News on the Westerdam

[1ANGELCAT]

Has anyone heard from our CC friends Sailing Duchy ?

[cruiserchuck]

5 minutes ago, lvz2cruz said:

I just don't understand the hate on HAL.

Nobody onboard had the virus.  Nobody reported symptoms.  Everyone well.   They were onboard longer than what many are saying is the incubation period and nothing presented. People were checked and every thing done as suggested by WHO and CDC.

Why are they now blamed?

 

 

Someone on board did have the virus.  It is being reported that she and her husband were unwell and coughing at time of disembarkation.  HALs repeated assertion that no one had the virus turned out to be false.  It was always misleading, since they had no way to test people onboard the ship for the virus.  

 

HAL presumably paid a lot of money to a poor country to enable it to turn over its problem to others.  

 

RCL and Celebrity stopped taking passengers who had been in Hong Kong as of January 31.  If HAL had done the same, this whole problem may have been avoided.
 

[gnr25]

I just saw on CBC News that 2 Canadians who were on the Westerdam landed in Vancouver today. They had to wear masks during customs, but were eventually released and went home.

[pictonite]

Just an update from one who is in Phnom Penh waiting to return home. (That is - on the front line!)

 

There have been several discrepancies reported on this board so - here goes!

 

We were all given a health screening the day we were allowed to leave the ship.

 

We left the ship on Saturday morning and were driven to the Sikhanoukville airport where we flew on a chartered plane to Phnom Penh.  There more chartered planes were supposed to take us onwards to Kuala Lumpur for connecting flights home.  As we waited in line for that flight we were informed that Malaysia was denying us entry.

 

We were placed on buses and brought to this hotel.  At the hotel our embassies have been in attendance, they all know where we are, if they need to contact us.

 

Yesterday we were all given screening , temperature checks, nose and throat swabs, and are now waiting for the results.

 

We are allowed to have access  to the hotel grounds, but are requested to wear the masks that have been given to us.

 

We have just completed a request form for flights home, delivered to us by Holland America.

 

Yes - HAL is paying for our hotel rooms, which include breakfast.  A $50 US daily food and drink allowance will be covered by HAL when we return home .

 

Most HAL guests here are positive, and quite upbeat.

 

We are Canadians, and are prepared to undergo whatever quarantine is demanded to return home to the blessed ice and snow!!!

 

Hope this helps you  who are following this.  

Edited February 17, 2020 by pictonite
spelling

[lizinvan]

7 minutes ago, pictonite said:

Just an update from one who is in Phnom Penh waiting to return home. (That is - on the front line!)

 

There have been several discrepancies reported on this board so - here goes!

 

 

7 minutes ago, pictonite said:

Just an update from one who is in Phnom Penh waiting to return home. (That is - on the front line!)

 

There have been several discrepancies reported on this board so - here goes!

 

We were all given a health screening the day we were allowed to leave the ship.

 

We left the ship on Saturday morning and were driven to the Sikhanoukville airport where we flew on a chartered plane to Phnom Penh.  There more chartered planes were supposed to take us onwards to Kuala Lumpur for connecting flights home.  As we waited in line for that flight we were informed that Malaysia was denying us entry.

 

We were placed on buses and brought to this hotel.  At the hotel our embassies have been in attendance, they all know where we are, if they need to contact us.

 

Yesterday we were all given screening , temperature checks, nose and throat swabs, and are now waiting for the results.

 

We are allowed to have access  to the hotel grounds, but are requested to were the masks that have been given to us.

 

We have just completed a request form for flights home, delivered to us bu Holland America.

 

Yes - HAL is paying for our hotel rooms, which include breakfast.  A $50 US daily food and drink allowance will be covered by HAL when we return home .

 

Most HAL guests here are positive, and quite upbeat.

 

We are Canadians, and are prepared to undergo whatever quarantine is demanded to return home to the blessed ice and snow!!!

 

Hope this helps you  who are following this.  

Hoping you and yours are holding up as best as can be expected.  Were you allowed out in Sihanoukville on your own before preparing for airport.  What did the shipboard screening consist of during your quarantine?  All the best for onward travel and eventually home.  Hoping you remain healthy and upbeat.  Thanks for sharing.

Edited February 17, 2020 by lizinvan
duplicate

[teamflames]

7 hours ago, hal2008 said:

 

Are members here from Australia and Netherlands can update rest of us about how their governments are handling the few potential time bombs that have landed in their communities?

(potential because they cud easily be virus free)

After reading the news report that Australians arrived home, I reported it on our federal health website but have had no reply

[Vict0riann]

1 hour ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Has anyone heard from our CC friends Sailing Duchy ?

They may be stuck somewhere.  I emailed them both today in the hope they were on line! I did get emails from them on Thursday - They said they were fine.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Vict0riann

[gnr25]

According to Twitter, 1 Canadian passenger is now at home in St. Catherine’s, Ontario.

