News on the Westerdam

[dillpickle48]

I thought people might be interested in this Australian news article.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-03/adelaide-couple-stuck-on-cruise-ship-refused-entry-to-manila/11923620

 

[AncientWanderer]

Thanks for sharing the link.

This sure hasn't been HAL's finest hour.

[Viv0828]

OMG. i would not be a happy cruiser.

[dillpickle48]

The way things are at the moment, other countries refuse them entry as well.

[Mandalay1903]

28 minutes ago, dillpickle48 said:

The way things are at the moment, other countries refuse them entry as well.

 

I agree. A look at Westerdam's current position and heading on Vesselfinder.com shows them heading 31 degrees NNE, which is not directly toward their next port Kaosiung. It's as if they're heading toward Ishigaki Island.

[mcrcruiser]

This is a terrible  situation  for those  on board  Westerdam  & yet still no comments of what will happen ,coming from holland or Carnival corporation 

[Mandalay1903]

17 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

This is a terrible  situation  for those  on board  Westerdam  & yet still no comments of what will happen ,coming from holland or Carnival corporation 

 

I agree. I'll bet they're skipping Taiwan...

 

We're booked on the Westerdam for 28 days beginning 2/29/2020. We have been given new tentative itineraries (which look pretty good), but haven't received our new flight information yet. Maybe some information will break tomorrow, being a weekday.

[ski ww]

Really makes you wonder what head office was thinking, with everything that was going on. Be interesting to see what happens now.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for sharing the link.

I wonder what happens now.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for the link.

 

Feel so sorry for the Westerdam with so many changes.

[pictonite]

Just now, puppycanducruise said:

Thanks for sharing the link.

I wonder what happens now.

Actually what happens now is that we are sailing to our next port of call, which has been changed.  We now will dock in Kaosiung tomorrow, and stay overnight before continuing on to our other port of call in Taiwan.  The,- as far as we know now, on to Japan.

 

We have been on the ship since Singapore, like the Australian couple in the ABC news article.  A few comments:

No-one on the ship is wearing a mask. 

The staff at the front desk have been very polite and understanding.  We have not seen any rudeness on their part.

The Exc staff have worked tirelessly to give information on new ports, change excursions. etc. - all with a cheerful outlook. 

 

This is not the vacation we have planned, but we are looking forward to new challenges as we see new places.

 

The article , and the travellers' views are not as we see it.

 

Cheers!

 

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the update pictonite.  Glad you are making the best of it.

Hope you can enjoy whatever comes your way.

[richwmn]

1 hour ago, pictonite said:

Actually what happens now is that we are sailing to our next port of call, which has been changed.  We now will dock in Kaosiung tomorrow, and stay overnight before continuing on to our other port of call in Taiwan.  The,- as far as we know now, on to Japan.

 

We have been on the ship since Singapore, like the Australian couple in the ABC news article.  A few comments:

No-one on the ship is wearing a mask. 

The staff at the front desk have been very polite and understanding.  We have not seen any rudeness on their part.

The Exc staff have worked tirelessly to give information on new ports, change excursions. etc. - all with a cheerful outlook. 

 

This is not the vacation we have planned, but we are looking forward to new challenges as we see new places.

 

The article , and the travellers' views are not as we see it.

 

Cheers!

 

Could you post the new itinerary so I can update the Fleet Report. Thanks!

 

[richwmn]

5 hours ago, Mandalay1903 said:

 

I agree. I'll bet they're skipping Taiwan...

 

We're booked on the Westerdam for 28 days beginning 2/29/2020. We have been given new tentative itineraries (which look pretty good), but haven't received our new flight information yet. Maybe some information will break tomorrow, being a weekday.

Could you post the revised itinerary so I can update the Fleet Report? Thanks

[comcox]

We are currently on the Oosterdam heading for Half Moon Cay but all passengers have had to fill out a health form because Bahamas govt. is requesting it before granting us clearance.

[Level six]

 

7 hours ago, Viv0828 said:

OMG. i would not be a happy cruiser.

 

Viv0828, at least we did not board because we knew this would happen.  The ship would end up floating in the sea. 

 

With so many people leaving Wuhan to HK right before the ship docked there, it will be a miracle if no one on board is infected.  We we see in the next few days in the 2-14 incubation period.  

 

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by Level six

[pictonite]

Here's the updated itinerary for the remainder of our cruise - until Saturday, February 15:

Tuesday February 4   arrive Kaohsiung, Taiwan at 7:00 a.m.  Depart Kaohsiung Wednesday, February 5 at 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 6 arrive Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan at 7:00 a.m.  Depart Keelung Friday February 7 at 5:00 p.m.

Saturday February 8 - Ishigaki Island Japan.  Arrive 8:00 a.m.  Depart 5:00 p.m.

Sunday February 9 - Naha, Okinawa, Japan.  Arrive 8:00 a.m.  Depart 6:00 p.m.

