Ocean liner is desperately looking for port of reception. This is the bleak situation that Zaandam, currently flying the Dutch flag, is currently experiencing. A total of 1,800 people are on board this liner, including nearly 80 in flu-like condition. The ship is currently wandering in the Pacific, off Peru, when South America is closing for fear of the coronavirus.
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The cruise left Buenos Aires (Argentina) on March 7 and was originally scheduled to end in San Antonio (Chile) on March 21. But in the meantime, the world health situation has considerably deteriorated (closing of borders, airports, compulsory confinement). As a result, the company has decided to suspend all of its cruises.
Covid-19 cases on board?
On March 14, the liner asked for authorization to dock in Punta Arenas, in the south of Chile, in order to disembark all its passengers and that they could return to their respective countries by plane. Without success. The liner then set off for the north and on Tuesday it was sailing off the coast of Peru, where it was not allowed to dock either because "boats carrying people affected by epidemics or infectious diseases cannot arrive here " Peruvian official sources told AFP on condition of anonymity.
As for the suffering passengers and crew, the mystery remains. " As it is flu season and tests for the Covid-19 are not available on board, at the moment it is difficult to determine what exactly these many cases are, " the company said in a statement. quoted by AFP. According to an SMS sent by the agency “Cruises of exception” to the families of passengers, “flu symptoms today affect 75 people, the majority of whom are crew members. According to the company, there are no serious cases ”.
Locked up ... during their honeymoon
Among the hundred French on board the liner, there are notably Philippe, 71 years old, and Françoise, 67 years old. This cruise was their honeymoon, offered by their friends and family on the occasion of their wedding last year. They are currently confined to the cabin of their ocean liner, without hot water. Their mobile phones pick up intermittently, which allows them to give news to their children.
“We have been locked in our cabins since Sunday. The meal trays are placed on the floor in the corridor, ” they explain to Le Figaro via WhatsApp messaging. On Sunday, a first case of Covid-19 was indeed suspected, which led all the passengers to be confined to their cabins. “We have a balcony, but we are very worried about our friends who don't have a window or windows that don't open. For them it's even more complicated, ” say Philippe and Françoise. "The meals are catastrophic and we no longer want to eat," they continue.
Blurred situation on board
On board, the situation is rather vague and very little information circulates. “We don't know much about the sick and what they have. The staff are hiding and don't want to talk to us , ” explains the couple. Françoise says she has a fever but she doesn't know if it's the flu, stress or air conditioning.
To those who accuse them of having been reckless, given the health situation at the beginning of March, Françoise and Philippe replied: "At the start, we didn't want to leave any more and we had contacted the cruise line to postpone our trip. But he did not want to cancel and told us that there was no problem . " In addition, Françoise and Philippe had already paid for the trip at the beginning of December, which was "very large" .
For the moment, no one knows which port will accept the ship. "Among the options under negotiation is the crossing of the Panama Canal for a landing in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) probably in 5-6 days. This option is subject to Panama's authorization, which has not yet been obtained. Other options are negotiated such as arriving in San Diego in the USA, ” explains“ Exceptional Cruises ”to families by SMS.
The only certainty: the boat will be joined on Thursday by the Rotterdam, another company ship which will provide it with food and medical equipment (including Covid tests). A ray of hope for Françoise and Philippe, who hope to find France, and their children, as soon as possible.
