been given a balcony room, however say that the atmosphere is so tense, they often don't feel safe - and have even decided to change their career path as a result of it