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| The Holland America Line "Zaandam" |
After finally reaching a deal with authorities, Holland America was
allowed to dock two of its ships at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, on Thursday.
Port Everglades traffic records confirmed the arrival of MS Zaandam and sister ship MS Rotterdam after 5 p.m. local time.
Photos
showed critically ill people being transferred from the Zaandam to
waiting ambulances. The sick and local residents are the only ones
leaving Port Everglades on Thursday, a Holland America document
outlining the disembarkation plan showed.
The Zaandam and the
Rotterdam, which rendezvoused last week, were both given permission to
disembark passengers at Port Everglades after days of negotiation with
local officials who feared it would divert needed resources from a
region that has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.
"We were made
privy of the details yesterday, and we’re hopeful that this new protocol
that they’ve agreed to will sufficiently insulate our people in Fort
Lauderdale at risk of (contracting) the disease," Fort Lauderdale Mayor
Dean Trantalis told USA TODAY earlier on Thursday.
The remains
of four elderly passengers who died on the Zaandam were also scheduled
for removal Thursday evening. Two of the four deaths on board the
Zaandam have been blamed on COVID-19, and nine people have tested
positive for the novel coronavirus, the cruise line said.
Between
the Zaandam and Rotterdam a total of 107 passengers and 143 crew members
have presented flu-like symptoms since March 22, according to a Holland
America statement provided by spokesperson Sally Andrews.
In a Thursday statement, Holland America expressed relief that a deal
had finally been struck, ending the ships' saga, which began in
mid-March when Chile denied the MS Zaandam permission to end the cruise
there.
“These travelers could have been any one of us or our
families, unexpectedly caught in the middle of this unprecedented
closure of global borders that happened in a matter of days and without
warning,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line.
Ashford
continued, "We are so happy to be able to get our guests home and
assist those few who need additional medical services. The COVID-19
situation is one of the most urgent tests of our shared humanity, and we
must do everything we can to ensure we continue to act in ways
consistent with our common human dignity."
The ships are carrying 311 Americans and 52 Florida residents, with the
largest numbers coming from Canada, the EU, and and several other
non-us countries.
Note EU-Digest: "Informed sources reported that there was a lot of
diplomatic pressure put on the Florida Governor by the Netherlands
Government (home port of the two ships), and Governments of other
countries, which had passengers on board the Zaandam and the Rotterdam.
Apparently even President Trump was involved at one point, in the
decision to let the passengers disembark in Fort Lauderdale. Not
allowing the passengers disembark in Fort Lauderdale would have caused
irreparable damage to the image of the Florida Tourist and cruise
industry".
Read more: Coronavirus: Holland America ships dock in Florida, debarkation plan
