holland america cruise ship covid outbreak

Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships

The Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) requires cruise ships to log and report the number of passengers and crew who say they have symptoms of gastrointestinal illness. Learn more about illnesses and outbreaks reported to VSP and find information about outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships.

Medical staff on cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction must send gastrointestinal illness case reports to VSP at specific times:

• Before arriving to a U.S. port from a foreign port. This report is required even when there are no cases of gastrointestinal illness. Cruise ship staff send this report between 24 and 36 hours before the ship arrives at a U.S. port.
• When 2% or more of the passengers or crew have gastrointestinal illness. Cruise ship staff send this report any time the ship is in the United States or within 15 days of arriving at a U.S. port.
• If 3% or more of the passengers or crew have gastrointestinal illness.

VSP posts cruise ship outbreaks when they meet all of the following criteria:

• Are on ships under VSP jurisdiction (see about VSP ).
• Are on ships carrying 100 or more passengers.
• Are on voyages from 3-21 days long.
• Are on voyages where 3% or more of passengers or crew report symptoms of gastrointestinal illness to the ship’s medical staff.

VSP may also post information on gastrointestinal illness outbreaks of public health significance that do not necessarily meet the above criteria.

Important Notes

Data on this page are from ship surveillance reports and from CDC-led investigations.

• The gastrointestinal illness cases reported are totals for the entire voyage.
• These cases do not represent the number of active (symptomatic) cases of gastrointestinal illness at any given port of call or at disembarkation.
• CDC has not verified all the case numbers represented in the following updates.

Learn how passengers can protect themselves with these  tips for healthy cruising .

Find  more information  about gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on land and at sea.

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*There were an unknown but significant number of passenger cases who reported their illness by phone to the medical facility onboard but were not seen in a timely manner and disembarked the ship

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Holland America cruise skips Mexico stop after positive Covid-19 tests

SAN DIEGO — A Holland America Line cruise ship was on its way back to port Saturday after Mexican health officials would not allow guests to disembark in Puerto Vallarta following positive Covid-19 tests on board.

The health department of the Mexican state of Jalisco said 21 crew members tested positive for Covid upon arrival in Puerto Vallarta on Thursday.

It said passengers’ potential exposure meant they would not be allowed to disembark.

“Through onboard testing, we have confirmed that a small number of fully-vaccinated crew on Koningsdam tested positive for COVID-19,” Holland America said in a statement. “All are showing mild or no symptoms and are in isolation. Close contacts have been quarantined out of an abundance of caution.”

The cruise line said the ship left Puerto Vallarta following a last-minute notification from authorities that guests would not be allowed ashore.

The ship was expected to return to San Diego on Sunday, the cruise line said.

The ship, with 874 crew members and 1,035 passengers, was on a cruise that included stops in Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlán, the Jalisco health officials said.

They said one crew member was positive Dec. 18, the day before the ship left San Diego. It's not clear whether the crew member was on board.

Guests are required to show proof of full vaccination and negative Covid-19 tests taken within two days of boarding the ship, according to cruise line health and safety guidelines. 

It's unclear how local health officials will handle the cases after the ship returns. San Diego County's health department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Port of San Diego website does not list protocol information for travelers in such situations.

The port resumed cruises as pandemic case numbers slid Oct. 1.

The outbreak came as the Florida-based cruise ship Carnival Freedom was denied entry to Bonaire and Aruba following an undisclosed number of Covid cases on board, Carnival said in a statement Friday.

Passengers were required to be vaccinated and were tested before the ship left, the cruise line said. The ship, carrying 2,497 passengers and 1,112 crew members, was expected back in Miami on Sunday after eight days at sea.

It was the third outbreak this week affecting cruise ships that had departed from Florida.

Dennis Romero is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

Holland America Cruise Ship Docks in San Diego After COVID-19 Outbreak Onboard

The holland america cruise ship docked in san diego sunday, by christina bravo • published december 25, 2021 • updated on december 27, 2021 at 1:15 am.

A Holland America cruise ship docked in San Diego Sunday after it didn't make its scheduled stop in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after authorities did not allow guests to disembark due to positive COVID-19 tests among employees.

"Nothing changed about the trip other than we couldn't disembark in Puerto Vallarta," said cruise ship passenger, Marilyn Woodruff. "We got notified the day of."

According to Mexico authorities, about 21 crew members aboard the Holland America ship Koningsdam tested positive for COVID-19 as the ship arrived in the port of Puerto Vallarta on Dec. 23.

After Pandemic Pause, Cruise Ship Sailings Return to Port of San Diego

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A spokesperson for Holland America confirmed that a small number of their about 875 ship employees, who were all fully vaccinated, tested positive and were showing mild symptoms. The staff was in isolation and close contacts were quarantining, the cruise line said in a statement to NBC 7.

"I felt really safe. I had no concerns at all. The cleanliness standards were very good. I think they responded very quickly to contain it," said Woodruff.

According to Mexico's Ministry of Health, before the ship departed from San Diego on Dec. 19, the entire crew had been tested for COVID-19 and only one positive case was found.

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Koningsdam then traveled to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlán before more active cases were detected on Dec. 23, Mexico officials said.

Due to the outbreak, Mexico authorities would not allow the more than 1,000 passengers to disembark, and the Koningsdam ship decided to pull out of port and head back to San Diego early, Holland America said.

"Due to a last-minute notification from authorities that guests would not be permitted ashore, the ship departed and will return to San Diego to arrive in two days as scheduled," a statement said. "Guests were notified and continue to enjoy activities aboard the vessel. There were two days at sea planned in the itinerary after leaving Puerto Vallarta."

Passengers were able to disembark once arriving in San Diego. No information has yet been released on what happened to those people who tested positive.

Holland America says COVID protocols are still being followed aboard all ships, which includes mask wearing by guests and staff in all indoor areas and routine disinfecting.

All guests and staff must be fully vaccinated and guests must provide a negative COVID-19 test before boarding the ship.

Cruises resumed in San Diego County in Oct. 2021 following a lengthy pandemic pause, bringing a much-needed boost to the local tourism industry. According to the Port of San Diego, the city is California's third busiest port.

Planning a Cruise? Here's What You Need to Know

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Coronavirus Updates

People should avoid cruise travel regardless of their vaccination status, the cdc says.

Jonathan Franklin

The Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Sunrise ship is seen in the port of Miami on Dec. 23, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic. Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

The Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Sunrise ship is seen in the port of Miami on Dec. 23, 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new advisory Thursday that travelers should avoid traveling by cruise ship, regardless of vaccination status, after a recent surge in positive COVID-19 cases onboard ships.

The agency increased its travel warning for cruises to Level 4 — the highest level — following investigations of dozens of ships that have had outbreaks of the virus.

"Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants," the CDC said on its website .

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Following the identification of the omicron variant, there has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among cruise passengers and crew reported to the agency, the CDC said.

More cruise ships have reached "level yellow" — the level where the CDC investigates a ship's COVID outbreak.

"It is especially important that travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status," the agency added.

More cruise ships are under CDC investigation following COVID-19 outbreaks on board

There are 91 cruise ships currently under investigation or observation, according to the CDC website. However, the agency has not specified how many COVID-19 cases have been reported, according to The Associated Press .

An additional three ships are being monitored.

The CDC advised that those who choose to travel on a cruise should get vaccinated against COVID-19 before their trip and, if eligible, receive a booster dose.

In addition, masks should also be worn in shared spaces and passengers who are not fully vaccinated against COVID should self-quarantine for five days after travel, in addition to getting tested three to five days after their return, the CDC said.

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The goal: at least 40% vaxxed in all nations by year-end. this map shows how we stand.

In an email to NPR, a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association said the trade group was "disappointed" by the CDC's latest advisory against cruise ship travel.

"While we are disappointed and disagree with the decision to single out the cruise industry—an industry that continues to go above and beyond compared to other sectors—CLIA and our ocean-going cruise line members remain committed to working collaboratively with the CDC in the interest of public health and safety," the trade group said .

