Holland America Line announced last night it will bring the Westerdam to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, instead of Juneau, where it had been originally scheduled for an extended layover of several weeks at a private dock.
When the company announced a voluntary suspension of global cruise operations on March 13, Holland America reassessed where to put ships during the extended period, which will go longer than originally planned.
The ship was not currently in service after departing Asia, where four cruises were cancelled. Prior to arrival in Puerto Vallarta, the Westerdam will clear U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and medical entry requirements in Honolulu on March 16 and 17.
Westerdam departed from Manila, Philippines, on March 2 with no passengers. Aboard ship are 680 crew and 18 contract service staff, all of whom tested negative for COVID-19 in mid-February. Upon arrival to Puerto Vallarta, the ship will have sailed for more than a month with no port calls.
