KONINGSDAM

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Norovirus outbreak affected 110 people

A norovirus outbreak affected 110 people aboard the 'Koningsdam', which was underway with 2,522 passengers on board. 98 passengers and 12 crew members reported symptoms of illness, primarily experiencing diarrhea and vomiting, as reported by the CDC agency (USA's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The 'Koningsdam' was on a roundtrip voyage in the North Pacific through Honolulu (Feb 26), Uturoa and Papeete (March 3 and 7) after departing from its homeport San Diego on Feb 17, 2024. In response to the outbreak, Holland America and the ship's crew implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols, as well as isolating affected passengers and crew members, among other precautionary measures.

Mexican crew members waiting for disembarkation in Puerto Vallarta

After the 'Koningsdam' docked in Puerto Vallarta, 20 Mexicans were waiting to disembark. They have spent 63 days on a must-do voyage that began on March 13 in Aucklamd. Until the afternoon of May 14, they had not received instructions about the possibility to disembark in the next few hours. The objective of docking was to supply fuels, food, for maintenance reasons and to plot the route to follow in the coming days. They were transferred from the 'Noordam' to the 'Koningsdam' on April 15, in the waters of Ensenada, Baja California, to continue their route to Puerto Vallarta where the ship anchored on May 13. The Port Captaincy began negotiations with the HAL to the extent of its capabilities and responsibilities, to manage the landing of the group of Mexicans. It was regarded only a matter of hours before they can be allowed to get off the cruise, once authorized by the company.

Crew members repatriated

19 Canadian crew members of the 'Koningsdam' disembarked in Los Angeles on May 8. They were taken home by the HAL company. Another 53 Canadians left the 'Emerald Princess' in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 9 and headed to Miami where they boarded a chartered flight to Toronto. Approximately 99 U.S. crewmembers were also allowed to leave both vessels. The crew on the 'Emerald Princess' had hoped to leave the ship in Nassau, Bahamas, earlier this week, only to be left disappointed. The Canadian government had a WestJet flight lined up to return 29 Canadians from Nassau on May 5 and was also going to bring home Canadian crew members on cruise ships in the region. The cruise ship companies were not able to secure approval to disembark in time for the flight. As cases of the novel coronavirus and related deaths have risen worldwide, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials in other countries have expanded the list of conditions that must be met before crews may disembark. The conditions included taking each crew member straight home via charter plane or private car, and the CDC requires company executives to agree to criminal penalties if crew fail to obey health authorities’ orders on their way home.