Most cruise lines require adult passengers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, according to AP.

For now, CDC guidanc e allows cruise ships to relax measures — such as mask usage — if at least 95% of passengers and 95% of the cruise ship crew are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

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They were on a luxury cruise, then the coughing began – the ship that became a global Covid pariah

When passengers boarded the MS Zaandam in March 2020, they were preparing for the holiday of a lifetime. Within days they would be confined to their rooms on a liner that no country would let dock. How long would their ordeal last?

O n the five-hour drive to the docks of Buenos Aires, Claudia Osiani thought hard: do I board the cruise ship or cancel my birthday voyage? With her husband, Juan, she discussed the recent spate of deadly virus outbreaks on cruise ships in Japan and California. “This cruise is different; it will be packed with locals,” Juan reassured her, and it made them feel safer. He had sacrificed so much to provide Claudia with this fantasy of a 14-day voyage through the wilds of South America, and she loved him too much to let on that she was petrified at the thought of embarking.

It was early March 2020, and the first wave of the Covid-19 virus was spreading not only in Wuhan, China, but Italy and Spain. In the UK, cases totalled 273; in Argentina there were fewer than a dozen and it felt like a northern hemisphere issue. “We’re going so far south,” Claudia told Juan in the car. “It’s going to be a bunch of Argentinians on that ship, maybe some Chileans.”

At the docks they spotted their ship, the MS Zaandam. Christened in May 2000, the Dutch-flagged vessel had the feel of an ocean liner of a bygone age. She was steeped in the nearly 150-year history of the Holland America Line, for decades the industry leader in service and style, and known in its marketing materials as “the Spotless Fleet”.

Claudia and Juan had been together for 42 years. Claudia was a stickler for detail and liked to swim and cycle. She was an experienced psychologist, and gregarious, open to speaking her mind, making grand gestures. Juan, a soft-spoken accountant, was in many ways her opposite. His mother was an immigrant from Bath, England; his father was from the Netherlands. But they’d made it work, raising three children who’d given them nine grandchildren.

As the couple boarded, they found that almost none of the passengers came from Argentina or South America. Their hopes of cruising with people from countries spared by this new deadly virus vanished. Aboard the Zaandam were 305 Americans, 295 Canadians, 105 French, 131 Australians and 229 UK citizens.

As more than 1,200 guests and almost 600 crew settled in, the Zaandam became a buzzing community that included 10 decks, eight bars, two pools, a casino, a mini tennis court, an art gallery, a library and a performance hall with a capacity for 500. As last-minute preparations to leave were made, dancers limbered up, magicians rehearsed, members of an a cappella choir belted out tunes and a team of massage therapists were busy kneading away knots from the stress of life onshore. Few passengers were monitoring the news channels that would have alerted them that on 8 March 2020, just 48 minutes before the Zaandam’s departure, the US state department posted a warning that was as unambiguous as it was unprecedented: “American citizens, especially with underlying conditions, should not travel by cruise ship.”

Aboard the Zaandam, the musicians tuned their instruments.

T he cruise was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit the strait of Magellan, navigate the Beagle Channel, follow Darwin’s route, and then cruise up the west coast of South America for an excursion to relive the excitement of Hiram Bingham’s 1911 “ discovery ” of Machu Picchu, high in the Peruvian Andes. They would end with a passage through the Panama Canal, island hop in the Caribbean and then disembark at Fort Lauderdale.

Down in the holds , the quartermasters went over the stores for the long trip. To feed all passengers and crew on a ship like the Zaandam for a long cruise typically required 60,000 kilos of vegetables, 40,000 eggs, 20,000 steaks, 16,000 cans of beer and soda, and hundreds of cases of wine. In addition to these carefully itemised supplies, another traveller was aboard the ship – a deadly stowaway probably hiding in the lungs of a passenger or a crew member.

In the run-up to the Zaandam’s departure from Buenos Aires, Holland America medical experts had dispatched advice on how to protect against coronavirus. Dr Grant Tarling delivered updates in cheery three- to five-minute videos posted on corporate websites. “Given recent events and general inquiries we have received about travellers’ health,” said Tarling, looking into the camera in one video released in late February, a map of the world behind him, “you may want to bring your own thermometer.” Tarling, the company’s lead medic, also demonstrated the correct position to sneeze, bringing his bent arm close to his nose. “If you cough or sneeze, do it into a tissue or your bent elbow.” His third piece of advice was: “Buy travel insurance.” The doctor suggested passengers read the insurance coverage closely to “make sure it is the kind ‘cancel for any reason’ and covers many unexpected travel situations, such as medical care and evacuation”.

Back at corporate headquarters, Holland America and its owner, Carnival Corporation – the world’s largest travel and leisure conglomerate with more than 100,000 employees and a stock valuation in the billions – had already dealt with the virus on several other ships. Two Carnival ships – the Grand Princess and the Ruby Princess – were suffering severe Covid outbreaks off the Pacific coasts of the US and Australia, respectively. The Diamond Princess had been hit hard in Japan a few weeks earlier, when hundreds were infected and at least nine people died.

Soon after boarding, Claudia noticed the first coughs. Once she tuned into the sound, it seemed to be everywhere. I can see these people are sick – anybody can, she thought.

Nine days into the cruise, as the world was locking down, Claudia marched down to the front desk, by the huge pipe organ. “How can the captain allow this? Allow people to gather in groups, so close to each other, if there is a pandemic all around?” she asked. Claudia urged the staff to take precautions, to protect the ship from Covid. She walked the ship, unnerved by all the older Europeans, Americans and Canadians gathering, seemingly oblivious to the threat. The gym, spa and hair salon were open, packed with people. This makes no sense, Claudia thought. Everywhere she glanced, she saw evidence of Carnival Corporation’s efforts to fulfil its brand slogan, Choose Fun.

In the tight crew quarters far closer to the waterline, workers began to succumb. Some told their supervisors; others soldiered on. Wiwit Widarto, the boat’s laundry supervisor, felt tired, his muscles aching. He assumed it must be his workload, or maybe a common cold. He and the rest of his crew were working nonstop, 10-12 hours a day, in the sweltering confines of the ship’s cramped laundry rooms, trying to keep up. More passengers and crew were spending more and more time in their cabins, which translated into piles of soiled sheets, towels and napkins.

Crew members made valiant attempts to limit the outbreak. They seemed to be everywhere, politely suggesting that passengers wash their hands or make use of the hand sanitiser stations. The self-serve buffets were shielded by Plexiglas, and servers were posted every few feet to ladle out the portions and minimise passengers’ contact with food. Even the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and the World Health Organization were confused – was the virus able to live on surfaces? How long did it survive?

As the cruise entered the second week, fear was ruining the voyage for Claudia and Juan. Near the strait of Magellan, nervous locals had protested over the ship’s arrival, worried they might bring the virus to the remote Chilean city of Punta Arenas. Along with friends from Argentina, they drank tea in the dining room and avoided crowds. They were sitting near the sweeping main staircase – the one that always reminded Claudia of the one aboard the Titanic – when an announcement startled them.

“Good afternoon. This is your captain speaking from the bridge with an important announcement,” Captain Ane Smit began, addressing the entire ship. “I ask that everyone please listen closely.” The news was grim. An influenza-like respiratory virus had sickened many passengers. “Out of an abundance of caution, we must ask that you return to your staterooms as soon as you are done with lunch,” the captain continued, “where, regrettably, we are going to have to ask you to remain.”

Many cabins had less space than a one-car garage. Dozens of rooms were windowless. Claudia sat in the cabin with Juan, nervously staring out of a salt-streaked porthole, or watching television. Relying on her experience as a psychologist, she knew that anxiety, fear and depression were all rising. The uncertainty ate away at her.

