DETROIT – The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship saga continues with more than 200 passengers confirmed to have the coronavirus.
Holland America’s MS Westerdam has had no reporters of the coronavirus on board, yet no country would let it dock -- until now.
The Westerdam is docked in Cambodia. It’s been a long and winding road for the nearly 1,500 passengers on board -- including some Michiganders.
Steve Muth, from Onsted in Lenawee County, told Local 4 it hasn’t been too bad. He said the vibe onboard has been, and continues, to be positive.
Concerns over the coronavirus has kept the ship out at sea without a port to dock in.
A few days ago, passengers were told the ship would dock in Thailand. After anchoring off-shore, Muth noticed a Thai warship out his window.
“It wasn’t huge, but it had guns," Muth said. “The warship hung around for an hour or two. The captain decided to move on. They came to us and said that we would be heading to Cambodia.”
Once in Cambodian waters, Muth said military and health teams boarded the cruise ship and samples were taken before they were cleared to dock.
Muth believes they will be able to disembark Friday morning. Now that it’s almost behind him, he hopes there are policies put into place so cruise ship passengers aren’t stranded at sea ever again.
Holland America has coordinated air travel for all passengers, Muth said. His family will take a flight to Cambodia’s capital and then fly to Metro Detroit.