Zaandam and Rotterdam Situation (merged topics starting March 22, 2020)

[Tampa Girl]

17 minutes ago, rjbean4 said:

Just found this so things are happening. Pinellas County now going into a stay at home order for us. There has been talk of this happening for Hillsborough too.

 

https://www.wfla.com/community/health/coronavirus/pinellas-county-issues-safer-at-home-order-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/

 

Also want to share that yesterday noticed that the Noordam is now en route to San Diego based on her AIS.

 

Tampa is instituting the stay-at-home, but so far Hillsborough County has refused.  Actually, the stay-at-home is basically what we and all our friends and neighbors have been doing for two weeks.  It still permits trips to doctor, drugstore, groceries, etc.

[Tampa Girl]

2 hours ago, sansterre said:

Perhaps Key West and or Tampa might be considered as a port for the Zaandam.  

However, Tampa is not a possibility for some larger ships due to the height limit under the Sunshine Skyway - not sure about the Zaandam.

 

The S, R and Vista ships come into Tampa, so the Zaandam could make it.  We have had the Veendam, Rotterdam, Oosterdam here.

[kangforpres]

The Zaandam is in dire straits.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-24/holland-america-cruise-sailing-for-florida-has-87-flu-like-cases

[rjbean4]

6 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

Tampa is instituting the stay-at-home, but so far Hillsborough County has refused.  Actually, the stay-at-home is basically what we and all our friends and neighbors have been doing for two weeks.  It still permits trips to doctor, drugstore, groceries, etc.

Mom and I have been at home also and following the news regarding Tampa and Hillsborough County. I have wanted to go out for a ride on my bike as I see a lot of people out riding by us but not taking the chance and staying home.

[rafinmd]

Might the ill passengers on the Zaandam be transferred to the Rotterdam to slow the spread on the Zaandam?

 

Roy

[bouhunter]

8 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Might the ill passengers on the Zaandam be transferred to the Rotterdam to slow the spread on the Zaandam?

 

Roy

And then have TWO ships roaming around looking for a port?  I don't think so.....

[ducklite]

1 hour ago, rjbean4 said:

So I just looked at the latest numbers and will see if this impacts the Zaandam with the current plans for her schedule for Ft. Lauderdale. Yes as  I mentioned earlier she can get under the Skyway Bridge but wonder if the increasing numbers here in FL will start to have a effect on ports closing. Our Govenor is now mandating anyone coming into Florida from NY, NJ, etc, that it is MANDITORY to self quarantine for 14 days or face significant consequences.

 

FLORIDA

Total Cases - 1,682

Monitoring - 1,439

Deaths - 22

 

TAMPA BAY AREA BY COUNTY  CONFIRMED CASES

Hillsborough - 106

Pinellas - 50

Sarasota - 27

Manatee - 22

Pasco - 17

Polk - 14

Citrus - 9

 

REGARDING SE  FLORIDA COUNTIES

Dade (Miami) - 400

Broward (Ft. Lauderdale)  - 355

Palm Beach - 118

 

Florida info can be found on this site which is being updated twice a day.

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/96dd742462124fa0b38ddedb9b25e429

The self-quarantine is a joke.  Those selfish spring breakers aren't going to self-quarantine, they are mixing with their families and friends and out and about to the extent they can be.  With so many coming from NJ/NY we're going to quickly make NY look like they have the sniffles.  The last thing we need is a ship full of sick and exposed people.  

[Linda VH]

In the newspaper this morning here in So. Florida a Commissioner of Broward Cty (Ft. Lauderdale) said that if the County Administrator did not deny dockage in Ft. L they would have an emergency meeting of the commissioners and they'd deny dockage of Zaandam 

Edited March 25, 2020 by Linda VH

[Linda VH]

Awkward post but you get the gist.  

[old mike]

1 hour ago, kangforpres said:

The Zaandam is in dire straits.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-24/holland-america-cruise-sailing-for-florida-has-87-flu-like-cases

To the best of my knowledge the ships have not yet met so to date there has been no testing regards the nature of the infection, COVID 19 or the FLU or ? All the talk about being denied docking is premature

[rjbean4]

42 minutes ago, ducklite said:

The self-quarantine is a joke.  Those selfish spring breakers aren't going to self-quarantine, they are mixing with their families and friends and out and about to the extent they can be.  With so many coming from NJ/NY we're going to quickly make NY look like they have the sniffles.  The last thing we need is a ship full of sick and exposed people.  

Yeah the Spring Breakers and what happened with the beaches. That group just refused to accept the big picture. As my mom always says because it wont happen to them.  Maybe for some too a lack of parenting as well as these kids get together with their friends and think they are bigger and better than everyone else. Remember I said SOME. Not all.

 

We have what has looked to be a single/divorced mom renting across the street from us. She has a son that comes and goes that i am  guessing is a High School Senior. No one talks to them. They both refused to comply with our HOA parking related bylaws. Long story short the kid has his car towed and when he got it back he thought it was a great idea to go down in front of our HOA Presidents home and rev it. The kid has had every car he has had modified to be loud. Our HOA President was home at the time and was real quick to call the cops. The only way to get the message across to this mom and her kid was that our HOA took the correct steps in posting signs and hiring a towing company so that it could be more enforced as well as everyone in the community being informed of the changes. Then 30 days later the kid has his car towed cause even then he refused to comply. This is the just of it.