Instead of a comfortable crash pad for naps between happy hours and city tours, the cabin now felt like a cell for two. Meals, once a highlight, were now cloaked in anxiety. Lunch arrived via a disturbing, invisible operation. Claudia heard the sudden cry “Foooooooooood!”, then the clanking of a delivery cart as it was wheeled down the hall. Then at the next cabin, the cry “Foooooooood!”, and the next.

Opening the door, she found a tray on the floor. With bath soap, she washed every fork, knife and plate. When the soap ran out, she switched to shower gel for the glasses and edges of the tray, which she gingerly brought to the side of the bed. Claudia and Juan eyed the food with suspicion. They chewed cautiously, enjoying not a bite, nor a sip of the complimentary red wine. Juan and Claudia were supposed to be disembarking in three days – their original itinerary was nearly over – but now all schedules had been shredded.

Panicked by the outbreak, passengers rang and insisted on special services; Widarto made a point of going to their cabins to personally change their sheets or exchange towels. Some guests were clearly sick, but he helped them as best he could. Adding to the workload, one after another of Widarto’s staff members fell ill. He ordered them to bed, which meant he and the remaining members of staff had to work even harder. After three decades on cruise ships, Widarto was a perfectionist, and that drove him to work harder at times like these. When he called his wife, Anny, back in Indonesia, she noticed his voice was different. “You have to go to medical, to the pharmacy,” Anny said, growing more concerned. “You have to get some help.”

Widarto explained that he’d gone to the medical centre, but all they had to offer him was paracetamol. Anny was shocked. “You need to stay strong, focus on yourself, get better,” she said, attempting to raise his spirits. Widarto told her he’d do his best, but just before hanging up, he shocked his wife.

“Anny,” he said, “please pray for me.”

Widarto wore a mask and gloves when he could, but was that enough to protect against any virus left on sheets and pillowcases? Rumours flew about that Widarto had removed sheets from the bed of a guest so sickened that he was unable to walk and was transported to the medical centre in a wheelchair. Word was that the passenger had died, but no one could be sure.

Widarto faced more immediate challenges. He was losing staff at an alarming rate. Over the previous three days, they had kept getting sicker. Their cramped, sweltering workspace seemed to amplify the coughs. The two doctors aboard weren’t much help. A couple of housekeeping staff had reported to the sick bay, and returned with no more than a paracetamol and a bottle of cough syrup. Widarto was subdued as he confessed to a friend: “I can’t taste anything.”

A s the Zaandam steamed north up the west coast of South America, country after country announced ever more strict precautions to protect their populations. None would take the chance of letting a cruise ship dock, despite intense efforts by the cruise line and diplomats to gain safe harbour. The crisis was growing by the day; an international pandemic – the first in a century – was declared, and airline travel was shutting down. Instead of their fantasy escape, the crew and passengers aboard the Zaandam were shunned. No one knew much about the new Covid virus, but cruise ships were assumed to be giant incubators.

Warren Hall, a South African gynaecologist who was the chief medic on the Zaandam, oversaw a sparse medical staff in the bow end of one of the lower decks. At the entrance, there was a reception and two examination rooms. The medical centre had surgical tools and medicine at the ready for emergency procedures. Down a hallway, there were four inpatient rooms, outfitted like those in a hospital.

Medical staff were experienced in treating life-threatening illnesses far from land: fatal heart attacks and falls were common among the older passengers. But when patients were in a grave condition, the ship would typically rush to port and unload the stricken individual. Now, the infirmary was awash with coughing passengers and ill crew members who lined up in the corridor, waiting their turn. Some looked as if they might topple over at any moment. Passengers and crew also crowded inside the tiny reception area. And in each of the examination rooms, a patient lay supine. The coughing was incessant. The two doctors and four nurses worked valiantly but were overwhelmed.

As the outbreak spread through the locked-down ship, family members of those trapped aboard launched social media campaigns to rescue their loved ones. They created a Facebook page and hundreds joined to share what they knew. Reporters began to interview passengers, and timelines were flooded with pleas for help. A newlywed Mexican couple on their honeymoon created a WhatsApp group. They named it Zaandam Prisoners.

With no chance to escape, Claudia returned to a familiar role: caretaking. She rang her friends on board and cheerfully chatted about the sun, the sea and the wind. Her top priority was an elderly couple who were relying on sleeping pills to cope with the stress of lockdown. She knew that in situations of extreme, prolonged stress or trauma, people tended to self-medicate with whatever was at hand: booze or, in this case, sedatives. Claudia was able to help put their minds at ease by calling over the ship’s phone with soothing, detailed descriptions of scenes outside the cabin window in what she dubbed “weather therapy”.

A TV channel featured a live camera shot from the bow of the Zaandam , displaying the open ocean in a wide-angle panorama. Rather than bringing calm and tranquillity, the live feed further emphasised to Claudia that they were ploughing the seas, destination unknown. She felt as if she were incarcerated in some kind of surreal, vaguely luxurious floating prison.

In the medical centre, the patients got sicker and sicker. John Carter, a 75-year-old from north Devon, was among the most gravely ill. For hours, he was in a critical condition. Dr Hall diagnosed bacterial pneumonia brought on by an unknown viral infection. As Carter’s breathing worsened, Hall threaded a tube into his lungs and connected him to a ventilator.

Hall had just 11 tanks of oxygen on board, and the ventilator was going through the supply rapidly. Hall knew that a flood of elderly patients with respiratory issues would necessitate far more oxygen. Without it, they might die. There was no doubt that Carter had to have it. But it wasn’t enough, and Carter died. His grieving widow was then left alone, only able to speak by phone with family. They issued a plea on her behalf: “She is obviously distressed and extremely frightened … she is struggling … and feeling unwell.”

Below decks, Widarto was trying to find the strength to call Anny at their home in Batam, Indonesia. He now felt too sick to work in the stifling heat. But, as always, guests called and called, requesting fresh sheets, or just needing to talk. Widarto felt obliged to go to their aid. He put on the best face he could for Anny as he called via WhatsApp. They exchanged hellos, and Widarto tried to calm Anny down, set her mind at ease. “Please don’t be sad,” he said. “You need to be a strong mom. For the kids.”

Anny pressed him, trying to find out what was wrong. Finally, Widarto confessed that his fever was rising, and the coughing was worse than ever. He thought the limited stocks of medicine were reserved for the ill passengers and was relying on home remedies, like hot tea with lemon. Then he interrupted the conversation: he had to go. A passenger had called, requesting a fresh blanket.

Anny was shocked. Why was Widarto insisting on working? He seemed distant, taking his time before answering.

“Please, please rest,” Anny pleaded. “Please. Don’t work while you’re feeling unwell.”

“I can’t. I can’t afford to do that,” Widarto finally responded. His voice trailed off. “Lots of my staff are falling ill. Someone’s got to work.”

“Please, stay strong,” Anny said; she was crying.

E ntering the third week of its odyssey, the Zaandam sailed further north up the coast of South America; a flurry of diplomatic notes whizzed back and forth as US, Canadian, French and British diplomats pressed the government of Ecuador to let the passengers get off. Thanks to a policy of hiring former navy admirals and coastguard commanders, the Holland America leadership worked smoothly with the diplomats – on many issues they spoke the same language, fought for the same goals.

But even if the Zaandam obtained clearance to let passengers disembark, there was no assurance that Holland America could win permission to fly them home. “I’ll ask our team in Quito, but early signals are bad, as gov’t has shut down movement and borders,” wrote a US diplomat in an email. “The governor of Guayaquil has been very active in denying entry.”

Few options remained. Emergency medical flights were in short supply everywhere. Wealthy individuals around the world with the means to pay $25,000 or $200,000 for a private escape had booked jets, helicopters and yachts for a swift retreat from the virus. Holland America had the cash to secure these flights, but what would be the use if the plane couldn’t land?