[teamflames]

54 minutes ago, teamflames said:

After reading the news report that Australians arrived home, I reported it on our federal health website but have had no reply

Further to what I stated, it appears this newspaper also contacted the Australian Federal Health Authorities who claim it is not their responsibility!?😳🙈😡😤🤯🤢😷

https://apple.news/ABb81VayNQN21_14ZKC3gwQ

[idiebabe]

Father Ron Waller also arrived back home in Columbus today.  He posted a Pic wearing his mask and noted there was a huge smile  underneath it.  Very happy to be home!  😀

 

@pictonite   Thank you for the live update!  Stay well and safe travels!  

[SunNFunCruzer]

1 hour ago, lvz2cruz said:

I just don't understand the hate on HAL.

Nobody onboard had the virus.  Nobody reported symptoms.  Everyone well.   They were onboard longer than what many are saying is the incubation period and nothing presented. People were checked and every thing done as suggested by WHO and CDC.

Why are they now blamed?

 

 

 

^^^ This ^^^  is not true (bold is mine).  They were in Hong Kong on February 1st and the incubation period is AT LEAST up to 14 days (some say it can be up to 24).  They were released on the 14th and by the 15th (Whoa... Day 14! from the HK stop) the 80 y/o passenger was sick enough that a random walk-through screen at the Malaysian Airport caught her.  Had they kept the passengers on-board for the minimum of 14 days, they would have caught this infected cruiser... and I'd bet $10k others as well.   I have read unconfirmed reports on social media of another "ill passenger" on that ship (from a family member -- but other cases are, as of today, unconfirmed).  

 

I have been saying for weeks that I thought it was statistically nearly impossible for so many people to be infected on the Diamond (by one Patient 0 or a few infected Initial Spreaders) without other infected passengers sailing around the region on other Cruiseships.  And I was right.   

 

I'd guess someone at HAL thought the same thing and wanted the passengers off the ship, so that they would be the responsibility of some other entity, As Soon As Possible,  for so many reasons. 

[SunNFunCruzer]

1 hour ago, pictonite said:

Just an update from one who is in Phnom Penh waiting to return home. (That is - on the front line!)

 

There have been several discrepancies reported on this board so - here goes!

 

We were all given a health screening the day we were allowed to leave the ship.

 

We left the ship on Saturday morning and were driven to the Sikhanoukville airport where we flew on a chartered plane to Phnom Penh.  There more chartered planes were supposed to take us onwards to Kuala Lumpur for connecting flights home.  As we waited in line for that flight we were informed that Malaysia was denying us entry.

 

We were placed on buses and brought to this hotel.  At the hotel our embassies have been in attendance, they all know where we are, if they need to contact us.

 

Yesterday we were all given screening , temperature checks, nose and throat swabs, and are now waiting for the results.

 

We are allowed to have access  to the hotel grounds, but are requested to wear the masks that have been given to us.

 

We have just completed a request form for flights home, delivered to us by Holland America.

 

Yes - HAL is paying for our hotel rooms, which include breakfast.  A $50 US daily food and drink allowance will be covered by HAL when we return home .

 

Most HAL guests here are positive, and quite upbeat.

 

We are Canadians, and are prepared to undergo whatever quarantine is demanded to return home to the blessed ice and snow!!!

 

Hope this helps you  who are following this.  

 

 

Thank you!  Good luck!  and...  Travel Safe!

[dillpickle48]

In Sydney Australia the New South Wales Health Department is looking after incoming passengers.  A quote from their website:

 

"

Since Sunday 2 February, a total of 17,093 people have been assessed at Sydney International Airport. A total of 64 were sent for testing.

This includes testing conducted yesterday where 263 arrivals from mainland China were assessed at Sydney International Airport. None was sent for testing.

This morning, passengers and crew from the Maasdam cruise ship were assessed after it docked in Sydney Harbour because they came from international waters. No one had symptoms suggestive of novel coronavirus or recent travel from China, and none required novel coronavirus testing.

Of the four confirmed cases, all patients have been discharged, a 53 year old male, a 35 year old male, a 21 year old female and a 43 year old male.

No new patients were confirmed overnight."

 

Interesting about the Maasdam.

 

[pictonite]

Hello again:

 

When we were docked in Sihanoukville on day 1, those not having flights arranged that day were allowed to go to beaches on buses organized by the ship.  Some passengers made their way into town.

 

When we disembarked we were escorted onto buses on the pier.  We had a police escort to the airport and we were delivered straight to the tarmac and the plane.

 

The president of Holland America is here in the hotel  today- in meetings.

 

People are still undergoing testing.

 

Now I'm signing off to enjoy the lovely gardens of the hotel.

[lizinvan]

8 minutes ago, pictonite said:

Hello again:

 

When we were docked in Sihanoukville on day 1, those not having flights arranged that day were allowed to go to beaches on buses organized by the ship.  Some passengers made their way into town.

