News on the Westerdam

[fragilek]

1 minute ago, Moparop said:

My parents and others are a (multiple?) hotels in Cambodia. They spent a day at the Phnom Penh airport in a holding area on the 15th with other passengers and were taken from there to the hotel. 

 Wishing them all the best. Do you know if they have been contacted by HAL or any official from Cambodia with instructions for containment/protection.  In fact have they even officially been told anything.

[Moparop]

1 minute ago, fragilek said:

 Wishing them all the best. Do you know if they have been contacted by HAL or any official from Cambodia with instructions for containment/protection.  In fact have they even officially been told anything.

Everyone in the hotel has been given a full health check and had a CV19 test performed. They were told this morning that they could not leave their rooms until the check was done. At the check, they were given masks to wear and told to have it on at all times. That’s what I know at this time. 

[fragilek]

18 minutes ago, Moparop said:

Everyone in the hotel has been given a full health check and had a CV19 test performed. They were told this morning that they could not leave their rooms until the check was done. At the check, they were given masks to wear and told to have it on at all times. That’s what I know at this time. 

 Glad to hear they a least have the reassurance of the masks and have had testing done. Hopefully they will know more about what is to happen re their onward plans soon

[Earthworm Jim]

So some of the passengers are still on the ship, some are in hotels in Cambodia, some are in hotels in Malaysia, and some are already home? That would be a very difficult quarantine to enact to say the least.

[IllinoisGirl1978]

Meanwhile in Chicagoland the couple that had the virus was discharged from the hospital about a week ago and are out of isolation. 

 

 https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-coronavirus-patients-released-from-home-isolation-following-recovery/2220027/

[SoFla_KJ]

I’ve been following HAL’s updates on Facebook and I came on here to see what the comments were like. I wonder if HAL is deleting negative comments because I’ve noticed overwhelming positive responsive that don’t seem to grasp the negative news constantly surrounding this. I woke up to a New York Times news alert about the confirmed passenger and every comment on HAL’s Facebook is “good job” or “thanks” or something similar. It honestly feels like fake comments since every posts responses are like that. I know they probably aren’t, but the negative ones are probably removed. 

[HappyInVan]

28 minutes ago, Moparop said:

Everyone in the hotel has been given a full health check and had a CV19 test performed. They were told this morning that they could not leave their rooms until the check was done. At the check, they were given masks to wear and told to have it on at all times. That’s what I know at this time. 

 

"On 13 February, the ship was allowed to dock in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.[14] Malaysia reported on 15 February that an 83-year-old US citizen who disembarked Westerdam and flew into Malaysia on 14 February had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.[15] In a second test, requested both by the Holland America Line and Cambodian authorities, the woman tested again positive.["

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Westerdam#cite_note-16

 

This is simply unfortunate. At this stage, there's no point laying blame anywhere. Let's hope that it works out.

 

Can you ask your parents whether the test are laboratory tests (samples taken)? Does Phnom Penh have the facilities to test all 1,500 remaining passengers?

 

 

[zonacruiser25]

Sadly this sounds like the beginning of a bad novel about how a virus spreads around the world and......  At this point tt may seem that the pax still on Westy are going to be the most comfortable.   It would appear this story is just beginning to be written.

[Moparop]

4 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

"On 13 February, the ship was allowed to dock in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.[14] Malaysia reported on 15 February that an 83-year-old US citizen who disembarked Westerdam and flew into Malaysia on 14 February had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.[15] In a second test, requested both by the Holland America Line and Cambodian authorities, the woman tested again positive.["

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Westerdam#cite_note-16

 

This is simply unfortunate. At this stage, there's no point laying blame anywhere. Let's hope that it works out.

 

Can you ask your parents whether the test are laboratory tests (samples taken)? Does Phnom Penh have the facilities to test all 1,500 remaining passengers?

 

 

they specifically mentioned being swabbed. That’s about all I know. 

[CJcruzer]

2 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

"Does Phnom Penh have the facilities to test all 1,500 remaining passengers?

 

 

 

There are only a few 100 still on the ship.   Most have already gone on their journey onwards to home.     

 

HAL has an update on their blog.

 

Carol

[kazu]

8 minutes ago, SoFla_KJ said:

I’ve been following HAL’s updates on Facebook and I came on here to see what the comments were like. I wonder if HAL is deleting negative comments because I’ve noticed overwhelming positive responsive that don’t seem to grasp the negative news constantly surrounding this. I woke up to a New York Times news alert about the confirmed passenger and every comment on HAL’s Facebook is “good job” or “thanks” or something similar. It honestly feels like fake comments since every posts responses are like that. I know they probably aren’t, but the negative ones are probably removed. 

 

I noticed the same thing.

 

I suspect the negative ones are being removed as well.  I could be wrong of course and I do recognize some posters on the HAL FB page so I believe the posts we see are genuine.  I just can’t believe there are no negative opinions being expressed.

[fragilek]

Only 1 of the 4 charter flights made it onward before this happened.  the other 3 flights were cancelled.  The people from those are now in local hotels (or still at the airport). I know at least some in the hotels have now been given masks and have been swabs - obviously the hope is all in all hotels will have had the same but can only confirm the one lot I have heard about.