Navigators aboard the Zaandam, helped by Holland America executives onshore, began charting multiple options – would they be allowed through the Panama Canal? Should they head to a US port in San Diego? But the reality was clear: they were on a voyage to nowhere. Passengers largely obeyed the lockdown orders. At times, small groups would be ushered out for 15 minutes of fresh air, but seeing crew members in masks just added to the sense of danger. No one knew how many were infected, but the number of little red stickers placed on the doors of those thought to have Covid marked the spread.

As the ship anchored off the coast of Panama, reinforcements finally arrived. Carnival Corporation had ordered the Zaandam’s sister ship the Rotterdam to rush down from Mexico. It carried essential crew and was empty of passengers. The plan was to dilute the problem by moving healthy passengers off the Zaandam and on to the Rotterdam. Additional medical supplies and personnel and support crew could also be brought aboard what was now dubbed by the media “The Pariah Ship”.

Claudia was praying that she and Juan would be allowed to transfer when she heard a knock. She opened the door and a crew member wearing a gown, gloves and a face mask delivered the good news: they were among the roughly 800 passengers cleared to leave. They gathered their suitcases and sat down in a small transfer boat known as a tender. Claudia was elated to be leaving; she knew she was lucky. Their early precautions had worked, as neither she nor Juan were infected. Now they were on a circuitous but hopeful path back to their home in Argentina.

Back on the Zaandam, however, the raging outbreak had struck down scores of crew and passengers. Then on 27 March, Captain Smit took to the airwaves again – this time with the grim news that four passengers had died. One was John Carter. Another man had collapsed on his way to the bathroom and died on the floor. Another had suffocated, unable to breathe as his lungs were destroyed by Covid. Medical personnel were swamped by calls and overworked, forced to run from one cabin to another, yet still the patients waited hours, sometimes more, to be seen by a doctor.

As the Zaandam headed for Florida , mixed signals from the Trump administration stymied attempts by Holland America to find a way to get several dozen people in desperate need of medical care off the ships. It took endless rounds of negotiations between the cruise line, CDC officials, Florida state health authorities, the White House and diplomats from a dozen countries to finally develop an evacuation protocol that was acceptable to all.

On 2 April 2020, nearly a month after leaving Buenos Aires, a fleet of buses lined up on the docks of Port Everglades in Florida, and most passengers from both the Zaandam and Rotterdam were allowed to disembark. A row of ambulances were ready as well. One of the first people evacuated from the Zaandam was Widarto, who was now fighting for his life. Hall had done what he could, but Widarto’s condition had deteriorated, the virus destroying his lungs; he badly needed ICU care.

Within minutes, they moved Widarto down the gangway and into an ambulance. The ambulance sped off. A medical team at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale was waiting for him. But doctors were not optimistic: in a video call, they told Anny that her husband was losing the battle, that his lungs were filling with fluid, and that nothing they had done was stopping that deadly process. When that time came, the doctors could only revive him with the defibrillator, gambling that they could shock life back into his body. But that procedure could have devastating consequences, the doctor warned; he could end up paralysed. Anny had to make a choice: did she want him resuscitated? Or would it be kinder to let him die? She talked it over with her family and they agreed. “If he flatlines, let him die in peace,” she said. “That’s what God would want to happen. If God wanted him alive, he would be alive.” Anny was only able to see him on a video call before he died.

Two dozen passengers were medically evacuated, but hundreds more were deemed fit for travel. Bundled on to buses and dumped at airport terminals, they then crisscrossed the country and the world, and some carried the virus.

Although hundreds of passengers had walked off both the Zaandam and the Rotterdam, Claudia and Juan were told they could not disembark. Claudia waited for a few hours and then called reception. It took a moment to unravel what was happening. “Oh – we’re so, so sorry, but you will not be disembarking,” the receptionist announced cheerfully.

“What do you mean?” Claudia asked.

“There was a problem with your flight to Argentina. We need you to stay on the ship a little while longer, while we work out a solution.”

The Argentinians were stuck in bureaucratic gridlock. So, too, were the hundreds of crew, as the CDC had decided it was too dangerous to let potentially infected crew members into society. The Rotterdam and the Zaandam left Florida and abandoned US territorial waters, docking instead near the Bahamas.

Day after day, the two ships sailed in what pilots call “doughnut patterns” as crew and approximately nine passengers remained locked down. With the help of the cruise line, Claudia was untangling the logistics of organising a flight back to Argentina when the captain’s voice sounded loudly over the ship’s public intercom. He appeared to be giving orders exclusively to the crew. To Claudia, it felt as if they didn’t exist; that they were ghosts on a ghost ship.

“Personnel will now move to deck two,” the captain declared. Or that’s what Claudia thought he had said. “Deck two, Juan? That’s us, right?”

Soon, a powerful chemical smell wafted into their cabin. A pungent disinfectant stench burned the back of her throat, making her wince. Claudia grabbed a face mask and burst out of the cabin, desperate to breathe fresh air. With Juan, she ran to an exit. Outside, the sun blinded them momentarily. Claudia fell to the deck, gasping for air.

Claudia spotted a surveillance camera and ran toward the tiny lens, screaming in Spanish for help. Soon, one of the ship’s officers arrived. Claudia scolded him for accidentally trying to poison them as they disinfected the ship. At first the officer didn’t understand her machine-gun Spanish, but eventually they were transferred to a new room with a private balcony. Despite the upgrade, they felt like orphans, forgotten on an empty cruise ship, with no sign of liberation.

As she entered her second month at sea, Claudia was still in lockdown, and as furious as ever. For another three weeks, they circled the Caribbean waiting for the plane to fly them home. Claudia knew that her years as a psychologist provided exactly the emotional toolkit she would need to endure this confinement. I can’t cry and throw a tantrum like a child, she thought. What surprised her, however, was how hard it was to apply her skills to a new patient: herself.

Help came in the form of her 80-year-old neighbour, a man named Tito from Uruguay, who, like clockwork every morning, strode out to his balcony, adjacent to Claudia and Juan’s room, and bellowed to the ocean: “Toooooooday ... can be a goooooooood daaaaaaay! Let’s nail it!” Sometimes Claudia joined in the screaming.

Finally, the Argentinian government resolved the logistics, and arranged for charters and sanitation “bubbles” that could safely bring Claudia and Juan, and the other citizens, back to Uruguay and Argentina. It was now late April 2020, seven weeks after Claudia and Juan boarded what was supposed to be a two-week celebratory cruise.

In a statement, a representative of Holland America Line said: “As the world’s knowledge of Covid-19 evolved over time, Holland America Line aligned with guidelines from the CDC, the World Health Organization and other local health authorities.” They said of the stories in this article: “While some claims do not match the recollection of our team members who were there, that should not diminish the importance of the story of Zaandam, its guests and crew, and people in all walks of life who dealt with the devastating first weeks of a mysterious virus. We mourn all who were lost to Covid-19, and we are thankful for those who helped bring our full fleet back to sailing today with a continued strong commitment to health and safety.”

When Claudia arrived at the door to her seaside apartment in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the country was enduring the full brunt of the viral onslaught. Thousands were sick, a rigid lockdown in place. The official death toll stood at roughly 200.

Inside her home, instead of relief, Claudia felt vulnerable. Nothing was normal. Her favourite routines were prohibited under lockdown. No more swimming with her girlfriends. No more rehearsals with the theatre group. Even the smell of her house had changed. Or had she?

Before the Zaandam odyssey, before Covid, Claudia and Juan had carefully selected an apartment with an ocean view. Their living-room windows framed a wide slice of the Atlantic. Her panorama now felt like a mocking reminder, as if she was still trapped at sea. When Claudia looked out her window, she couldn’t escape the sensation that she was on the balcony of a cruise ship. After one brief glance into the expanse of the waves, Claudia drew the curtain and told herself: “That’s enough ocean view for the moment.”

• Coronavirus
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There's COVID-19 on nearly every cruise ship right now: Here's what cruisers need to know

Things are getting iffy again for cruisers -- at least for those with near-term bookings.

The ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases around the world is causing a growing number of disruptions to itineraries and even some last-minute cancellations of entire voyages.

