THE SOLENT - Portsmouth - a photo on Flickriver

            Photograph above:
MV BOREALIS (Fred Olsen) is seen just about to sail through the narrow entrance to Portsmouth Harbour.

Photograph Copyright: Digital Expression UK (2021)

OVERVIEW (Continued)

2020 Coronavirus pandemic
In March 2020, Rotterdam was dispatched to transport medical supplies to sister vessel Zaandam after four passengers died, and passengers and crew of Zaandam were found to have symptoms associated with the COVID-19 virus. Passengers found not to have COVID-19 symptoms were transferred to Rotterdam to reduce the spread of infection during Zaandam's return journey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On 27 March, both vessels were briefly denied transit through the Panama Canal after Panamanian authorities claimed Zaandam posed an infection risk to the local community. Transit was later granted by Panamanian authorities on 28 March.

Rotterdam followed Zaandam on its way to Florida. An unstated number of asymptomatic passengers from Zaandam were transferred to the second vessel on 28 March 2020.
At that time, the crew of Zaandam included four physicians and four nurses while Rotterdam's roster included two physicians and four nurses.

As of 30 March 2020, Holland America had not received permission to dock either vessel at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale as planned. According to news reports, the city's mayor, Dean Trantalis, "said he didn't want the ship to dock near his city, at least without extensive precautions" and a briefing by the federal government. By 31 March, Rotterdam had taken almost 1,400 people from Zaandam; none had flu-like symptoms. That left 450 passengers and 602 crew members on its sister ship with nearly 200 exhibiting symptoms.

News reports on 2 April stated that both ships would be allowed to dock at Port Everglades that afternoon. The cruise line was making arrangements for passengers from other countries to leave via chartered aircraft.

In July 2020 it was announced that Holland America Line had sold the ship to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines for delivery in September 2020and that it would be renamed MS Borealis. The ship visited its home port of Rotterdam, as well as its predecessor in the Holland America Line fleet, for the last time on 10 and 11 August 2020 after which she was handed over to Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

Taken in: UK / England / Southsea / Old Portsmouth (show map)

Taken on: September 19, 2021

Tags:

BOREALIS

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Ship

Portsmouth

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