Cabin Fever: The Harrowing Journey of a Cruise Ship at the Dawn of a Pandemic
- Downloads：3132
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-22 17:21:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Michael Smith
- ISBN：B09GW1HFDH
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The true story of the Holland America cruise ship Zaandam， which set sail with a deadly and little-understood stowaway--COVID-19--days before the world shut down in March 2020。 This riveting narrative thriller takes readers behind the scenes with passengers and crew who were caught unprepared for the deadly ordeal that lay ahead。
In early 2020， the world was on edge。 An ominous virus was spreading on different continents， and no one knew what the coming weeks would bring。 Far from the hot spots， the cruise ship Zaandam， owned by Holland America， was preparing to sail from Buenos Aires， Argentina， loaded with 1，200 passengers--Americans， Europeans and South Americans， plus 600 crew。
Most passengers were over the age of sixty-five。 There was concern about the virus on the news， and it had already killed and sickened passengers on other Holland America ships。 But that was oceans away， and escaping to sea at the ends of the earth for a few weeks seemed like it might be a good option。 The cruise line had said the voyage （three weeks around the South American coastline to see some of the world's most stunning natural wonders and ancient ruins） would carry on as scheduled， with no refunds。 And it would be safe。
Among the travelers there is a retired American school superintendent on a dream vacation with his wife of fifty-six years， on a personal quest to see Machu Picchu。 There is an Argentine psychologist taking this trip to celebrate her sixty-fourth birthday with her husband， though she finds herself fretting in her cabin on day one， trying to dismiss her fears of what she's hearing on the news。 There is an Indonesian laundry manager who's been toiling on Holland America cruise ships for thirty years， sending his monthly paycheck to his family back home。
Within days， people aboard Zaandam begin to fall sick。 The world's ports shut down。 Zaandam becomes a top story on the news and is denied safe harbor everywhere。 With only two doctors aboard and few medical supplies to test for or treat COVID-19， and with dwindling food and water， the ship wanders the oceans on an unthinkable journey。
In early 2020， the world was on edge。 An ominous virus was spreading on different continents， and no one knew what the coming weeks would bring。 Far from the hot spots， the cruise ship Zaandam， owned by Holland America， was preparing to sail from Buenos Aires， Argentina， loaded with 1，200 passengers--Americans， Europeans and South Americans， plus 600 crew。
Most passengers were over the age of sixty-five。 There was concern about the virus on the news， and it had already killed and sickened passengers on other Holland America ships。 But that was oceans away， and escaping to sea at the ends of the earth for a few weeks seemed like it might be a good option。 The cruise line had said the voyage （three weeks around the South American coastline to see some of the world's most stunning natural wonders and ancient ruins） would carry on as scheduled， with no refunds。 And it would be safe。
Among the travelers there is a retired American school superintendent on a dream vacation with his wife of fifty-six years， on a personal quest to see Machu Picchu。 There is an Argentine psychologist taking this trip to celebrate her sixty-fourth birthday with her husband， though she finds herself fretting in her cabin on day one， trying to dismiss her fears of what she's hearing on the news。 There is an Indonesian laundry manager who's been toiling on Holland America cruise ships for thirty years， sending his monthly paycheck to his family back home。
Within days， people aboard Zaandam begin to fall sick。 The world's ports shut down。 Zaandam becomes a top story on the news and is denied safe harbor everywhere。 With only two doctors aboard and few medical supplies to test for or treat COVID-19， and with dwindling food and water， the ship wanders the oceans on an unthinkable journey。
Reviews
Jen
，
This was a very interesting read， and not dry like a lot of nonfiction is。 It did drag a little in the middle and get repetitive （yes， we know all the countries have abandoned the poor cruise ship and won't let it dock）。 I took a cruise in February 2020 and always think about how that could have been me if it had been just a few weeks later。 It's such a shame that the cruise companies care so much about money that they put their customers and staff at risk， and many died。 What a nightmare it mus This was a very interesting read， and not dry like a lot of nonfiction is。 It did drag a little in the middle and get repetitive （yes， we know all the countries have abandoned the poor cruise ship and won't let it dock）。 I took a cruise in February 2020 and always think about how that could have been me if it had been just a few weeks later。 It's such a shame that the cruise companies care so much about money that they put their customers and staff at risk， and many died。 What a nightmare it must have been for the cruisers， some of whom were stuck on the ship for 50 days， and even more so for staff who were on it for much longer。 Even more disgusting is how they made the lowest paid employees continue to pay for internet on the cruise ship to communicate with the friends and family during the pandemic！ 。。。more
Karen R
，
