Grand Princess passenger from Northern California ‘made the most of it’ through music

The Grand Princess cruise ship carrying more than 3,500 people returned home Monday.

The ship was headed to Hawaii when a passenger from a previous trip tested positive for the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. It was held at sea while passengers were tested for the virus, and cruise-goers were stuck in their cabins.

But one quarantined passenger chose to make the best of the situation by turning to music.

Michelle Heckert, a Bay Area resident who was on the Grand Princess with her grandparents, posted videos on Twitter of her playing the ukulele and singing songs about her experience on the ship.

“I naturally felt compelled to write since I always have a little melody or lyric idea in my head,” Heckert said. “At first I thought my songs were pretty ridiculous, but I figured they would be fun and at least my parents would enjoy them.”

While Heckert said these videos were just for fun, she holds a degree in music and says writing music is a hobby and passion. She hopes to pursue songwriting more seriously and make it part of her profession.

“[The videos have] helped me de-stress,” she said. “My grandma loves the attention. It’s given us all something to do and look forward to.”

Along with her musical videos, Heckert posted photos of her experience in quarantine, showing the breakfast passengers were served.

She also shared the activities the ship’s crew planned, including tai chi and learning to make paper airplanes.

“I can’t speak for everyone on the ship, but my family and I have had a relatively positive experience,” Heckert said. “Obviously, being stuck in our cabins is not the most ideal situation, but we’ve been able to make the most of it.”

Heckert said she and her grandparents disembarked from the ship Monday and were transferred to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. She said they are all doing well.

“We know there have been challenges along the way, but the crew have been working so hard,” she said. “We’ve spent a lot of time waiting to hear what’s next, and we’re kind of just taking it one step at a time.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 1:04 PM.