 

No idea how long the testing will take if doing all , and what the result will mean as they already did not pick up on the lady who later was positive.

[kazu]

6 minutes ago, zonacruiser25 said:

 At this point tt may seem that the pax still on Westy are going to be the most comfortable.   It would appear this story is just beginning to be written.

 

Is am afraid that you are most likely right.

[HappyInVan]

14 minutes ago, CJcruzer said:

 

There are only a few 100 still on the ship.   Most have already gone on their journey onwards to home.     

 

HAL has an update on their blog.

 

Carol

 

Malaysia Airlines cancelled 3 flights to KL. Those 500 pax (Americans) are still in Sihanoukville or Phnom Penh. The only pax I know of that have returned home are the 100+ on the first Malaysia Airline flight. I presume that most of the other pax (@800) are still in Phnom Penh like Moparop's parents (post 955).

 

Courtesy of dado123456...

 

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/02/566140/malaysia-airlines-cancels-three-flights-repatriating-american-cruise-ship

 

Edited February 16, 2020 by HappyInVan

[Viv0828]

slightly off topic.

 

if you are on the feb 29 or later sailing, princess has canceled all their early spring diamond princess sailings.

"Based on the prolonged quarantine period, and the anticipated time to prepare the ship to return to service, we unfortunately must cancel additional Diamond Princess voyages through the April 20 voyage. We are preparing Diamond Princess to return to service April 29, 2020 for the start of Japan's annual Golden Week celebrations."

perhaps HAL will follow with the westerdam??

[Jacqueline]

I spent two days on PHnom Penh this last week as I was on a river cruise, as well as a land based trip.  In all I spent ten days in Cambodia. The people I came into contact with who were Cambodian were upset that their president was so busy sucking up to China that there were still incoming flights from a China (when I was in Siem Reap) for five days. The medical care there is poor. I heard plenty from our guides.

Hopefully everyone will get out of there soon. It’s a wonderful country to visit but I wouldn’t want to end up in a hospital there. 
I left the states in my honeymoon a few weeks ago and am still in the region. 

[Wehwalt]

When I was in Sihanoukville in 2018, all the new construction seemed to be hotels for vacationing Chinese. I can understand it if the Cambodians are reluctant to offend the Chinese.

[HALrunner]

Has their been any indication that those still on the Westerdam would now be quarantined to their cabins? 

[fragilek]

7 minutes ago, HALrunner said:

Has their been any indication that those still on the Westerdam would now be quarantined to their cabins? 

 I haven't heard anything from those on the ship yet.  Here is a twitter feed for a family still on it.  

 

[LoraJ]

Meanwhile, my parents have been in transit and HAL has not reached out to them at all and are only getting updates from family. My brother is picking them up at the airport and called HAL to make sure and they said they said they are good for pick up. 

[highland cruiser]

1 hour ago, fragilek said:

 Glad to hear they a least have the reassurance of the masks and have had testing done. Hopefully they will know more about what is to happen re their onward plans soon

I agree.  I have been following this like event like everyone as we have future cruises planned.  But right now I am just praying for everyone to get back home as safely and quickly as possible.  I am sure we will be reading and hearing tales about this cruise for a long time. 

[fragilek]

13 minutes ago, LoraJ said:

Meanwhile, my parents have been in transit and HAL has not reached out to them at all and are only getting updates from family. My brother is picking them up at the airport and called HAL to make sure and they said they said they are good for pick up. 

- words fail me! What do you plan to do? I would consider masks for all as a minimum until the situation is clearer. How will your parents feel if in the next few days if more people start to be diagnosed with this and precautions haven't been taken. 

 

Best wishes for you during what must be a stressful time

[cruiseing marly]

1 hour ago, SoFla_KJ said:

I’ve been following HAL’s updates on Facebook and I came on here to see what the comments were like. I wonder if HAL is deleting negative comments because I’ve noticed overwhelming positive responsive that don’t seem to grasp the negative news constantly surrounding this. I woke up to a New York Times news alert about the confirmed passenger and every comment on HAL’s Facebook is “good job” or “thanks” or something similar. It honestly feels like fake comments since every posts responses are like that. I know they probably aren’t, but the negative ones are probably removed. 

I don’t  think their have been that many negative posts on cruise critic . Holland America's Facebook page is designed as a positive forum.They outline that when you join. There is enough negative about this health event other places. Lots of positive comments here as well. 

[Level six]

19 minutes ago, LoraJ said:

Meanwhile, my parents have been in transit and HAL has not reached out to them at all and are only getting updates from family. My brother is picking them up at the airport and called HAL to make sure and they said they said they are good for pick up. 

 

How do they know that it is good to pick them up?  That's pretty crazy.

 

Best wishes to all

[fragilek]

this beggars belief - I had to check this wasn't a spoof account!

 I think they were involved in getting them in port, overseeing testing and onward plans.  Now it seems the politics of save face comes into play. Knowing what they do about the Diamond Princess - Low risk is a outrageous  take on this situation

Edited February 16, 2020 by fragilek