We knew back in Feb 2020 that abnormal numbers of people were leaving ships with coughs and flu-like symptoms。 I was one of those people and it made me mad to read about the questionable decisions made only one month later on Holland America’s Zaandam。 The path to Zaandam's ultimate lockdown in the Pacific was a rocky one and well documented in this revelational book。 A fascinating and in-depth insider look into the early pandemic days。I applaud rock star Captain Smit who expertly navigated an u We knew back in Feb 2020 that abnormal numbers of people were leaving ships with coughs and flu-like symptoms。 I was one of those people and it made me mad to read about the questionable decisions made only one month later on Holland America’s Zaandam。 The path to Zaandam's ultimate lockdown in the Pacific was a rocky one and well documented in this revelational book。 A fascinating and in-depth insider look into the early pandemic days。I applaud rock star Captain Smit who expertly navigated an unprecedented and ever-changing ‘make it up as you go’ manner as ports opened and closed willy nilly。 I commend his remarkable and overwhelmed staff who worked tirelessly for the passengers and co-workers。The decision to throw in lots of social activities to get people to forget there was a pandemic building was a particularly bad one and our so called CDC experts mixed messages didn’t help。 People knew a pandemic was lurking but so many chose to ignore it。Captain Smit and his crew's dedication to passengers was inspirational。 On the other hand， Holland America’s corporate office clearly chose profit over people， denying refunds to nervous passengers prior to boarding， knowing and hiding that covid was on their doorstep。 The ship was woefully unprepared for its’ arrival。 An eye-opening and well-written story。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Nora
，
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this e-book ARC to read， review， and recommend。Cabin Fever by Michael Smith and Johnathan Franklin is an amazing， well written account of the cruise ship， Zaandam - one of the last ships to depart before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a worldwide lockdown。 It is a poignant， real life story of the passengers and crew abandoned by their counties and forced to travel as people were sick and dying from COVID- 19。 The individual stories were heartbreaking Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this e-book ARC to read， review， and recommend。Cabin Fever by Michael Smith and Johnathan Franklin is an amazing， well written account of the cruise ship， Zaandam - one of the last ships to depart before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a worldwide lockdown。 It is a poignant， real life story of the passengers and crew abandoned by their counties and forced to travel as people were sick and dying from COVID- 19。 The individual stories were heartbreaking and it was terrifying to imagine their fear of illness and dying while the crew was dealing with depleting food， fuel and medical supplies。 As a health care professional， I have my own horror stories from the pandemic。 Cabin Fever opened my eyes to the struggles and horrors of cruise ship employees。 Amazing book！ 。。。more
Blaine DeSantis
，
What a great book。 This shines an unfortunate spotlight on the Holland America cruise ship Zaandam on its voyage of March 6， 2020， a voyage that was so terrible it was dubbed the "Pariah Ship。" The authors are able to interview crew， staff， passengers and others， and also got access to certain documentation to give us an almost day by day look at what happened on the Zaandam as it was overwhelmed with Coronavirus infections。 I am a cruiser but after reading this book I may never cruise again。 Th What a great book。 This shines an unfortunate spotlight on the Holland America cruise ship Zaandam on its voyage of March 6， 2020， a voyage that was so terrible it was dubbed the "Pariah Ship。" The authors are able to interview crew， staff， passengers and others， and also got access to certain documentation to give us an almost day by day look at what happened on the Zaandam as it was overwhelmed with Coronavirus infections。 I am a cruiser but after reading this book I may never cruise again。 The ship was a breeding ground for Covid， and this voyage should have never left port in Buenos Aires （Final destination Port Everglades， FL）。 By the time this boat left the world had begun to be overrun with Covid， and numerous ships had well publicized Covid outbreaks。 Nonetheless， the boat took off and shortly thereafter Covid struck， but the ship was ill prepared for this outbreak and it ravaged so many people on the cruise。 So what we have in this book is a classic example of what not to do in crisis situation。 Holland America corporate refused to participate in this book and I can understand why！ Terrible。 This book grabs you and will not let you go。 I read it in under two days。 The stories are shocking， heartbreaking， and heroic。 Bureaucracy runs amok， all countries close their ports to this ship with dead and dying passengers until the are finally allowed through the Panama Canal。 Then they are denied entrance to other ports in the Caribbean and even the US。 This is a non-fiction book that all of us should read， and read about our fears， our inhumanity to suffering people， heroism by staff and crew members and the suffering that was imposed upon every passenger on the boat as it drifts aimlessly trying to get fuel， food， medical supplies and a friendly port。 Covid was a pandemic nobody was ready for but decisions made from the very start doomed this ship， and that should never have happened。 You can see my full review on www。viewsonbooks。com 。。。more
William Harris
，
