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News on the Westerdam

dillpickle48

By dillpickle48,
in Holland America Line

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Bertie Doe

Bertie Doe

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Posted
3 hours ago, Qextor said:

Interesting... The HAL website doesn't show any cruises for the Westerdam until she begins the Alaska run in May.  Wonder what she'll do to fill in the time until then?

 

I guess ALL the crew will get leave and sent home. When empty, deep cleaning will take place. What happens to food and linen? Regards Paul

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Qextor

Qextor

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I doubt any crew still working their contract will be going home.  I just think HAL hasn't figured out how to replace the Asia cruises yet.  It takes time to figure out where to go, get permission from each port to be able to dock there, *and* find passengers ready to pay. It is very short notice to get people aboard.  I wouldn't be surprised if nothing happens until at least April.  Heck, it is possible the ship will arrive in Alaska without passengers. 

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sue1898

sue1898

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From HAL’s Facebook page. The last sentences address spring scheduling decisions for Westerdam:

We are happy to share that all of our Westerdam guests and our “go team” employees deployed to Cambodia are now home. Once again we want to extend our sincerest gratitude to our guests for their patience and understanding during this complex situation. A special thank you to our crew, who always strive to provide excellent service and care for all on board. We genuinely appreciate all our fans who sent messages of support during this extraordinary time.

Holland America Line sincerely thanks Cambodia’s Honorable Prime Minister Hun, the Cambodian Ministry of Health and all those in Cambodia who have worked so hard to get our guests home and provide clearance for our crew. Additionally, our sincere gratitude goes to the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia for all of its hard work and support. We also appreciate the embassies from several other nations that provided their vital assistance, along with our flag state of The Netherlands for its many efforts.

We would like to thank the regional authorities from the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their professional guidance. 

As Westerdam Asia cruises have now been cancelled through the April 25 departure, the ship will temporarily be out of service. Onward plans between now and the scheduled start of her Alaska season on May 10 from Vancouver, B.C., are still being finalized.

We are looking forward to getting back to sharing content from our ships and the beautiful destinations we visit.

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syesmar

syesmar

Posted
Posted (edited)

For those who were aboard the Westerdam, could you confirm the deails from this article?  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/health/coronavirus-westerdam-cdc.html

 

“...Tests of nearly 1,500 passengers, mostly conducted by Cambodian health officials, had turned up no other infections, the agency (CDC) said, and therefore the passengers are at little to no risk of carrying the virus.

 

The Westerdam carried about 2,000 passengers, however, and those who left Cambodia first were never tested for the coronavirus....”

 

Is that correct information?  Thanks!

 

I found this statement interesting: “I’m thinking they must have some information from the testing laboratory in Malaysia that would give the C.D.C. confidence in saying yes, that was a false-positive result,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.  “Obviously, if it was a true positive, you would keep all those people in self-monitoring.”  

Also

“The irresponsibility of some foreigners on the health test of Westerdam passengers makes Cambodia the victim of its humanitarian work,” (Cambodian PM) Mr. Hun Sen said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “If I were the Malaysian P.M., I would remove the health minister for being neglectful and irresponsible.”

 

Again, welcome home to the passengers!  So glad you are alright!

Edited by syesmar
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Floridiana

Floridiana

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17 minutes ago, syesmar said:

I found this statement interesting: “I’m thinking they must have some information from the testing laboratory in Malaysia that would give the C.D.C. confidence in saying yes, that was a false-positive result,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University.  “Obviously, if it was a true positive, you would keep all those people in self-monitoring.”  

 

 

Who knows what kind of test was available to Malaysia. In a different article, Hawaiian authorities complained that the CDC had sent faulty tests. Germany keeps the returning passengers from the Diamond Princess AND from the Westerdam in self- monitoring quarantine at home. Maybe somebody who is in that situation can confirm. 

 

Website of the Federal German Department of Health: 

https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/en/press/2020/coronavirus.html

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