Cruise Ship Stranded by Virus Fears Docks in Cambodia

Cambodia has agreed to allow a cruise ship, that has been turned away by five countries over fears that someone aboard may have the coronavirus, to dock and disembark its passengers, the Holland America Line said.

The MS Westerdam, which has 1,455 passengers and 802 crew on board, docked at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Thursday, the company said. Guests have been cleared to begin disembarking on Friday.

The ship - which HAL says has no sick passengers - has been turned away from Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Guam and the Philippines. HAL says there were never any suspected cases of coronavirus on board.

The Cambodian Health Ministry announced on Thursday that the 20 samples taken onboard Westerdam have all been confirmed as negative for coronavirus.

Westerdam was on a 14-day cruise that departed Hong Kong February 1 and was previously scheduled to disembark February 15 in Yokohama, Japan.

HAL has canceled the scheduled February 15 sailing.