The number of passengers being quarantined on ships (after testing positive for COVID-19) also is on the rise. And passengers who aren't COVID-19 positive are getting caught up in short-term quarantines for being "close contacts" of shipmates who are.

For more cruise guides, tips and news, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Meanwhile, just getting to ships is becoming increasingly stressful, as getting the pre-cruise COVID-19 test that's often required before cruising is getting more difficult . Plus, a "perfect storm" of soaring COVID-19 cases and rough winter weather has wreaked havoc with airline operations for weeks.

Still, the situation isn't anywhere near as dramatic or disruptive as what we saw at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, when whole ships were being quarantined due to outbreaks of the illness and, eventually, the entire industry shut down.

As I saw myself during a cruise to Antarctica in recent weeks, many sailings are operating relatively normally, even when there are COVID-19 cases on board.

Here's a look at everything you need to know if you've got a cruise booked in the coming weeks -- or further out.

COVID-19 cases on ships are up a lot

While cruise ships have recorded relatively few cases of COVID-19 over the past year, in part due to unusually strict health protocols , the number of passengers and crew testing positive on ships has been rising sharply in recent weeks along with the greater surge on land.

At the end of December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 5,013 COVID-19 cases had been reported on cruise vessels operating in U.S. waters during the last two weeks of the month, up from just 162 cases during the first two weeks of the month.

That's a 3,094% increase.

Anecdotal reports are that the number of cases on ships is up even more in the first 10 days of the new year.

Notably, all 92 cruise vessels currently operating in U.S. waters have recorded at least a handful of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, according to CDC data.

Still, it's important to note that most of these "cases" of COVID-19 are asymptomatic or mild, only discovered during routine testing. While some ships only are testing passengers who report feeling ill for COVID-19 (and close contacts of those who subsequently test positive), other ships are testing every single passenger at least once per voyage, sometimes more. One line, Viking , is testing every single passenger for COVID-19 every day.

Cruise lines also are testing all crew members regularly.

The result is the detection of many asymptomatic cases that otherwise would have gone undetected. This is a level of surveillance that is much greater than what is the norm for other travel venues such as land-based resorts or theme parks, and it can give the false impression that the positivity rate for COVID-19 on ships is unusually high as compared to other places.

If anything, the positivity rate is far lower on ships than on land, thanks to much stricter health protocols (more on that in a moment).

It's also important to note that the detection of COVID-19-positive passengers or crew on board your ship won't necessarily impact your sailing (unless you are among those testing positive).

Health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19. The current protocol on most ships is to isolate COVID-19-positive passengers and crew but otherwise continue on with voyages as planned.

Your itinerary could change

While health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few passengers or crew test positive for COVID-19, the presence of the illness on board a vessel still could result in notable disruptions to your itinerary.

Cruise lines in recent weeks have faced a growing number of ports that are balking at allowing ships with COVID-19-positive passengers or crew to dock.

Several ships recently had to skip port calls in Mexico , for instance, after passengers and crew on board the vessels tested positive for COVID-19. The ports have since reopened after Mexico's Health Department overruled the decisions of local port officials.

Cruise ships also have had to cancel stops recently at the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, and at San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to local worries about COVID-19-positive passengers and crew on board and/or tighter COVID-19-related entry requirements.

Lines also are dealing with a small but growing number of destinations -- India and Hong Kong, for example -- that are at least temporarily closing to cruising completely, even for ships where no one has tested positive for COVID-19.

Viking on Sunday was forced to announce a major revision of its soon-to-begin, 120-day world cruise after India notified the line it was closing to cruise ships. Viking's 930-passenger Viking Star will begin its world cruise this week by heading south from Los Angeles to Central America and South America instead of sailing westward toward Asia, where it was scheduled to spend a significant amount of time in India.

Your cruise could be canceled on short notice

A growing number of cruise lines are canceling sailings on short notice, citing the disruptions caused by COVID-19. The world's largest cruise operator Royal Caribbean on Friday canceled soon-to-depart sailings on four of its 25 ships, including the next three departures of the world's largest ship, Symphony of the Seas .

Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday canceled soon-to-depart voyages on eight of its 17 ships.

Other lines canceling one or more sailings in recent days include Holland America , Silversea , Atlas Ocean Voyages, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, MSC Cruises , Costa Cruises and Oceania Cruises .

The cancellations come as lines struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels on some ships due to crew members testing positive. When crew test positive, they and their close contacts must stop working and isolate, even if asymptomatic, leaving shipboard venues short-staffed.

You probably won't be quarantined, stranded or stuck

As noted above, health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19.

The current protocol on most ships is to quickly isolate COVID-19-positive passengers and their close contacts. But only the COVID-19-positive passengers are being isolated long term.

As my colleague Ashley Kosciolek experienced first-hand on a cruise in 2021, close contacts only are being isolated for a short period while they are tested for COVID-19. If they test negative, they typically are allowed out of their rooms to rejoin the rest of their fellow cruisers on board.

This means that many sailings are going ahead as planned, with little disruption, even when some passengers and crew on the trips test positive for COVID-19. I experienced this myself in late December when on a Silversea vessel where four passengers tested positive for COVID-19. Some passengers who were deemed close contacts of the passengers who tested positive were isolated for a short period while being tested for COVID-19. But the positive cases had little impact on most of the passengers on board the vessel, and the voyage went ahead as planned.

Such a protocol comes at the recommendation of the CDC, which has set guidelines for how cruise lines should respond to COVID-19-positive cases on board ships, and it has worked well for the past year .

Of course, if you do test positive for COVID-19 on a ship, you will, unfortunately, face what could be several days of isolation in a cabin on a ship or on land. If you are an American cruising overseas, you also won't be able to return to the U.S. until you have tested negative for COVID-19 (or until you recover from the illness and are cleared in writing to travel by a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official).

This is one of the biggest risks of taking a cruise right now, and one reason you may consider canceling a sailing scheduled in the short term (see the section on more-flexible cancellation policies below).

Most COVID-19 cases on ships aren't serious

Cruise lines are reporting that the vast majority of passengers testing positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.

All major cruise lines currently are requiring all or nearly all passengers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with some also starting to require booster shots , to boot. This creates an onboard population that is far less likely to experience serious symptoms of COVID-19 than a cross-section of people on land, according to CDC data.

For all adults ages 18 years and older, the cumulative COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate is about eight times higher in unvaccinated persons than in vaccinated persons, according to the latest CDC data.

You'll face lots of new health protocols

If you haven't cruised since before the pandemic, you might be surprised by how many new health- and safety-related policies cruise lines have implemented to keep COVID-19 off ships.

For starters, there are the vaccine mandates noted above. No other segment of the travel industry has been as uniform in requiring almost every customer to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Related: Will I need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise? A line-by-line guide

As noted above, cruise lines also are requiring passengers to undergo COVID-19 tests before boarding ships -- a screening process that is keeping many COVID-19 positive people from ever stepping on board a vessel.

When COVID-19 is detected on a ship, cruise lines sometimes then test passengers multiple times to ensure it isn't spreading. On my recent trip to Antarctica, I underwent six COVID-19 tests in just eight days -- three in advance of stepping on board the vessel (including a PCR test required by Chile, where my trip began) and three while on board.

In addition, most cruise lines now are requiring passengers to wear masks at all times while in interior spaces of vessels, and they have stepped up cleaning regimens, improved air filtration systems on ships and made other onboard changes.

The CDC says to avoid cruising for now

On Dec. 30, the CDC added cruise ships to its list of "Level 4" destinations you should avoid visiting for now due to high levels of COVID-19.

For what it's worth, more than 80 countries around the world -- including a good chunk of all the places you might want to travel -- are on this list. So, the CDC is basically telling you that now isn't a good time to travel. Fair enough. But the warning shouldn't be seen as a call-out on any elevated risk to cruising as opposed to visiting other places, per se.

Places on the Level 4 list currently include Canada, much of Europe and nearly every country in the Caribbean.