Edited March 25, 2020 by rjbean4

[rjbean4]

2 minutes ago, old mike said:

To the best of my knowledge the ships have not yet met so to date there has been no testing regards the nature of the infection, COVID 19 or the FLU or ? All the talk about being denied docking is premature

No they haven't. Following ship tracking websites will help to follow the progress of them getting closer to each other. Captain Albert is on the Rotterdam and made mention of this in his post on Monday but did not post last night. Sure everyone on board the Rotterdam is more importantly preparing for when they meet up with the Zaandam. 

https://www.cruisemapper.com/

www.marinetraffic.com

 

 

[TiogaCruiser]

So how will the tests be analyzed? The only ones we have here ( that are FDA cleared) require analysis at a specially equipped lab.

[slidergirl]

6 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

The Bahamas will not accept the ship. 

Does Carnival "own" or "lease" their islands?   This wouldn't be at a port...  Like I said, the hamster wheel in my brain is spinning...

[Barney10]

It’s a 99 year lease.

[slidergirl]

OK, so my idea doesn't sound good.  I wasn't trying to condemn to a "leper colony".  They are going to have to quarantined somewhere, anyway.  I don't think HMC or another Carnival island is a "barren" or "desert" island - haven't heard any passengers complain about their stops there.  

 

I've been watching daily photos of the Port Canaveral ships posted in the Cocoa Beach FB group to which belong.  There have been 3-4 ships hanging out offshore because there isn't enough docking space.  But, some seem to be staying out to avoid having to keep paying docking fees.   3 of the Disney ships have been hanging out there.  

[Copper10-8]

11 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Does Carnival "own" or "lease" their islands?   This wouldn't be at a port...  Like I said, the hamster wheel in my brain is spinning...

 

FYI Slidergirl; Holland America Line, part of the Carnival Corporation, leases HMC from the Bahamian government (Princess Cruise Line, also part of the Carnival Corp, uses Princess Keys, located on the southern part of Eleuthera Island).

 

There is only enough accommodation on the HMC to house about 15-20 Bahamian caretakers during the cruise season. During that season, the other Bahamian staff that works on the island travels daily by ship (Half Moon Clipper) from and to their homes on Eleuthera Island.  Building a temporary hospital and/or putting a military field hospital with all the associated equipment plus housing for the medical staff on the island is not feasible due to lack of suitable developed open space

[edward01ca]

2 hours ago, bouhunter said:

And then have TWO ships roaming around looking for a port?  I don't think so.....

What about infecting a crew that is currently disease free!!

[iancal]

I have no doubt that some very smart people on HAL are working on this along with Government folks, medical, and public health officials.   

 

I doubt whether they will be consulting the folks on Cruise Critic as to the best alternatives to handle this challenge.

[conwakr]

57 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

 They are going to have to quarantined somewhere, anyway.

Like their homes if they are asymptomatic like anyone who gets on a plane, train, bus, subway car anywhere in this country?  It's alittle like putting the cart ahead of the horse.  Is Florida quarantining everyone who comes to Florida regardless of mode of transportation. Even Florida's governor is telling New Yorkers who come to Florida to "self quarantine"...well they got to Florida somehow right and they are quarantining themselves somewhere in Florida right?  I know I'm playing abit of a devil's advocate but there is really no difference between people moving from point A to point B anymore.  Every state has cases now. Life is very different today than it was a week ago or even two weeks ago in the US. 

[CruiserBruce]

Reportedly just over 300 of the pax are US citizens, the rest are non-US. As with the Grand Princess, that complicated the off loading and quarantining a fair bit. 

[conwakr]

2 minutes ago, iancal said:

I have no doubt that some very smart people on HAL are working on this along with Government folks, medical, and public health officials.   

 

I doubt whether they will be consulting the folks on Cruise Critic as to the best alternatives to handle this challenge.

Agree.  The cruise industry generates billions upon billions  of dollars for Florida's economy, between onshore spending, taxes, etc.  The governor might have made missteps in the last couple weeks, but he's not going to screw this up I don't think and I agree there are probably many conversations taking place.

[Aquahound]

2 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Might the ill passengers on the Zaandam be transferred to the Rotterdam to slow the spread on the Zaandam?

 

Roy

 

2 hours ago, bouhunter said:

And then have TWO ships roaming around looking for a port?  I don't think so.....

 

Actually, that sorta is the plan....except it will be the healthy passengers transferred over.

[iancal]

One thing is good....HAL is not putting out any of the same type of misleading press releases as they did on Westerdam post HK, pre Cambodia.

[FlorenceItaly]

3 minutes ago, Aquahound said:

 

 

Actually, that sorta is the plan....except it will be the healthy passengers transferred over.

This makes sense since the Zaandam is already contaminated.

Edited March 25, 2020 by FlorenceItaly