Coronavirus and cruises: Holland America ship Westerdam arrives in Cambodia - USA TODAY
Holland America's MS Westerdam has no known cases of coronavirus among the 1,455 passengers and 802 crew onboard and has not been in quarantine. USA TODAY
Cambodia came to the rescue of passengers aboard Holland America's MS Westerdam on Wednesday, granting the ship permission to disembark at Sihanoukville on Thursday.
"All approvals have been received and we are extremely grateful to the Cambodian authorities for their support," the line said in a release provided by public relations director Erik Elvejord to USA TODAY.
Late Wednesday, early Thursday local time, the Westerdam arrived in Cambodia and local officials boarded the ship, according to Holland America.
Though it was not yet clear when the ship's passengers would be allowed to disembark, the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, said a team had arrived at the port to assist the U.S. citizens aboard.
The Westerdam departed Hong Kong Feb. 1 and originally was scheduled to disembark in Shanghai on Saturday before coronavirus gripped mainland China and forced itinerary changes. It was turned away from multiple other disembarkation points, despite the cruise line's assertion that there are no known cases among the ship's 1,455 passengers and 802 crew.
First, it moved to Yokohama, Japan, only for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to bar the vessel from entering his country. Next, Guam, a U.S. territory, turned it away, rejecting a request from the State Department to let the ship in.
And on Tuesday – one day after Holland America announced it had gotten permission for the ship to disembark at Bangkok's Laem Chabang port – Thailand's public health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, said he issued orders denying the ship permission to disembark there.
The Philippines also barred the ship from making a scheduled port call earlier in the sailing.
The ship will remain in port at Sihanoukville for several days post-disembarkation. Guests will make their way home from Sihanoukville over the following few days, transferring on charter flights to Phnom Penh before continuing on their way home. Holland America will arrange and pay for all flights home. All passengers will receive a full refund and a future cruise credit.
The Westerdam passengers aren't the only ones breathing a sigh of relief: On Tuesday, the quarantine was lifted for the 195 U.S. citizens who left Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, on Jan. 29. Although they will need follow-up care from their doctors, they are now allowed to leave March Air Reserve Base in California and return home.
Coronavirus quarantine ends:195 people who flew from Wuhan to California free to leave airbase
Diamond Princess now has 174 cases, will offer crew paid vacation
As of Tuesday evening, at least 174 passengers on board Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess cruise ship had been diagnosed with coronavirus. And at least 20 of them are Americans.
"We are following guidance from the Japan Ministry of Health on plans for disembarkation protocols to provide medical care for these new cases," Princess Cruises said in a statement provided by Negin Kamali, director of public relations.
Princess Cruises also said it would offer the ship's crew two months of paid leave. The company will arrange for them to fly home and protect their jobs until they return, Kamali said.
The ship was carrying 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew when it set sail on Jan. 20 and is now quarantined off the coast of Japan. The Diamond Princess is scheduled to remain under quarantine until Feb. 19. Those who have been diagnosed have been taken to local hospitals, and an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has arrived in Tokyo to assist Japanese health officials.
Due to the quarantine, "it was not unexpected that additional cases would be reported involving individuals who were exposed prior to the start of the quarantine," Negin Kamali said.
Passengers on the ship have been instructed to stay in their suites or cabins during the quarantine.
Those in interior cabins with no window or outdoor access have been able to go on deck for up to an hour and a half but must stay at least three feet from fellow passengers, Matt Smith, an attorney from Sacramento, California, and a passenger on the quarantined ship told USA TODAY on Friday.
"Every day we're just waiting to hear how many other people came down with it," Sommer Gunia, a breast surgeon based in Scottsdale, Arizona, told The Arizona Republic, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
When asked how she is spending her days in quarantine, Gunia said she plays sudoku and crossword puzzles provided by crew members. She said the Wi-Fi has been upgraded three times, allowing her to check email and social media. The Wi-Fi isn't fast enough to stream shows, but passengers have access to movies and TV shows on demand, along with live news broadcasts.
And though passengers are barred from the ship's restaurants, Gunia said they are fed a variety of well-made food with meals often including appetizers and desserts."It's not like they're throwing us bread and water," Gunia said. "I mean, we're definitely getting food that's had some thought put into it."
The coronavirus, which was first identified in Wuhan, China, has spread across the globe with 60,329confirmed cases and 1,369 deaths as of Wednesday night. Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Japanese authorities initially decided quarantining people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship was the best option. She said during an event Tuesday at the National Press Club that the increasing number of infected individuals on the ship is prompting officials to "look critically" about the safest thing to do for all on board.
"I think the issue is what are the options available? Finding the best option, given what we know right now about how much spread has already occurred and how many are still susceptible," she said. "It’s just an extremely difficult issue. For the passengers, the crew and their families, it is extremely difficult."
Schuchat noted the ship has a lot of elderly people on board. "What’s the best way to safely offload them, if they are going to be offloaded?"
Contributing: Curtis Tate
Norovirus outbreaks hit two ships
Coronavirus isn't the only bug plaguing cruise ships: norovirus is also wreaking havoc.
On Monday, Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess was forced to abort its 14-day Caribbean sailing after 299 passengers and 22 crew members became sick with the highly contagious gastrointestinal virus. It is en route back to Port Everglades Florida, where it is expected to dock Thursday, according to spokesperson Negin Kamali.
Norovirus strikes Princess cruise ship: Caribbean Princess forced to turn around after over 300 fall ill
Meanwhile, Saga Cruises' Spirit of Discovery was denied entry to Gilbraltar over the weekend due to dozens of cases of highly contagious gastrointestinal illness aboard the British-flagged ship. It was ordered to return to Southampton, England, where it is expected to arrive Wednesday.
Another case: British cruise ship denied entry at Gibraltar due to norovirus outbreak
Contributing: Ken Alltucker, Bill Keveney, Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; Frank Witsil, The Detroit Free Press
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