The cruise industry has been highly critical of the designation, arguing that cruise ships are far safer places to be right now than almost anywhere else, given their strict health protocols.

"The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard — far fewer than on land — and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore," the main trade group for the industry, the Cruise Lines International Association, said in a statement to TPG.

You can cancel if you're worried (in many cases)

If you're booked on a cruise in the coming weeks, and you're having second thoughts, there's a good chance you can get out of your trip. Many lines continue to be far more flexible than normal about cancellations.

Take cruise giant Carnival Cruise Line . Its current flexible cancellation policy allows passengers to cancel as long as a public health emergency remains in effect and receive 100% of the cruise fare paid in the form of a future cruise credit. Passengers are also able to cancel if they test positive for COVID-19. (Proof of a positive test result is required.)

Another large line, Norwegian, just last week extended its pandemic-era Peace of Mind policy to allow passengers to cancel any sailing taking place between now and May 31. For now, the cancellation needs to be done by Jan. 31, and the refund would come in the form of a future cruise credit to be used on any sailing that embarks through Dec. 31.

That means you could call the line right now to back out of a cruise that is just days away. In normal times, you'd lose all your money if you backed out of a seven-night Norwegian cruise with fewer than 31 days' notice.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• What to pack for your first cruise

'This has been a nightmare': Canadian passengers on virus-stricken cruise finally headed for home

The zaandam and the rotterdam, carrying 247 canadians, have docked in ft. lauderdale.

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An ill-fated cruise that has had a COVID-19 outbreak and four deaths has finally come to an end after politicians in Florida agreed to allow its passengers — including 247 Canadians — to disembark in Ft. Lauderdale.

"I couldn't begin to tell you how happy we are," said passenger Chris Joiner, 59, of Orleans, Ont.

He and his wife, Anna are on board the MS Zaandam, a Holland America Line cruise ship that had been sailing off the coast of South America and in the Caribbean for more than two weeks, looking for a place to dock.

"It's been a long, long journey — the worst experience of our lives," said Joiner. "Thank God, it's finally over."

The Zaandam and its sister ship, the Rotterdam, are carrying 1,243 passengers, including the 247 Canadian passengers and one Canadian crew member. They docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday afternoon.  

Local officials previously resisted allowing the two ships to dock as the Zaandam has confirmed COVID-19 cases on board and several passengers in need of hospital care. 

Four passengers on the Zaandam have died after the ship was hit with a flu-like illness in mid-March. Two of the deceased later tested positive for COVID-19, and Holland America has not yet said how the other two died. Several others on board have tested positive for the disease that is caused by the coronavirus.

The Rotterdam and its crew joined the Zaandam last week, taking on more than half of its passengers to provide some relief. 

"Local Americans lined the canal waving and cheering us as we entered — an emotional moment to be sure," said passenger Catherine McLeod, 69, from Nepean, Ont., who is on the Rotterdam. "I'm relieved. I can't wait to get back to my own bed."

Holland America said in a statement that passengers will undergo health screenings and clear customs and immigration in Port Everglades, then will disembark on Friday.

Ten passengers will be taken to a local hospital for immediate care, while those deemed healthy will be bused directly to the airport for mainly charter flights home, said Holland America. The company said 45 passengers who are still showing symptoms will remain on board until they are cleared for travel. 

 'This has been a nightmare'

The Zaandam began its South American cruise on March 7, but the trip was cut short a week later, on March 14, amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was to allow passengers to quickly disembark and fly home. 

But Holland America struggled to secure a place to dock as nearby countries, such as Chile and Peru, closed their borders to foreigners in response to the pandemic.

Following the illness outbreak, the ship's passengers were forced to spend the past 12 days confined to their cabins as a safety precaution. They've spent more than two weeks not knowing if and when they were going to get off the ship and be permitted to return home.

"This has been a nightmare from March 14, when the first port in Chile closed. [Then] all the ports in Chile closed and all of South America closed," said Joiner. 

After a series of rejections, the Zaandam and Rotterdam planned to dock in Fort Lauderdale. But as the COVID-19 outbreak in Florida worsened, concerns grew that the sick passengers would drain resources needed for local citizens.

"We have enough to deal with, with our folks in Florida," Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference on Monday. "We don't want [the ships] to come in."

U.S. President Donald Trump, however, advocated for the passengers and their swift return home.

"We have to help the people — they're in big trouble no matter where they're from," he said during a news conference on Wednesday. "We have to do something; they're dying and the governor knows that, too."

Joiner said he was surprised but pleased when Trump weighed in on the matter.

"We never thought Mr. Trump would come to our rescue," he said. "But, you know, you start to think, this is a humanitarian mission. Now, we have people that are sick, including Americans."

Joiner and his wife, Anna, both passed their health screening after their shipped had docked.

But he said he won't feel full relief until they're buckled in their seats on that flight home.

"Until we're on that plane … that's when we can relax." 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Business reporter

Based in Toronto, Sophia Harris covers consumer and business for CBC News web, radio and TV. She previously worked as a CBC videojournalist in the Maritimes where she won an Atlantic Journalism Award for her work. Contact: [email protected]

• @sophiaharrisCBC

With files from The Associated Press

Related Stories

• 'Have a little compassion': Canadians on cruise ship with 4 dead still unsure how they'll get home
• 4 passengers die on stranded cruise ship carrying 247 Canadians
• 'Get us the hell off': Nearly 250 Canadians aboard ship with passengers, crew exhibiting flu-like symptoms

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These are the cruise ships with the best — and worst — sanitation scores so far this year

• The CDC randomly inspects cruise ships to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses. 
• The agency has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships this year.
• These are the cruise ships with the best and worst sanitation report cards in 2023 so far.

There's nothing like a stomach virus to ruin your vacation, as hundreds of cruise ship passengers have unfortunately learned this year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 13 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far in 2023. The last time the industry's yearly gastrointestinal illness outbreak total was that high was back in 2016 — and it's only July.

For the agency to report a cruise-ship outbreak, 3% or more of passengers or crew members must report symptoms of gastrointestinal illness, such as vomiting and diarrhea, to the ship's medical staff. During the most recent outbreak, a 14-day cruise aboard the Viking Neptune in June, slightly over 13% of passengers (110 of 838) reported being ill with predominant symptoms of abdominal cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

The nasty stomach bug isn't just a cruise-ship problem, though. Norovirus cases have spiked across the United States this year, which some experts say is the result of ending COVID-19 restrictions .

"People often associate cruise ships with acute gastrointestinal illnesses such as norovirus, but acute gastrointestinal illness is relatively infrequent on cruise ships," the CDC says on its website. "Health officials track illness on cruise ships. So outbreaks are found and reported more quickly on a cruise ship than on land."

To try to help prevent the spread of stomach viruses at sea, the CDC randomly inspects cruise ships and scores them on a scale of 0 to 100 through the Vessel Sanitation Program . Inspection scores of 85 and lower are considered "not satisfactory" by the agency.

Related stories

Most vessels have received scores in the high 90s — only one cruise ship, the MSC Seaside, has failed the CDC's sanitation inspection so far this year. The vessel received an unusually low score of 67 , nearly 20 points below the agency's passing grade.

An MSC Cruises representative told Insider at the time that the cruise line had launched an internal investigation based on the inspector's concerns and taken immediate corrective actions.

"MSC Cruises rigorously adheres to health protocols, and the results of this inspection do not reflect the brand's high standards," the person added.

In the past 10 years, only three other cruise ships have received sanitation scores below 70, CDC records show. Violations can include something as small as not posting a raw-eggs advisory on the omelet station or a single fly hovering in a food area. But before going on your next cruise adventure, it doesn't hurt to check out the ship's most recent sanitation rating.

These are the cruise ships with the highest and lowest sanitation scores so far this year:

The 15 cruise ships with perfect scores of 100

The 15 cruise ships with scores below a 95.

