Zaandam and Rotterdam cruise ships reach US port after 12-day wait at sea

A cruise ship on which four people have died has docked in a port in Florida after previously being denied entry.

Four people have died on the Zaandam and dozens are sick with flu-like symptoms on the vessels.

Earlier this week the ship offloaded its healthy passengers onto its sister-ship, the Rotterdam, which has now also been given permission to dock.

Operating company Holland America said that following arrival in Port Everglades, all guests would be health screened and also cleared for entry by US Customs and Border Protection.

People in a critical condition will be transferred to hospital. A copy of the agreement between the operator and the port authorities, seen by the Guardian, said 14 people would need to be evacuated to hospital when the ships docked.

Among the passengers are 305 Americans, 295 Canadians, 229 from the UK and 131 Australians.

Ahead of the decision to allow the boats to dock, Holland America Line said guests that met US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health guidelines would be transported home immediately once on land, largely on charter flights. About 10 guests will require immediate critical care once docked and 45 guests with mild illness will be required to stay onboard with the crew until they have recovered.

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The Zaandam cruise liner last entered port in Valparaíso, Chile, more than two weeks ago and has been stranded at sea with a Covid-19 outbreak onboard worsening after several Latin American countries refused to let it dock.

Asymptomatic passengers were transferred to the Rotterdam, its sister ship, off the coast of Panama in a boat-to-boat rescue operation.

“Both Zaandam and the Rotterdam have just received clearance for both ships to proceed into Port Everglades,” the captain of the Rotterdam announced to passengers on Thursday afternoon.

Related: End of the cruise? Industry struggles through rough waters of coronavirus crisis

“I am very happy to share this good news with you. It has been a long journey. Your journey home is ready to begin and we will give you an update on the next steps.”

The Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, said the Australian passengers would be repatriated within 24 to 48 hours.

The agreement to let both ships dock in Florida comes after opposition from the state governor Ron DeSantis and several Broward county commissioners who feared that they could not cope with an influx of sick passengers.

But after intervention by Donald Trump earlier this week, the cruise liners have been allowed into port after officials approved a plan from the cruise operators.

“It’s a go, everything is signed” said Broward county commissioner Barbara Sharief, who said the plan was briefly held up by the need to get agreements from the company on how they would take responsibility for any additional patients that need hospitalisation. “I’m happy. These people need to get off this ship and go home. I’m glad we could help them.”

“They have the final clearance,” said Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis. “I’m encouraged by the big steps the cruise line has now taken [to ensure passengers get home safely.] It’s a far cry from what they originally offered.”

But Trantalis noted that more cruise ships loaded with passengers are waiting to come into Fort Lauderdale in the next few days – including another ship owned by a Carnival Cruises subsidiary, the Coral Princess. That ship was turned away from Brazil and other South American ports nearly two weeks ago. The company announced on Tuesday that that ship also has passengers with influenza symptoms.

“Of course, it’s a concern,” said Trantalis, who originally opposed allowing the Zaandam to come into Fort Lauderdale. “We have no information about the conditions of the passengers on the Coral Princess just yet. But we will use our influence with the county to make sure that any ill passengers are properly isolated and quarantined.”

Meanwhile, a financial filing by the Carnival Corporation on Wednesday said there were still 6,000 cruise ship passengers stuck at sea on Carnival-owned cruise ships alone.

“They are not the last ship, said Trantalis. “I understand there are more ships out there behind them … So it’s a continuing dilemma.”