 

When we disembarked we were escorted onto buses on the pier.  We had a police escort to the airport and we were delivered straight to the tarmac and the plane.

 

The president of Holland America is here in the hotel  today- in meetings.

 

People are still undergoing testing.

 

Now I'm signing off to enjoy the lovely gardens of the hotel.

Try to enjoy whatever you can from your unique experience fellow Canadian.  Thank you for updating us.

[npcl]

3 hours ago, lvz2cruz said:

I just don't understand the hate on HAL.

Nobody onboard had the virus.  Nobody reported symptoms.  Everyone well.   They were onboard longer than what many are saying is the incubation period and nothing presented. People were checked and every thing done as suggested by WHO and CDC.

Why are they now blamed?

 

Because a passenger from the ship was diagnosed with the Virus, after getting off one of the charter flights in Kuala Lumpur, Malasia.  Since she had left the ship less than 24 hours before the view is that the virus must have been on the ship.

[SunNFunCruzer]

 

Interview of a woman off the Westerdam who is now at home in Canada.  

 

 All they did was take her temperature:

 

https://www.chch.com/a-local-woman-fears-she-and-others-on-a-cruise-ship-were-cleared-of-the-coronavirus-prematurely/

[North Vancouver Cruiser]

From my understanding is that when a person gets sick on board, the ship (mostly all ships) tries to get the person off the ship as soon as possible to whatever port they are near to.  It is like they don't want to take responsibility. 

 

Somehow HAL dropped the ball on this one.  They should have made it clear to all the passengers that if they have any symptoms they should report it as it could affect all the passengers.  If it had been reported, all of the passengers would be in quarantine, now there is the possibility that this woman may have spread the virus to multiple countries..  

[dado123456]

February 17, 2020

 

Sihanoukville, Preah Sihanouk province: 

The State Secretariat for Civil Aviation (SSCA) said yesterday that 494 of MS Westerdam’s 2,257 passengers and crew have left for their home country through Phnom Penh International Airport and a further 145 through Sihanoukville International Airport.

Chea Aun, spokesman for SSCA, said that the remaining passengers and crew are expected to leave in batches in the coming days via Phnom Penh International Airport. It is not yet known when or how the MS Westerdam will set sail, given that crew members are among those who have left the vessel and headed for their respective home countries....

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50691772/almost-500-passengers-of-ms-westerdam-have-headed-home

 

[dado123456]

If this numbers are correct it means that there is another cca 600 passengers and crew waiting for departing Cambodia.

[fragilek]

 Just read that about 1/2 the test results for those in the hotels have come back negative (those still on the ship will be the last to undergo testing) - However, which countries will trust these results and allow the passengers to transit through given that the same Cambodia tested and found the infected woman negative.  Will they accept that the tests are quite often wrong regardless of who is undertaking them, or will they just not trust the Cambodian testing.

[fragilek]

18 minutes ago, dado123456 said:

February 17, 2020

 

Sihanoukville, Preah Sihanouk province: 

The State Secretariat for Civil Aviation (SSCA) said yesterday that 494 of MS Westerdam’s 2,257 passengers and crew have left for their home country through Phnom Penh International Airport and a further 145 through Sihanoukville International Airport.

Chea Aun, spokesman for SSCA, said that the remaining passengers and crew are expected to leave in batches in the coming days via Phnom Penh International Airport. It is not yet known when or how the MS Westerdam will set sail, given that crew members are among those who have left the vessel and headed for their respective home countries....

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50691772/almost-500-passengers-of-ms-westerdam-have-headed-home

 

Does this takes into account that some are now are now stuck in Kuala Lumpur  or some who got to the Phnom Penh and were then taken back to hotels?

[dado123456]

494+145 left Cambodia. Some of these are kept in Malaysia at the moment

[pictonite]

21 minutes ago, fragilek said:

 Just read that about 1/2 the test results for those in the hotels have come back negative (those still on the ship will be the last to undergo testing) - However, which countries will trust these results and allow the passengers to transit through given that the same Cambodia tested and found the infected woman negative.  Will they accept that the tests are quite often wrong regardless of who is undertaking them, or will they just not trust the Cambodian testing.

Please quote your source.  Anxious people in PhnomPenh are still waiting to hear!

[fragilek]

15 minutes ago, pictonite said:

Please quote your source.  Anxious people in PhnomPenh are still waiting to hear!

"Still on board. They’ve tested guests and 185 of 380 in Kuala Lumpur have tested negative so far. They’re going to swab the rest of us coronavirus and results for everybody may take 2 days to complete and then hopefully they’ll book flights providing everyone’s negative". from someone still on the ship  twitter @Lorrian34100

 

Not heard anything about the PhnomPenh guest yet. If I do I will reply back to you straight away with source. Best wishes

Edited February 17, 2020 by fragilek