Coronavirus: 214 British nationals back in UK after being stranded on Zaandam cruise ship for weeks

‘Humanitarian grounds went out of the window,’ says one angry passenger

British holidaymakers who spent weeks stranded on a cruise ship due to a fatal coronavirus outbreak have finally returned to the UK.

More than 200 UK nationals arrived at Heathrow Airport on Sunday afternoon after the government arranged a charter flight to bring them back from Florida.

During the MS Zaandam cruise liner's journey, which began in Buenos Aires on 7 March, more than 190 developed flu-like symptoms.

Several countries refused to let the ship dock over coronavirus fears and four passengers, including Briton John Carter, 75, died onboard.

It was held up for several days attempting to get clearance to pass through the Panama Canal, only for the governor of Florida to refuse to allow passengers to disembark at Ford Lauderdale. He eventually relented following an intervention by Donald Trump and federal officials.

Rodger Robertson, 72, of Worcestershire, told reporters at Heathrow: “Humanitarian grounds went out of the window, the Americans being the Americans. Eventually they had to capitulate.”

Asked how he thought the ships were treated, he replied: “Not very well.”

His wife Anne, 65, said the captain and his crew did “everything they could” to arrange medical evacuations for those who were seriously ill, but “nobody would open their doors, which was really sad”.

Morven Rae, 70, from Kenley, Surrey, added: “We felt very sorry for the people whose families had died and the countries that didn’t allow them to be airlifted off bear some responsibility for that.”

Her husband Ian, 73, also praised the staff on the cruise ship for “an amazing job”, adding: ”We had food, we were locked in our cabins but we were safe.”

Fourteen critically ill patients were wheeled off the Zaandam on stretchers to be taken to local hospitals before their fellow passengers disembarked, with Florida residents allowed off first.

A total of 214 British nationals were able to board the flight to Heathrow, while more than a dozen others were forced to remain because they still had coronavirus symptoms.

The cause of Mr Carter’s death has not been confirmed but it was reported that he had been on a ventilator before he died on 22 March.

Holland America Line thanked Mr Trump and Florida officials for allowing their two ships to dock. ”These travellers could have been any one of us or our families, unexpectedly caught in the middle of this unprecedented closure of global borders that happened in a matter of days and without warning,” said Orlando Ashford, president of the company.

Additional reporting by agencies