Cruise Ship to Dock in
Cambodia After Being Stranded
at Sea Over Coronavirus Fears The MS Westerdam has been stranded at sea since
Feb. 6, when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe denied
its docking in the country over fear of COVID-19. Despite repeatedly confirming that there
were no cases of the Wuhan coronavirus
onboard, the cruise ship was denied
entry by country after country. Aside from Japan, the ship was also denied the ability to
dock in Thailand, Taiwan, Guam and the Philippines. Cruise company Holland America Line announced on Feb. 12
that the MS Westerdam, which departed from Hong Kong, would
finally be allowed to dock in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The ship’s 1,455 passengers will disembark on Feb. 13
and transfer via charter flights to Phnom Penh, Cambodia,
where they will then continue to their respective homes. Holland America Line has pledged to arrange and
pay for all flights, as well as issue full cruise refunds
and future cruise credit to all passengers. Fear of cruise ships carrying the coronavirus has run rampant across the globe since the quarantine of the Diamond Princess
in Yokohama, Japan, and the World Dream in Hong Kong. The World Dream has since been cleared for disembarkation,
but the Diamond Princess, carrying 3,700 passengers and
crew, has remained in quarantine since Feb. 4. At least 175 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have
been found on board the Diamond Princess.
