Four Passengers Dead on Zaandam Cruise Ship

Happy2BHere · ‎10-22-2019

New news about the Holland America Zaandam cruise. And such sad news - they've been trying to get home to Ft Lauderdale and now 4 deaths onboard:

"A Dutch cruise liner announced the death of four of its passengers Friday who apparently contracted COVID-19 aboard the ship.

In a blog post released by Holland America Line, the company confirmed the death of “four older guests” on the ship, called the Zaandam.

According to the cruise line, “a number of patients with respiratory symptoms were tested for COVID-19 and two individuals tested positive,” and on March 22, after several passengers reported “influenza-like” symptoms, the company said it took “immediate protective measures” including asking everyone to self-isolate in their rooms.

The ship, which is carrying 1,243 passengers and 586 crew members, is currently off the coast of Panama where it rendezvoused with its sister ship the Rotterdam on Thursday. Healthy passengers will be transferred to the Rotterdam, according to Holland America Line.

“Currently, 53 guests (4%) and 85 crew (14%) have reported to Zaandam’s medical center with influenza-like illness symptoms,” the company added.

https://www.fox13news.com/news/4-passengers-on-holland-america-line-cruise-ship-confirmed-dead-from-...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/us/four-dead-holland-america-cruise-ship/index.html

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

The Zaandam is the ship I use to cruise through the Panama Canal. I "think" the Holland line is the only one that actually goes straight through the canal & back.

It's one of the cruises I cancelled for this year.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

SandySparkles · ‎06-13-2010

😥

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

I hope they get clearance to go through the canal.

FancyPhillyshopper · ‎05-02-2017

All cruises should be avoided for the near future.

Such sad news!

Happy2BHere · ‎10-22-2019

@GCR18 wrote:
I hope they get clearance to go through the canal.

No, unfortunately they were denied.

"The Zaandam had planned to pass through the Panama Canal en route to Florida, but after being inspected by Panamanian authorities, the request to use the canal was denied, said canal Administrator Ricauter Vásquez. The Health Ministry “did not give permission,” Vásquez told reporters Friday. “The ship is in territorial waters but has to remain isolated.”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/world/article/4-passengers-dead-aboard-cruise-ship-anchored-off-151...

Prayers to everyone onboard that this will come to a conclusion soon!

iwrite · ‎01-11-2019

to some this may sound like a crazy question, but when exactly did this ship first sail? if it was in the last 30 days, people should have cancelled. if it sailed in january, then i get it. otherwise, no excuse for people boarding.

now, because passengers were wreckless and careless, they want sympathy?
just because a ship is sailing, doesn't mean you have to get on it.

can someone fast forward this story to the part we should care about?
i just don't understand being stupid on purpose.

what part of 'the covid19 virus can kill you', are people not understanding?

people in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's are dying and they are suppose to be in good health.

people over 65 with certain health problems, like diabetes, high blood pressure or people that have recovered from cancer, are the highest risk group.

those 2 categories cover a large percent of the population.

Alter Ego · ‎03-12-2010

@iwrite @I copied this from a post on Cruise Critic (from Holland's Facebook page). Looks like they were in the middle of their cruise when they suspended operations. There were probably not many cases in the Southern Hemisphere, and they felt safer going.

***

Zaandam was sailing a South America voyage that departed Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 7 and was originally scheduled to end in San Antonio, Chile, on March 21. However, due to global health concerns, Holland America Line made the decision to suspend its global cruise operations for 30 days and end its current cruises in progress as quickly as possible and return guests home. Despite previous confirmations that guests could disembark in Punta Arenas, Chile, for flights, we were not permitted to do so. No one has been off the ship since March 14 in Punta Arenas.

Zaandam then sailed to Valparaiso, Chile, where it remained at anchor March 20-21 while taking on provisions and fuel, including regular medications for those that needed them. Zaandam departed Valparaiso on March 21 and is currently sailing north. Our intention is to proceed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for arrival on March 30, however we are still working on securing a reservation to transit the Panama Canal. Alternative options are also being developed.

***

Editing my response - reading a bit more about it, from Santiago the next cruise was going through the Panama Canal to Fort Lauderdale. From what I can see, the ship was in South America for the season and this would have been when it was moved up north. I still wonder if there would be a lot of South Americans on board, expecting to be able to get off in Santiago before the next cruise, but are now stuck going to Florida.

Somewhere I recently read that there were (I think) 50,000 Americans stranded around the world, caught while traveling and unable to get a flight back yet.

iwrite · ‎01-11-2019

@Alter Ego

thank you for the information about when the ship left and from where.

i wonder if this is the same ship that i heard that was stopped at the canal and wasn't granted access to go through? i heard this a day or so ago, and i haven't heard anything else. but i don't watch but 2 hours of news a day. i watch the daily (even on the weekends) andrew cuomo update show in the am and an hour at night. i refuse to get sucked in, if that makes sense.

wanting to dock in florida, interesting. how long will it take to get a plan in place to handle that? last week, they wouldn't get people off the beach.

yes, there are a lot of americans stuck in other countries. i am shocked that those governments did not kick/force them out earlier. on the other hand a few weeks ago, i saw a hotel, i think in italy, that quarantined the entire hotel and wouldn't let anyone out. there were guards outside around the hotel.

note to self - don't leave the country without your own plane.

so obviously, i'm not going anywhere, anytime soon <smile>.

lesson learned

Nuttmeg · ‎03-09-2010

@iwrite wrote:

to some this may sound like a crazy question, but when exactly did this ship first sail? if it was in the last 30 days, people should have cancelled. if it sailed in january, then i get it. otherwise, no excuse for people boarding.

now, because passengers were wreckless and careless, they want sympathy?
just because a ship is sailing, doesn't mean you have to get on it.

can someone fast forward this story to the part we should care about?
i just don't understand being stupid on purpose.

what part of 'the covid19 virus can kill you', are people not understanding?

people in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's are dying and they are suppose to be in good health.

people over 65 with certain health problems, like diabetes, high blood pressure or people that have recovered from cancer, are the highest risk group.

those 2 categories cover a large percent of the population.

@iwrite

I wonder could this ship have been on a world cruise or an extended cruise. I know some of these cruises start in January and end in March or April.

My favorite cruise terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn is going to be used as a field hospital.

iwrite, each person does with is best for him or her. I have canceled a trip and lost money. We all see things differently.