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

[sparks247]

Following both vessels on Marinetraffic, they are not heading for the Yucatan channel or Windward passage but heading in Northwesterly direction and are currently some 40 miles southeast of San Andres Island.

Edited March 30, 2020 by sparks247

[JennysUncle]

9 minutes ago, sparks247 said:

Following both vessels on Marinetraffic, they are not heading for the Yucatan channel or Windward passage but heading in Northwesterly direction and are currently some 40 miles southeast of San Andres Island.

 

And heading south of San Andres Island.  Not a usual track for going around Cuba to Florida.

[DCCruiser57]

The Fort Lauderdale mayor just did an interview on Fox and although I did not catch the entire interview, it sounded like the PEF is not going to allow the Zaandam to dock and disembark guests.

[dockman]

If we as the most prosperous country with a military that is by far the world's largest cannot at this point figure out how to take 1200 passengers and some? crew off of two ships and provide them with the care they need whether hospitalization or safe quarantine then good luck to us all.

 

 

[KAKcruiser]

I don't think a decision has been made yet.  The Mayor is expressing his opinion but he does not make the decision.

[cat shepard]

3 minutes ago, dockman said:

If we as the most prosperous country with a military that is by far the world's largest cannot at this point figure out how to take 1200 passengers and some? crew off of two ships and provide them with the care they need whether hospitalization or safe quarantine then good luck to us all.

 

 

dockman, I know your brother is involved, so I am channeling all my positive energy into a quick and speedy solution for both ships.

 

May they see the light at the end of the tunnel soon (and it is daylight). I believe our Country and perhaps my State will step up.  Stay well.

[charmed1959]

I think the hesitancy the governor of Florida has about taking in these passengers in South Florida is they would be disembarking people INTO a very live pandemic.  Over half of Florida’s 5400 cases (and growing) are in Dade and Broward counties.  There are already close to 300 people hospitalized in those two counties alone.  It would be unfair to everyone, passengers and locals alike, to have to chose who gets the very limited supplies to save their lives.

 

Other parts of Florida are no where near as hard hit.  Port Canaveral, Tampa, Jacksonville are all better off in terms of available medical help.

[Max2003]

Ships just passing San Andres Island.  Zaandam just made a sharp right quite close to the island,  They seem to be maintaining about a 6 NM gap.

 

[Tampa Girl]

46 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

Look people (bear with me; talking to the involved state and local politicians here, from a soapbox no less) It's not that difficult! Oakland, CA showed you how it can be done through, as was already mentioned, a collaborative effort, what a concept! They - the two ships - are not just going to have their pax trounce into the FLL cruise terminal and into Ft. Lauderdale propper, Broward County, the state of Florida, and wherever else in the world they reside. Let's get real here!

 

There was a protocol established with Grand Princess! Learn from it and apply it! The vast majority of Grand Princess folks did their quarantine period and are now home. Quit the B.S.ing, get your caca and your heads together, and get it done, for peete's sake! These are your fellow human beings on Zaandam and Rotterdam we're talking about here! Show us something positive for a change!

 

 

In other words:  Stop bitching and speculating and criticizing and have faith that HAL is collaborating with appropriate entities and will deposit the passengers safely.  Right?

[sparks247]

37 minutes ago, sparks247 said:

Following both vessels on Marinetraffic, they are not heading for the Yucatan channel or Windward passage but heading in Northwesterly direction and are currently some 40 miles southeast of San Andres Island.

Looks like they are picking up (medical?) supplies at San Andres.

[capriccio]

I found the post (#743) by ducklite:

 

I mentioned this two days ago.  Then I spoke to my cousin who is Army Corp of Engineers.  He told me that Gitmo is not large enough.  Their max capacity is 600 or so prisoners and they don't have enough land suitable to build out the infrastructure they would need to add tents or portable buildings.  The small medical center there isn't equipped to handle the sick.

Edited March 30, 2020 by capriccio

[Max2003]

What is happening here?  Z to the left and R to the right of San Andres.

Maybe a scenic sail by??

 

.  

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, Max2003 said:

What is happening here?  Z to the left and R to the right of San Andres.

Maybe a scenic sail by??

 

.  

 

San Andres Island is part of Colombia

[Himself]

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

Look people (bear with me; talking to the involved state and local politicians here, from a soapbox no less) It's not that difficult! Oakland, CA showed you how it can be done through, as was already mentioned, a collaborative effort, what a concept! They - the two ships - are not just going to have their pax trounce into the FLL cruise terminal and into Ft. Lauderdale propper, Broward County, the state of Florida, and wherever else in the world they reside. Let's get real here!

 

There was a protocol established with Grand Princess! Learn from it and apply it! The vast majority of Grand Princess folks did their quarantine period and are now home. Quit the B.S.ing, get your caca and your heads together, and get it done, for peete's sake! These are your fellow human beings on Zaandam and Rotterdam we're talking about here! Show us something positive for a change!

I agree 1000%.   Many of these fellow human beings are also citizens of the United States.  What they supposed to do?  Die at Sea?  This is ridiculous.  

[Himself]

50 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

There was some government pressure applied, and not just from the U.S/, but from at least two foreign countries. I won't name them but one with always friendly/helpful folks with a border to the north of the U.S., and the other, a tiny country in Western Europe known for tulips, windmills and clogs   

Canada and the Netherlands. 

[RJB]

3 minutes ago, Himself said:

I agree 1000%.   Many of these fellow human beings are also citizens of the United States.  What they supposed to do?  Die at Sea?  This is ridiculous.  

+ 1

[Himself]

36 minutes ago, DCCruiser57 said:

The Fort Lauderdale mayor just did an interview on Fox and although I did not catch the entire interview, it sounded like the PEF is not going to allow the Zaandam to dock and disembark guests.

I heard the same interview with the Mayor of Ft. Lauderdale.

[Copper10-8]

2 minutes ago, Himself said:

Canada and the Netherlands. 

 

Father! That's supposed to be a secret 🙃

[Himself]

Just now, Copper10-8 said:

 

Father! That's supposed to be a secret 🙃

Sorry, I hope it wasnot under the seal of Confession!

[Max2003]

Well it doesn't look like they are going to stop. 😁  I hope the visual diversion raised the spirits!

 

 

 

[Firepath]

Years ago, I worked for a major insurance company. When there was a disaster, we had to go. If anyone got called up for jury duty, they had to go. The company thought was that you can't just benefit from the system. You take the good with the bad. Ft. Lauderdale and Florida in general receive much benefit from the cruise lines and tourism. Now is their time to give back. It might not be pleasant but it's the right thing to do.

[2+2]

44 minutes ago, dockman said:

If we as the most prosperous country with a military that is by far the world's largest cannot at this point figure out how to take 1200 passengers and some? crew off of two ships and provide them with the care they need whether hospitalization or safe quarantine then good luck to us all.

 

 

Try not to worry. They will be well taken care of.  It is not going to be convenient, but they will have a good plan. 

[Cruisin Kay D]

None of us (except maybe Copper) will ever know what negotiations were going on betw HA, Panama and various involved countries, but YES, the ships were admitted to the Canal & got through in record time!   Only a few hours before the transit, word through media, etc. was "ships are NOT going thru Canal"....(but I never thought they would NOT get through the Canal)....then suddenly late last night they transitted through the new locks.   This should serve as a lesson to us:  the powers were working hard on this all along and a deal was worked out!!

 

None of us (except maybe Copper) has ANY IDEA what sort of negotiations or plans are being made for the ships, as to where they are going, what will happen to people, etc......everyone here is just speculating....but I am sure the various heads involved are working on something!!    

(And I do NOT think that includes the idea of Z & R riding around the Atlantic Ocean dropping off people here & there!)

 

As I read the many pages of comments since the transit, I thought of so many points I wanted to make now, none of which I can now remember....

 

I do think the media and some in the government have blamed the cruise ships in the beginning too much in this crisis, some going practically as far as hinting/trying to blame cruise ships for the crisis here....

 

[Tampa Girl]

13 minutes ago, Max2003 said:

Well it doesn't look like they are going to stop. 😁  I hope the visual diversion raised the spirits!

 

 

 

 

Max, would you mind posting again the site for this marine service?  Or is it a site that has to be subscribed to.  Thanks.

[bob brown]

1 minute ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

Max, would you mind posting again the site for this marine service?  Or is it a site that has to be subscribed to.  Thanks.

It is Marine Traffic...

The way it works is, when ships AIS are detected by terrestrial radio, they provide all the details, free of charge.   But when they are 'out of range', and only receive satellite position reports from AIS, you must pay a substantial subscription for full details.

But if you look back at the last terrestrial report, and the length of time past, and its destination, you can pretty much figure out which of the blue targets is the ship you are following...