Rare 0106 Posted January 9, 2022 #51 Share Posted January 9, 2022 Thank you so much Sailor Marg! Your insights have helped me feel more comfortable moving forward. Enjoy the Panama Canal transit. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leerathje Posted January 9, 2022 #52 Share Posted January 9, 2022 On 1/5/2022 at 4:07 PM, Boatdrill said: In March 2020 during the pause in cruise operations, HAL asked for and was granted special permission for the Zaandam and Rotterdam to transit the canal to return passengers (both healthy and ill) to Ft Lauderdale. At the time, Panama's Ministry of Health didn't allow any ship with COVID-19 positive passengers to transit the canal. It was certainly a maritime humanitarian issue - four people had died on the Zaandam during the voyage northward from the tip of South America. Ultimately the Ministry of Health gave the go ahead, and the ships were allowed through, at night. Canal employees boarded the ships in hazmat suits. Panama was one of the very few countries to help these ships get home. Actually, the Koningdam transitted through the Panama on April 11, 2020, and it was in the middle of the day. It was a VERY EXTENSIVE thread (16 pages!). I screen-grabbed many photos from the transit iself. L. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcummin Posted January 10, 2022 #53 Share Posted January 10, 2022 On 1/6/2022 at 6:40 AM, Essiesmom said: The two ships were granted passage and had to take the new locks, as they require many fewer contact personnel. They also went through at night in near blackout conditions, noone allowed on deck or balconies. I was following them on AIS and on the canal cams, and you could barely see them. Also, they were in a hurry to get them through, as they went through at near cruising speed, double the usual speed allowed. EM Zaandam 3/29/20 Passing Pedro Miguel Rotterdam at Cocoli Locks Passing Pedro Miguel Zaandam in Agua Clara Locks Captain Albert documented in his blog the speedy passage of the Rotterdam and Zaandam through the Panama Canal as plague ships in April of 2020. https://www.captainalbert.com/24-march-10-april-2020-panama-to-fort-lauderdale/#more-150189 Barbara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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