Correction: July 17, 2023 — An earlier version of this story included a photo caption that misstated how many passengers and crew members aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam reported being ill during a May voyage. It was 284 people, not 539.

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February 16 coronavirus news

By James Griffiths , Jenni Marsh and Amy Woodyatt, CNN

Holland America confirms virus case in former Westerdam passenger

From CNN’s Mick Krever in Tokyo

The company that owns the Westerdam cruise ship, which docked in Cambodia, has acknowledged that one of its disembarked passengers has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

“The guest departed Westerdam February 14 and later reported feeling ill at the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, airport,” the statement from Holland America read. “The guest was taken to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. The guest’s traveling companion tested negative for COVID-19.”

The company says that no other guests or crew, “on board or on their way home,” have reported being ill.

 “On Feb. 10, 2020, all 2,257 passengers and crew on board  Westerdam  were screened for illness including the taking of individual temperatures. No individual was identified with an elevated temperature. Also during disembarkation in Cambodia guests underwent an additional health screening including the completion of a written health questionnaire," the company said.

Holland America added: “Furthermore, the passports of everyone on board were reviewed to ensure no one had traveled through mainland China in the 14 days prior to the cruise. During the voyage there was no indication of COVID-19 on the ship. The guest who tested positive did not visit the ship’s medical center to report any symptoms of illness.”

The US is set to evacuate Americans from the Diamond Princess. Was it a failed quarantine? 

From CNN's Mick Krever, Matt Rivers, Sandi Sidhu and Will Ripley

The US plan to evacuate Americans and their families from the Diamond Princess cruise ship appears, on its face, to be the case of a powerful government coming to the aide of its most vulnerable citizens.

Thousands of people have been stuck in their cabins under mandatory quarantine aboard the Diamond Princess, which is docked off the Japanese port city of Yokohama, since Feb. 3.

With 356 confirmed cases of coronavirus on board, 70 of which were announced Sunday, the ship has the largest concentration of novel coronavirus cases outside mainland China. On Feb. 19, the controversial quarantine period was set to finally end.

But on Saturday afternoon, the US embassy in Tokyo sent a notice to Americans on board the Diamond Princess laying out plans to evacuate nearly 400 Americans back home. 

Once there, another 14 days of mandatory quarantine would begin, and anyone who chose not to get on the flight would have to wait another 14 days in Japan to ensure they were symptom-free before returning to the US.

Some exhausted passengers aboard the ship are angry. 

One reason the passengers are so upset is because, as early as last week, experts had been questioning the Japanese government's decision to quarantine people on the ship.

"I don't understand why they have to be kept on a ship," said Peter Hotez, of the Baylor College of Medicine. "We're employing what I call 14th-century approaches and ethics to individuals with transmissible disease."

What all of this may mean: The abrupt change in US policy led some to believe that Washington lost faith in the effectiveness of the Japanese response.

Earlier this week, it emerged that some 1,000 crew on board the ship had not been kept in quarantine, eating meals together with masks off and working side by side.

Read the full story here.

Italy to evacuate 35 nationals from Diamond Princess cruise in Japan

From Valentina Di Donato in Rome

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has announced his government is planning to bring back 35 Italians currently on Diamond Princess cruise in Japan.

In a statement released on Sunday, Di Maio said a flight is expected to depart to bring the Italian citizens back, without giving more specific details of the flight.

“Italy never leaves its citizens alone. We are Italians, no one should be left behind,” the statement added without giving specific details about the flight.

Di Maio thanked all of those in his country and abroad providing support to his citizens.

British passengers on Diamond Princess feel "forgotten" as US plans evacuations

From CNN's Amy Woodyatt

A British man quarantined on board the Diamond Princess has said British nationals on board the cruise liner feel “forgotten,” as other countries start to evacuate their citizens from the ship. 

Outside China, the largest outbreak of novel coronavirus is on board the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship quarantined at Yokohama, a port south of Tokyo. Thousands of passengers have been under strict controls on board for almost two weeks now, and on Sunday, a US government chartered flight is expected to evacuate nearly 400 Americans from the ship back to the United States where they will be placed in another 14-day quarantine.

On Saturday, Canada also announced plans to charter a plane to evacuate its citizens from the Diamond Princess. 

A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement:

Hong Kong confirms one new coronavirus case, bringing total to 57

From journalist Anna Kam in Hong Kong

Hong Kong authorities says one more coronavirus case has been confirmed, after a 54-year-old man tested positive.

The man initially did not show symptoms but was later confirmed to have the virus after a second test Saturday evening. He had not been in contact with high-risk patients, authorities said on Sunday.

Hong Kong cases: This new case brings the total confirmed coronavirus cases in Hong Kong to 57, including one fatality.

Princess Cruises cancels Diamond Princess voyages through April due to prolonged quarantine

From CNN's Alta Spells

Princess Cruises has cancelled voyages aboard the Diamond Princess through April 20 because of the prolonged quarantine period, the company announced in a tweet. 

Customers with questions about their itineraries are being asked to consult the Itinerary Modifications and Cancellations page on the company's website. 

Whats happening on the ship? The Diamond Princess cruise ship is currently quarantined at Yokohama, a port south of Tokyo with thousands of passengers who have been under strict controls on board since February 5.

US evacuations: On Sunday, a US government chartered flight is expected to evacuate nearly 400 Americans from the ship back to the United States where they will be placed in another 14-day quarantine. 

Americans who have already tested positive for coronavirus, as well as those showing symptoms of the virus, will not be allowed to board the evacuation charters, and will remain in Japan for treatment. 

Three Israelis on Diamond Princess test positive for coronavirus

From CNN’s Oren Liebermann and Michael Schwartz

Three Israelis have tested positive for coronavirus on board the Diamond Princess, Israel’s Ministry of Health said Sunday morning. The three are not in serious condition, officials said in a statement.

The Israelis who have tested positive are being moved to a hospital in Japan, the Ministry said. Israel will send a specialist doctor to Japan as part of their treatment. The Ministry of Health is also working with other Israeli citizens on board the Diamond Princess to bring them home on a direct flight if they do not test positive for coronavirus. 

In Jerusalem, a mass prayer will be held at the Western Wall in the Old City on Sunday afternoon “in hope to stop the coronavirus epidemic,” the Community Rabbinical Association announced over the weekend.

Coronavirus cases by the numbers outside mainland China 

There are now at least 69,260 global confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, and 1,666 deaths. Here's where:         

1. Australia (15 cases)         

2. Belgium (1 case)         

3. Cambodia (1 case)        

4. Canada (7 cases)         

5. Finland (1 case)         

6. France (11 cases, 1 death)         

7. Germany (16 cases)         

8. Hong Kong (56 cases, 1 death)           

9. India (3 cases)         

10. Italy (3 cases)         

11. Japan (407 total: 51 cases on land including 1 death + 356 from cruise ship)  

12. Macao (10 cases)         

13. Malaysia (19 cases)        

14. Nepal (1 case)         

15. Philippines (3 cases, 1 death)         

16. Russia (2 cases)         

17. Singapore (72 cases)                 

18. South Korea (29 cases)  

19. Spain (2 cases)         

20. Sri Lanka (1 case)         

21. Sweden (1 case)         

22. Taiwan (18 cases)         

23. Thailand (33 cases)        

24. United Arab Emirates (8 cases)        

25. United Kingdom (8 cases)         

26. United States (15 cases)        

27. Vietnam (16 cases)

28:  Egypt (1 case) 

46 Americans among those who have tested positive for coronavirus on Diamond Princess

There are 46 Americans among those from the Diamond Princess Cruise ship, now in Yokohama, Japan, who have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia, Princess Cruises told CNN on Sunday.

These are not new cases, but rather a clarification on the nationalities of the 286 that have already been announced.

Any Americans who have the coronavirus, or anyone who shows symptoms, will not be able to take the US government charter planes on Sunday. Those people will have to remain in Japanese hospitals.

