Florida couple among hundreds stuck on cruise still at sea
■ Juan Huergo and Laura Gabaroni Huergo, South Florida natives, were on the Holland America Zaandam cruise ship, which has been stranded at sea due to coronavirus.
A two-week March cruise around the southern tip of South America seemed like a great idea to empty-nesters Laura Gabaroni Huergo and her husband
Juan, 48-year-old South Florida natives who relocated to Central Florida and love to explore the world by ship.
It was the couple’s first vacation without their son, Nicolas, a sophomore at the University of Florida. Aside from visiting family and friends in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, they were eager to see the British Falkland Islands, Ushuaia (the southernmost city in the world) and cruise through the Strait of Magellan, by Cape Horn and through the Chilean Fjords aboard the Holland America ship Zaandam.
Instead, the Huergos find themselves in a harrowing situation. They are stranded at sea after 23 days due to the coronavirus pandemic, confined 24 hours a day to Cabin 2620 under strict quarantine. They have no idea when or where they will disembark.
“We haven’t been able to breathe fresh air in several days; It can feel like the walls are closing in at times, and it’s starting to wear on us,” said Laura, reached by cellphone on the ship. “We have a window, no balcony.”
They were among almost 800 passengers moved to the Zaandam’s sister ship, the Rotterdam, on Saturday after four people died on board the Zaandam and 189 others — 73 guests and 116 crew — reported flu-like symptoms. A total of 446 passengers and 602 crew remain aboard the Zaandam.
The twin ships, carrying a total of 2,490 passengers, made it through the
Panama Canal on Monday morning after days of uncertainty. Where they will dock is unknown.
The Zaandam left Buenos Aires on March 7 with 1,243 passengers and 586 crew on board. At the time, the Huergos said, there were only a handful of known COVID-19 cases in Argentina and Chile, so they felt safe. But ports in both countries closed March 14, and the Zaandam was left stranded when Chilean authorities refused to let them dock.
They got to see penguins on the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and made it halfway to Punta Arenas before their itinerary was cut short.
The ship anchored off the coast of Panama Friday, was re-stocked, and given permission to pass through the canal and potentially complete its journey in Fort Lauderdale at Port Everglades. But Florida and Fort Lauderdale officials have been reluctant to allow the ships to disembark, for fear passengers will spread the virus in South Florida.
“About five days ago we were allowed outside in small, controlled groups so that there was no contact of any kind with any other passengers or even surfaces on the ship,” said Laura. “We wore our masks and enjoyed a few minutes of fresh air.”
All their meals are delivered to the cabin, along with wine and beer, and they have no contact with crew or other passengers, said Laura, a Palmetto Bay native who attended Westminster Christian School (Class of ’90) and University of Florida (Class of ’94). Juan graduated from Miami Palmetto High (’89) and Boston University.
“Because of the strict quarantine orders on the ship, we are unable to leave our room and cannot go outside for any reason,” she said. “We receive our meals from the crew, wait until they are a good distance away before sliding our tray in the cabin. Then, we clean off everything before eating. We put everything back out when we’re done.”
Their Saturday transfer from the Zaandam to the Rotterdam was a lengthy and complex process.
Zaandam crew in protective garb knocked on their cabin door. They kept their distance as the Huergos followed, wearing masks and carrying their luggage. At the transfer point, a tender awaited. Ship personnel took their large bags and they kept handcarry luggage. All their bags were sprayed with disinfectant. Tender personnel wore hazmat suits. They made the short journey from the Zaandam to the Rotterdam, where staff in protective suits guided them to their new room.
The Huergos pass the hours watching movies. So far they’ve seen “Battle of the Sexes,” “A Great Day in the Neighborhood,” “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” and “Glass.”
Laura is a technical writer at Leidos, a defense contractor, and has been keeping a journal to share with family and friends upon her return. Juan is a program manager at Leidos and has been able to do some work remotely.
They also have been communicating with friends and loved ones via What’s App and Facebook, connecting with fellow passengers of the Zaandam friends-and-family online message board, and reaching out to elected officials in Florida and Washington, D.C., pleading for help.
“We feel hopeful because we were able to cross the Panama Canal, but very discouraged by news that it is likely that Florida authorities may not allow us to dock there,” she said. “There are more than 300 American citizens on board who need the help of their government.”
To make matters worse, the waters have been choppy since they left the Panama Canal.
“The Pacific was very kind to us and gave us calm waters. The Atlantic has been more aggressive today. No word on plans right now. We have no idea where or when we will disembark.”
The Huergos have taken their plea to Facebook.
“I am a US citizen and longtime Florida resident who is stranded at sea off the coast of South America,” wrote Laura. “When my husband Juan Huergo and I boarded the Holland America Zaandam on
March 7, there were only a handful of cases of COVID-19 in South America. It seemed like the safest place to be. Our cruise went as planned until Argentina closed its borders on March 14. Chile turned us away on March 15. There are 1300 passengers and 600 crew onboard, including 300+ US citizens.
“The ship’s captain is trying to secure passage through the Panama Canal and dock us in Ft. Lauderdale, so that those who are healthy can undergo necessary screenings and those who are ill can get the treatment they need. Some Broward County officials are trying to turn us away and abandon us at sea to fend for ourselves. Please disseminate and help us all get home.”
The situation of a stranded ship seeking safe refuge is reminiscent of the St. Louis, a German ocean liner which carried 900 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany in 1939 and was denied entry in the ports of Cuba, the United States and Canada before returning to Europe.
“We are not able to leave the room, so we don’t really get to talk to too many passengers, but the ones we have spoken to, the mood varies among people depending on what the latest news is. It was great last night when we had permission to cross the canal, but the conflicting stories about our final resolution about where we’re going and when are making it difficult for people to cope.
“Four souls have already been lost because of inaction and apathy. This tragedy might have been prevented if officials along our route had allowed those people access to medical care. Hopefully, Florida officials will rise above and lend a helping hand.”