Few topics can be more in the forefront of our thoughts than the recent Covid 19 Pandemic。 As a glutton for punishment and a frequent cruiser for the last couple of decades， I was immediately intrigued when I encountered "Cabin Fever: The Harrowing Journey of a Cruise Ship at the Dawn of a Pandemic，" written by Michael Smith and Jonathan Franklin and published by Doubleday。 I began reading the ARC almost as soon as it hit my computer。 This is the story of the Holland America Zaandam and its stru Few topics can be more in the forefront of our thoughts than the recent Covid 19 Pandemic。 As a glutton for punishment and a frequent cruiser for the last couple of decades， I was immediately intrigued when I encountered "Cabin Fever: The Harrowing Journey of a Cruise Ship at the Dawn of a Pandemic，" written by Michael Smith and Jonathan Franklin and published by Doubleday。 I began reading the ARC almost as soon as it hit my computer。 This is the story of the Holland America Zaandam and its struggle to contain an outbreak of the Covid pandemic on a cruise which occurred just as the world's nations closed their ports and borders。 It is a quick read but a gut-wrenching one。 None of us can remain indifferent to the worldwide traumatic consequences of this outbreak， and this represents a kind of anecdotal account/case study of the experience of the pandemic on one ship （of the many affected）。 The narrative is journalistic in nature and follows a variety passengers as well as crew and ships officers。 The authors are to be complimented on the way in which they eschew the quick and dirty view of things which simply seeks to scapegoat people。 Instead， their balanced but painful account does a superb job of looking at the complexity of the problem and the many difficulties and structural challenges which it provoked。 The reader is left sad yet impressed at the individual examples of courage and determination which shine throughout the text。 I finished the book late last night， and it left me drained and impressed and， candidly， in tears。 If you are ready confront this kind of thing （it is not for the faint of heart） and have an open mind， this book may be for you。 For me， its greatest strength is in the way it reveals the ways in which our bureaucracies failed individual human beings。 It is a cautionary tale， and it offers many lessons。 。。。more
Amanda Rozell
，
I just have to say “wow”。 Cabin Fever is probably one of the best books I’ll read this year。 It was heartbreaking and hard to read at times。 It could easily pass for a sci-fi， but knowing that it’s true and people had to endure it all makes it that much scarier than fiction。The authors did a really great job with telling about the passengers and crew without being political， but being fair to all。 This book will stay with me for a while。 Thank you Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing this I just have to say “wow”。 Cabin Fever is probably one of the best books I’ll read this year。 It was heartbreaking and hard to read at times。 It could easily pass for a sci-fi， but knowing that it’s true and people had to endure it all makes it that much scarier than fiction。The authors did a really great job with telling about the passengers and crew without being political， but being fair to all。 This book will stay with me for a while。 Thank you Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC to review。 ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions， favorable or otherwise。 ~ 。。。more
Denise
，
Utterly heartbreaking and vivid account of life and death aboard the cruise ship Zaandam during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020。When passengers， most of them over age 65， streamed onto the Holland America ship in Argentina， they had only minimal concern about the novel coronavirus that was just starting to hit the news。 Over 1200 cruisers and 600 crew members were convinced that they were escaping on this planned 3-week voyage into areas that would be safe。 Unfortunately， a stowaway Utterly heartbreaking and vivid account of life and death aboard the cruise ship Zaandam during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020。When passengers， most of them over age 65， streamed onto the Holland America ship in Argentina， they had only minimal concern about the novel coronavirus that was just starting to hit the news。 Over 1200 cruisers and 600 crew members were convinced that they were escaping on this planned 3-week voyage into areas that would be safe。 Unfortunately， a stowaway was also on board and within days of the Zaandam embarkation， people began coughing and developing symptoms indicating that the virus had come along。 Because so little was known about how the virus was transmitted， how to confirm a diagnosis， or how to take care of people exhibiting the signs of disease， mistakes were made。 In another colossal failure， the ship had only a small medical unit with two doctors and minimal supplies and medications to even begin to care for the incoming deluge of patients。 Even worse， there were no reliable COVID tests on the ship so tracking the spread proved nearly impossible。 Meanwhile， as the communications between ship and shore intensified， passengers were quarantined in their cabins so the crew members， many of them sick themselves， were expected to continue laundry and food service to the passenger rooms at unprecedented levels。 Left adrift in the ocean for weeks on end， the Zaandam was denied port entry as the world was shutting down。 All the basic necessities were running low， the medical unit was filled to capacity， the crew members were sick and dying， and the passengers were locked in their rooms， many sick and untended。 What a nightmare。 The ship was deemed a pariah and left to wander the oceans， doomed to wait until someone let them come into safe harbor。This was a grueling read and I had to stop often as the emotional stories got to me。 I was angry even as I understood that ignorance of the condition， so profound in the early days of the global pandemic， resulted in so many egregious errors in how this situation was handled。 The Zaandam was not the only cruise ship out on the waters with sick and dying people on board。 An overwhelming situation was occurring on land at the same time， and things were dire everywhere as a worldwide shutdown began。 The personal accounts by passengers and crew that were related in this book really demonstrated the reality of the crisis and the hopelessness all experienced。 Difficult to read， especially in retrospect now that we are two years out from the beginning of this disease， I am glad so many survived despite the seemingly insurmountable odds。 It is important to remember that there are always heroes in any disaster; it just may be that they are not the ones you imagine。Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this e-book ARC to read， review， and recommend。 It is definitely not for the faint of heart。 。。。more