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Nearly 30 Silversea Cruise passengers sickened by outbreak on board

Passengers expecting outstanding cuisine aboard a luxury Silversea cruise liner spent much of their vacation in the ship's bathrooms with a gastrointestinal virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Monday.

At least 28 passengers and one crew member among the Silver Nova's 633 passengers fell ill during their 16-day Easter-themed cruise that set sail in Callao, Peru, the agency said.

They all reported the same primary symptom: diarrhea.

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The cause of the outbreak is still unknown, but the agency noted that noroviruses are typically caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water.

The Silver Nova, the cruise company's newest liner introduced in 2023, boasts butler service for each suite and a ratio of one crew member for every 1.3 guests.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Workers aboard the ship aim to show guests "outstanding gastronomy," according to the Silversea website. At the end of last year, "Top Chef's" Nina Compton joined its staff, and offered personal cooking lessons to passengers.

Sick passengers were quarantined in their rooms, the CDC said. Other passengers were notified, and crew members "increased cleaning and disinfection procedures."  

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"The health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit are our top priority," a spokesperson for Silversea Cruises told Fox News Digital. "To maintain an environment that supports the highest levels of health and safety onboard our ships, we implement rigorous cleaning procedures, many of which far exceed public health guidelines."

Prices for the voyage, which began on March 31 and ended on April 16, started at $11,700 for a double-occupancy room, according to CruiseMapper.

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The New York Post reported that the Silversea outbreak was the fourth this year, including one that saw 130 people struck with diarrhea and vomiting and another that saw 104 passengers fall ill on a Holland America liner.

The CDC reported 14 cruise ship outbreaks in 2023.

Original article source: Nearly 30 Silversea Cruise passengers sickened by outbreak on board

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Port to plate in 48 hours? How Holland America Line brings fresh fish to guests

The semitruck carrying my dinner backed into its parking spot at the Port of San Diego on a late morning in early April.

Shortly before noon, the vehicle opened to reveal roughly 2,800 pounds of fish that had been caught just days earlier. Workers transferred boxes of mahi-mahi and other seafood from the chilly trailer to a warehouse-like space. The fish was inspected and moved onto an extension lift – think a utility vehicle modeled on Mr. Fantastic – parked near Holland America Line’s Koningsdam ship.

Its mechanical arm reached across the edge of the pier into a square opening toward the vessel’s aft, where it disappeared from view. But by about 7 p.m., a piece of that mahi-mahi was on my plate in the ship’s main dining room.

Prepared with cilantro rice, guajillo chiles, chipotle and tomato, the fish was mild and sweet with a kick from the spicy sauce.

As part of its Global Fresh Fish Program, Holland America brings a wide range of seafood from port to plate within 48 hours across its fleet. Last week, the brand took that a step further, revealing it is the first global cruise line to receive Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certifications for more sustainable and responsible seafood sourcing.

USA TODAY got a behind-the-scenes look at how the program works during a recent cruise.

What is Holland America’s fresh fish program?

The cruise line sources fish locally from more than 60 ports around the world. During Koningsdam’s April 5 voyage, the crew picked up the mahi-mahi along with rockfish, swordfish, rainbow trout and sea bass in San Diego.

The 48-hour window applies on most voyages, but on repositioning sailings or crossings, fresh fish may be served over a longer window. In those circumstances, however, the fish is not served under the “port to plate” banner.

On our sailing, they initially loaded enough for five or six days and would later restock. “So out of the 22-day voyage, hopefully, we can do maybe 12 or 13 times fresh fish upstairs and in the dining room,” said executive chef Darran Yardley-Salisbury in a storeroom lined with metallic shelves on one of the vessel’s lower decks.

Michael Stendebach, the line’s vice president of Food & Beverage and Guest Services, told USA TODAY the program was born in response to increasing guest demand for seafood and a desire to make the procurement process more sustainable. He said at least 75% of Holland America passengers order fresh fish once – if not twice – per cruise.

“We were looking into the destinations where we are cruising, like Alaska or the Caribbean, and we wanted to get away from the delivery of (shipping) containers into ports,” Stendebach said. “We wanted to build relationships in the single destinations we are in with suppliers.”

The cruise line previously announced in 2022 that it was certified by Responsible Fisheries Management by serving only fresh, sustainable Alaska seafood on its ships sailing there before scaling up its efforts.

Unlike frozen fish, which is prepared in larger portions – though they vary based on the ship’s size – Stendebach said the fresh fish is cooked “á la minute.”

“The fresh fish is kept cold until the order is coming in and then they start to produce it, so there's no overproduction,” he said. “It's really on the spot, and I think that is the freshest way you can experience the fish.”

During the first few days of the April cruise, other fresh fish dishes included sea bass with lemon butter sauce and tapenade at brasserie Rudi’s Sel de Mer and trout with a bread crumb and cashew crust served in a curry sauce at Asian restaurant Tamarind.

Fresh fish is not available in all ports, though, Yardley-Salisbury said, and the line also still serves seafood that has been frozen (outside of Alaska). The percentage of fresh versus frozen fish varies by sailing.

What kinds of fish are part of the program?

The program features more than 80 kinds of fish, with different selections depending on where the ship is sailing. The Caribbean has options like summer flounder and yellowfin tuna, while Hawaii offers striped marlin and Hawaiian pink snapper, among others (a full list can be found on Holland America’s website ).

Getting fresh supplies is easier on some cruises than others. On sailings like ours with many sea days, the kitchen staff has fewer options than in Europe for instance, where vendors are plentiful. "In Europe, it's a little bit like heaven for a chef," said Yardley-Salisbury. "We can go from port to port and we can get the most amazing stuff."

The cruise line denotes which options are fresh on the menus, and will label items that are MSC and ASC certified as well. MSC certifications apply to wild-caught seafood, while ASC certifications are for farmed seafood.

“Overfishing, unregulated fishing, excessive bycatch, these are all things that have a huge impact on the oceans,” said Erika Feller, regional director, Americas at the MSC.

MSC issues certifications to fisheries that meet its sustainability requirements, as well as Chain of Custody certifications that affirm the fish customers are buying comes from a certified fishery. The process is voluntary and the certifications are based on third-party audits.

The fishery certification lasts five years, while the Chain of Custody certification is good for three. Both undergo annual audits to ensure they are maintaining those conditions.

The crew on Koningsdam did a quality check of its own kind.

Yardley-Salisbury and members of the kitchen staff tasted dishes, including fish, before service to make sure the dishes are prepared according to the recipe and the flavor profile is "as it should be." Gathered around a table in a galley, they each grabbed spoon or forkfuls of every dish.

They repeat that process every day before service. "Any alterations that we need to make should only be seasoning issues, temperature issues, volume issues, maybe a little bit of sauce," he said.

What happens to uneaten cruise food?: These lines are working to reduce waste

Does fresh fish cost more?

Fresh fish may be more expensive, but passengers shouldn’t worry about seeing higher fares or food costs as a result. Stendebach said the line is saving money on logistics costs by cutting back on containers “being shipped from A to B.”

“So for that reason, you can spend more money on the product,” he said.

The program and the new certifications help offer guests a user-friendly way to eat more sustainably . Feller said, “the whole idea here is to make it easy for people to find that good choice.”

The reporter on this story received access to this sailing from Holland America Line. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.  

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

The news comes after about 100 Holland America Line passengers got sick in a norovirus outbreak earlier this year.

Cruise ship medical facilities: What happens if you get sick or injured (or bitten by a monkey)

The CDC logged 14 cruise ship outbreaks that met its threshold for public notification in 2023, more than any year between 2017 and 2019. Norovirus was listed as the causative agent in all but one.

The virus is often associated with cruises, but Ben Lopman, a professor of epidemiology at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, told USA TODAY last year that cruises constitute a "tiny minority of norovirus outbreaks.” Most happen in health care settings like nursing homes.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nearly 30 Silversea cruise guests sick in gastrointestinal outbreak

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