Monday February 10 - At Sea (East China Sea)

Tuesday February 11 - Busan (Pusan), South Korea.  Arrive 7:00 a.m.  Depart 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 12 - Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan.  Arrive 7:00 a.m.   Depart 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 13 - At Sea

Friday, February 14 - Shimizu, Japan.  Arrive 11:00 a.m.  Depart 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 15 - Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan.  Arrive 7:00 a.m.

 

(Hopefully this is it!)

 

[richwmn]

52 minutes ago, pictonite said:

Here's the updated itinerary for the remainder of our cruise - until Saturday, February 15:

Tuesday February 4   arrive Kaohsiung, Taiwan at 7:00 a.m.  Depart Kaohsiung Wednesday, February 5 at 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 6 arrive Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan at 7:00 a.m.  Depart Keelung Friday February 7 at 5:00 p.m.

Saturday February 8 - Ishigaki Island Japan.  Arrive 8:00 a.m.  Depart 5:00 p.m.

Sunday February 9 - Naha, Okinawa, Japan.  Arrive 8:00 a.m.  Depart 6:00 p.m.

Monday February 10 - At Sea (East China Sea)

Tuesday February 11 - Busan (Pusan), South Korea.  Arrive 7:00 a.m.  Depart 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 12 - Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan.  Arrive 7:00 a.m.   Depart 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 13 - At Sea

Friday, February 14 - Shimizu, Japan.  Arrive 11:00 a.m.  Depart 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 15 - Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan.  Arrive 7:00 a.m.

 

(Hopefully this is it!)

 

thanks!

[Viv0828]

1 hour ago, Level six said:

at least we did not board because we knew this would happen.  The ship would end up floating in the sea. 

 

i really hope not. i feel for all those aboard, especially the crew. i hope things settle down and the ship is allowed to port.

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 hours ago, pictonite said:

Actually what happens now is that we are sailing to our next port of call, which has been changed.  We now will dock in Kaosiung tomorrow, and stay overnight before continuing on to our other port of call in Taiwan.  The,- as far as we know now, on to Japan.

 

We have been on the ship since Singapore, like the Australian couple in the ABC news article.  A few comments:

No-one on the ship is wearing a mask. 

The staff at the front desk have been very polite and understanding.  We have not seen any rudeness on their part.

The Exc staff have worked tirelessly to give information on new ports, change excursions. etc. - all with a cheerful outlook. 

 

This is not the vacation we have planned, but we are looking forward to new challenges as we see new places.

 

The article , and the travellers' views are not as we see it.

 

Cheers!

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to post. I hope your upbeat attitude is rewarded with not having any more changes. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, comcox said:

We are currently on the Oosterdam heading for Half Moon Cay but all passengers have had to fill out a health form because Bahamas govt. is requesting it before granting us clearance.

 

I can see more countries doing this as more cases are identified around the world. What's on the form? Did you have to do the form at the port or did this come up once you were on the ship?

[Vict0riann]

On our news yesterday, we were informed that about 350 people from the Wuhan area were going to be evacuated back to Canada, but then they would be held in a military establishment for two weeks of quarantine before they would be allowed to go back into their communities.  

 

I wonder if the passengers and crew who boarded in HK are being asked to self-quarantine on the ship.  Perhaps at least, they should be wearing masks.  Or maybe they don’t even have that many masks on board.  I do feel sorry for our friends on board, who had many interesting private tours organized.  What a mess!  

[Vict0riann]

I have been following the February 15th roll call.  A number of people seem to be cancelling the cruise.  But this was posted by ToBe:

 

  4 hours ago,  ToBe said: 

We have been on the Westerdam since  January 16. Yes we have many changes in itinerary like today at 6 pm a switch in port but every one is dealing with the port changes and one person’s disappointment seems to be another’s delight. There are extensive interviews and forms to fill out at every port but Hong Kong is the only place where we could have come in contact with the virus and the chance was so remote,  

the crew including the captain are on top of things and really doing exceptional work with all the port changes. The only tension on board comes from arranging the flights leaving Tokyo and the ship staff is really helping. I spent more than three hours changing my flight HAL covered the satellite phone cost. 

I think there was concern about the virus when the ports were changed and but it seems a nonissue now. We wash hands and use hand sanitizer. I don’t see any difference between avoiding the dreaded neuro virus and this one in ship behavior. There were persons denied boarding due to where they came from. We are all happily eating yummy meals and listening to wonderful music.

[comcox]

4 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I can see more countries doing this as more cases are identified around the world. What's on the form? Did you have to do the form at the port or did this come up once you were on the ship?

It was a HAL form asking if anyone in the cabin had been in China in the last 14 days (moot question as we've been on board for two weeks), if anyone had a fever or cough, etc.  Forms were reviewed and some to be referred to medical staff if questions.  No heard anything since we turned ours in yesterday.

[Viv0828]

Nothing to do with the Westerdam, but the AIDA PERLA was just prohibited from docking in St Lucia in the Caribbean. Apparently several people on board had repiratory problems. And the ship has not been anywhere near asia. 

I don't think this bodes well for the cruise industry in the near future.