'Stranded at sea': cruise ships around the world are adrift as ports turn them away

I’m not sure that was prudent. People tend to leak a lot when you try to strand them. Leave 'em solid is my advice.

1 Like

This is the cruise ship with the 4 deaths.

Like most of the cruise industry, Holland America, which is owned by Carnival Corp., suspended operations of its global fleet on March 13 for a month but still had to get its ships back to port. Zaandam’s voyage left Buenos Aires on March 7; the company planned for passengers to disembark on March 16 in Punta Arenas, Chile, but the Chilean government would not allow anyone off.
Holland America is working to get permission for the Zaandam to sail through the Panama Canal and head to Fort Lauderdale, but it’s still not clear whether they will be allowed to dock there. The Associated Press reported that Panama had denied the request to use the canal, but Holland America said the company was still working with authorities there on approval.

Even if the canal grants permission for Zaandam to transit, why on earth would Fort Lauderdale give permission for the ship to enter port? The ship is flagged in the Netherlands. I mean I understand that the passengers have to get off, its just that there seems to be a lot better opportunities than FLA.

2 Likes

This will create lots of things for talking heads to discuss in the future. I bet few ever thought of a scenario where cruise ships would not be allowed in port to unload passengers. Maybe all the ships should return to their flag state for help?!? I’m sure the Bahamas can really help out the cruise ships…

Flag of convenience isn’t so convenient when one really needs support, eh?

7 Likes

Just saw the local (Fort Lauderdale)TV news talking about the Zaandam heading here to its “home port.” It it registered in Rotterdam, it only visits here to collect cash from American taxpayers.

Let the Carnival Corp owned ship head to its real home port instead of bringing disease and sucking resources from this Corona hotspot. We have enough problems here without those parasites adding to them.

2 Likes

They already have 4 deaths. Does a ship that size carry body bags? I never seen body bags in a ships hospital or heard a ships doctor, medic or mate talk about them when mentioning hospital supplies. I know that is a horrible question but it crossed my mind while sitting in on a shipboard coronavirus meeting. Of course I didn’t want to cause more panic & didn’t bring it up.

We had them on our ship so I expect a passenger ship would as well.

2 Likes

The gone but not forgotten Keystone Canyon had a coffin cooler in the fiddley. It was big enough for a couple of bodies. We used it to store wood flour bags.

I’ve already told my shipmates to put me in the incinerator if I kill over to save my family a few hundred dollars on being cremated. I just hope they remember to clean out the slag first so my family isn’t given a box of ashes with burnt screws, old cans & spent welding rods in it.

3 Likes

I would probably win employee of the month posthumously for saving the company the cost of shipping my body home & my wife could get a company logo’ed tee shirt, coffee cup or something like that too.

2 Likes

I had.two body bags for crew of 60 to 70 and I had one on a container ship with 23. It has been a while but I think it was required under IMO or perhaps flag state. A colleague of mine had to use one and he kept the body in the beer store which was at the recommended carrying temperature for a corpse.

1 Like

That’s sounds like the closest I could get to heaven after I die. Scratch the incinerator idea, if we had a beer store on board I would want to go there for as long as possible or until the beer ran out at least. If anything could bring me back from the light that would be it.

3 Likes

The Zaandam and the Rotterdam get the OK to cross the Panama Canal.

In preparation for dumping the diseased into a Covid hotspot where the American taxpayer and an already near overloaded health care system will have to deal with them.

Let Carnival owned Holland “America” return to its port of registry, Rotterdam, to take care of their customers and crew.

3 Likes

In spite of the fact that Florida is the state known as God’s waiting room because of its aged population, they were very late in closing their beaches allowing spring breakers to party on; many beaches weren’t closed until last Friday. Allowing cruise ships with infected passengers to land in a state that currently ranks sixth in the number of cases seems extremely ill advised.

The Zaandam and Rotterdam not welcome in Florida.

Florida’s Governor had better figure something out fairly quickly. Of all the states Florida should welcome them back with open arms being the cruise capital of the US.

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the captain having arrived off Fort Lauderdale or wherever requests a port of refuge. I doubt very much if he has bunkers or provisions to undertake a trans Atlantic voyage. I would imagine that most of the passengers are US citizens although there are some New Zealanders onboard.

The Zaandam cruise ship departed Buenos Aires on March 7 for its “carefully crafted fun filled cruise”
At the time there were 437 confirmed Covid-19 cases in 30 US States, the Diamond Princess had 46 confirmed cases on board, the Grand Princess 21 and Italy was preparing to lock down 11 provinces.
In Seattle, the cruise line’s “home” in the US, 16 people had already died from the virus.
By what twisted logic did Holland America justify cramming 1830 people into a floating incubator and sending them out to sea?

2 Likes

Ka-ching ka-ching goes the tax free cash register.

No fear folks, if it all falls apart the US Coast Guard or the US government will take care of you, even if we have to sail all the way from Chile to Fort Lauderdale to make sure you aren’t our problem.

2 Likes