Source: Cruise Junkie dot Com

Events at Sea by Volendam

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The events listed have been reported in the public domain or to cruisejunkie by passengers or crew members onboard.  The list is by no means comprehensive.  For that reason it is necessary to be cautious in drawing conclusions from the potentially limited data.  Keep in mind that some companies may be more transparent than others about things that go wrong; conversely, some companies may be better at concealing events and thereby project an appearance that is inaccurate.  With that said, the following list is still interesting, as are the patterns when viewed separately by ship.




dd/mm/yy
2010
Incident
16.3.10 ABC in New South Wales reports the ship cancelled its visit to Batemans Bay on the New South Wales far south coast. The ship was expected to arrive this morning, but has announced that it will stop at Eden instead for operational reasons. The ship was expected to bring around 1,500 passengers and crew to Batemans Bay.
Itinerary change
12.2.10 The Howich and Pakuranga Times reports a New Zealand couple were evicted from the ship last summer in Juneau after a passenger who asked for a room upgrade was turned down and jokingly commented that if he threatened to jump overboard they'd probably give him a balcony cabin. The article reports, he was sent immediately to the ship’s doctor and “I was told I was a nut case”. Adding insult to injury they were confined to their cabin, except for being escorted to meals, until the ship docked in Juneau, Alaska. To their astonishment an ambulance was waiting to take them to nearby Bartlett Hospital. “They made us take all our gear with us,” says the passenger. “They had no right to put my wife off the ship as well.” A day of tests followed, including a brain scan for a possible tumour which the medics felt could explain his “erratic behaviour”. After they racked up about $3330 in fees, the hospital gave him a three-page letter saying he was fit and healthy, and was no danger to himself or to anyone else. But when they returned to the ship, they were refused permission to re-board it.
Passengers evicted
16.1.10 Fiji Times reports the ship cancelled its visit to Levuka after an assessment by the ship's master that showed that the passage and the currents were unsafe for passengers to go ashore from the vessel. The ship had to leave for Suva early in the morning. The vessel started its journey on January 6 from Sydney, Australia heading to New Caledonia, on to Vanuatu, then to Fiji yesterday.
Cancelled port call
dd/mm/yy
2009
Incident
27.7.09 The Juneau Empire reports the ship violated Alaska Wastewater Quality Standards in May. There were three violations. The ship's effluent on May 18 had 4800 fecal coliforms per 100 milliliters, while the limit is 43 in any one day. It had a monthly average for fecal coliform of 4800/100ml (effluent limit is 14/100ml) and was also cited for exceding the allowable level of biological oxygen demand (44.1 mg/L (effluent limit is 30 mg/L). Environmental
4.2.09 Passengers were notified that the ship's call to Petropavlovsk (Kamchatka), Russia on May 10, 2009 has been cancelled and has been replaced with a call to Aomori, Japan. Passengers booking shore excursion received full refunds. Shore excursions in Aomori will be available in time.
Itinerary change
dd/mm/yy
2008
Incident
18.11.08 A 75-year-old Dutch passenger was photographing vintage cars parked nearby when he walked backwards off the edge of the wharf at Napier (New Zealand), falling 4-5m into the sea, about 12.30pm. A cruise ship staff member jumped into the water and rescued the man who was later taken to Hawke's Bay hospital suffering water inhalation. The man, due to leave aboard the ship this afternoon, was expected to rejoin the vessel in Tauranga.
Pax falls off dock
dd/mm/yy
Events 2005 and earlier
Incident
26.10.05
Many ships had their itineraries impacted by Hurricane Wilma, including the port of embarkation and de-barkation changing without proper notice.  I received many e-mails, including from the Coral Princess and Volendam.  The latter two were interesting because passengers complained about the lack of information and the giving of false information by folks on the phones prior to the cruise.  There were also complaints about confusing information onboard.  As one person recommended to cruise lines: This is not the only time this is going to happen -- learn some lessons and develop measures to ensure customer support and satisfaction for the next time.  Interestingly, a passenger on the Coral Princess reported that passengers on the shortened sailing received a refund of 33%; a passenger on the Volendam reported receiving an onboard credit of 78 cents and a free cocktail.
Weather Delays
14.2.05
The following is from Carnival Corporation's Annual Report filed today:  In August 2004, Holland America Line was notified by the National Park Service ("NPS") that the Volendam and Statendam may have violated opacity standards while operating in Glacier Bay. On November 10, 2004, NPS notified Holland America Line in separate letters that a Violation of Record would beentered in the permanent park files for each ship.
Environmental
12-30.5.04
There have been multiple reports on Internet newsgroups of propulsion problems aboard the Volendam's May 12th cruise -- the right engine was not operational and the cruise was ended on one engine. 
Propulsion problems
13.3.01
A small engine room fire was reported.  It was quickly brought under control.
Fire




Illness Outbreaks at Sea by Volendam

dd/mm/yy
2008
29.10.08
The Marlborough Express (New Zealand) reports a norovirus outbreak (the ship is on Code Red) aboard the ship that prevented visitors while it was in Picton. The ship was to host a fundraising luncheon for the Marlborough Community Hospice but it was postponed. The Otaga Daily Times reports Octiober 31 that the number reported ill at 60. UPDATE: The ship's "welcome to Sydney (Australia) was reportedly cancelled because of norovirus onboard.
12.1.08
The ship reported 7 of 608 (1.15%) crew and 85 of 1451 (5.86%) passengers had reported ill on a Southern/Western Caribbean cruise that began January 2 in Fort Lauderdale and which disembarked  January 12.
dd/mm/yy
2007
22.4.07
The ship reported that 2 of 606 (0.33%) crew and 69 of 1427  (4.84%) passengers had reported ill on a 11 day Southern Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale (12 - 22 April)
1.2.07
The ship reported that 7 of 608 (1.15%) crew and 105 of 1385 (7.58%) passengers had reported ill on the  10 day Southern Caribbean cruise returning to Fort Lauderdale today.  Symptons were consistent with gastrointestinal illness (e.g., norovirus).
dd/mm/yy
2006 and earlier
13.3.06
On March 13, 2006, Holland America Cruise Line reported that an elevated number of Volendam passengers and crew were experiencing symptoms that were consistent with acute gastroenteritis. The predominant symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting.  On March 21, the ship’s medical staff reported that 3 of 613 (0.49%) crew and 51 of 1412 (3.61%) passengers were ill.   The ship returned to Port Everglades March 17 from a 10 night Southern Caribbean cruise.
29.12.03
53 passengers and 11 crew came down with probable cases of norovirus during the pregious week's cruise.
18-25.8.03
According to a physician (passenger) onboard, there was an outbreak of norwalk-like virus that affected at least 50 (and as many as 75 or 100).  There was no public acknowledgement by the cruise line during the cruise, but on the 3rd day all self-serve options were discontinued and the chips witched to its "infectious disease" protocol.
Passengers were quarantined to cabins.


Illness Outbreaks by: