An ill-fated cruise that has had a COVID-19 outbreak and four deaths is finally coming to an end after politicians in Florida agreed to allow its passengers, including 247 Canadians, to disembark in Ft. Lauderdale.
An ill-fated cruise that has had a COVID-19 outbreak and four deaths has finally come to an end after politicians in Florida agreed to allow its passengers — including 247 Canadians — to disembark in Ft. Lauderdale.
“I couldn’t begin to tell you how happy we are,” said passenger Chris Joiner, 59, of Orleans, Ont.
He and his wife, Anna are on board the MS Zaandam, a Holland America Line cruise ship that had been sailing off the coast of South America and in the Caribbean for more than two weeks, looking for a place to dock.
“It’s been a long, long journey — the worst experience of our lives,” said Joiner. “Thank God, it’s finally over.”
The Zaandam and its sister ship, the Rotterdam, are carrying 1,243 passengers, including the 247 Canadian passengers and one Canadian crew member. They docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday afternoon.
Local officials previously resisted allowing the two ships to dock as the Zaandam has confirmed COVID-19 cases on board and several passengers in need of hospital care.
Four passengers on the Zaandam have died after the ship was hit with a flu-like illness in mid-March. Two of the deceased later tested positive for COVID-19, and Holland America has not yet said how the other two died. Several others on board have tested positive for disease that is caused by the coronavirus.
The Rotterdam and its crew joined the Zaandam last wee