Ariel
，
This was a hard read， especially with COVID being so prevalent in the world， but it was definitely worth the read。 It delved deep into the lives of passengers and crew aboard the ship， sparing none of the horrifying details of being trapped at sea for long periods of time。 Echoed the uncertainty and panic of those first days of COVID in a way that was both chilling and beautiful。 Thank you Net Galley for the arc！！
Danielle
，
I have so many thoughts on this I don’t even know where to start。 I guess I’ll start by saying this is one of the best pieces of nonfiction I’ve ever read。 It was honest， emotional and also fair to everyone。 My fear was that it would get too political， and the truth is that everyone botched COVID so it’s a waste of time to focus too much on one person or party， in my opinion。 Luckily， that wasn’t the case here。 When I heard a book about a Covid cruise was coming out， I was really excited to read I have so many thoughts on this I don’t even know where to start。 I guess I’ll start by saying this is one of the best pieces of nonfiction I’ve ever read。 It was honest， emotional and also fair to everyone。 My fear was that it would get too political， and the truth is that everyone botched COVID so it’s a waste of time to focus too much on one person or party， in my opinion。 Luckily， that wasn’t the case here。 When I heard a book about a Covid cruise was coming out， I was really excited to read it。 It’s something we all heard about and remember from the start of the pandemic but it sort of fell out of the news quickly。 Meanwhile， hundreds of ships were stuck at sea with thousands of crew members on a floating prison。 After most of the passengers left， people seemed to forget about the crew。 I had no idea what miserable conditions they suffered。 Small rooms with no windows or wifi or anything to connect them to the outside world。 I remember being afraid for the ships to dock and I’m ashamed of that now and of many other countries as well。 I had no idea passengers were denied refunds and that’s why they were on that ship。 Some had spent upwards of $20，000 for trips they’d waited a lifetime for。 This reads like a thriller or dystopian sci-fi but it’s a real story。 This particular ship was full of mostly elderly passengers and we know that coronavirus affects them worse than any other demographic。 It’s hard to even imagine now， being stuck in a Petri dish like that。 I was always afraid of norovirus on cruises so this was definitely extra scary。This book takes you inside the stories of real people on the ship。 From nonessential crew， crew， to passengers alike。 I never knew all of the logistics of running a cruise ship。 The red tape and bureaucracy。 It had to be an absolute nightmare for all involved。 And at a time when we knew so little about this virus。 “Desperate guesses” it says in the book and I thought that was a great way to put it。 We know now it’s mostly caught through the air but everything was suspect then。 This was back when we sprayed Lysol on some of our groceries。 It was particularly amazing to see the staff really step up。 They are like a family and some of the bravest people I’ve heard of。 The sacrifices they made for the passengers were amazing。 Some of the sacrifices were forced or shouldn’t have needed to have been made。 The people aboard were innocent and got stuck in the middle of corporate and government cowardice and greed。 Treating people like so many did will undoubtedly be taught in ethics classes in the future。This is a generation-defining event and it isn’t quite over yet but I’m happy to see that some people are taking the time to document it like this so the bravery and sacrifice won’t be forgotten and so that hopefully history won’t repeat itself。Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy and thanks to the authors for putting this out into the world。 。。。more
Ira Smith
，
Cabin Fever tells the story of the cruise ship Zaandam， setting sail just as Covid was making its appearance， and when a few cruise ships had already experienced outbreaks of the virus。 The book recounts the Zaandam’s outbreak both from the perspective of the crew and passengers， and really brings home the horror of the situation on the ship， to the point where I was feeling claustrophobic along with the passengers stuck in their tiny windowless cabins。 The book is not at all kind to Carnival， t Cabin Fever tells the story of the cruise ship Zaandam， setting sail just as Covid was making its appearance， and when a few cruise ships had already experienced outbreaks of the virus。 The book recounts the Zaandam’s outbreak both from the perspective of the crew and passengers， and really brings home the horror of the situation on the ship， to the point where I was feeling claustrophobic along with the passengers stuck in their tiny windowless cabins。 The book is not at all kind to Carnival， the cruise ship company that owned the Zaandam。My thanks to Doubleday Books and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book。 。。。more
brea
，