MS Zuiderdam to the Rescue

Holland America Line’s cruise ship MS Zuiderdam rescued eight crew members of the Bahamian inter-island vessel Excalibur that was sinking on January 3, 2015.

Zuiderdam was en route to Oranjestad, Aruba and was approximately 15 miles away from the sinking vessel when it received a distress call from Excalibur.

 The cruise ship altered course and was able to execute a nighttime rescue of all eight crewmembers at 3:01 a.m.

The ship brought them onboard and provided food and accommodations.  The rescued crewmembers debarked in Aruba on January 5.

In addition, on January 4 Zaandam came to the aid of seven crewmembers from the sailing yacht Polonus that were staying at the Arctowski Polish research station at King George Island in Antarctica.

The crew, all Polish nationals, were stranded after their yacht went aground. They are being taken to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and will disembark Jan. 11.

Zuiderdam is currently in the middle of a 10-night Panama Canal cruise roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., that departed Jan. 2.