133 would-be cruisers denied boarding in Ga.

OceanAngel · May 8, 2007

By PRENTISS FINDLAY

They planned to set sail to Charleston aboard the luxurious Holland America cruise ship Maasdam.

Instead, 133 would-be passengers rode a charter bus Monday morning because they weren't allowed to board the vessel in Savannah over the weekend.

Three Coastline Travel buses carrying the displaced passengers caught up with the ship about noon Monday at the State Ports Authority Cruise Ship Passenger Terminal in downtown Charleston.

Robert Morris, spokesman for the Georgia Ports Authority, said the passengers couldn't board in Savannah because the port there is not set up to handle security for cruise ships. Holland America was responsible for the mistake, Morris said.

Holland America was told it was OK to pull into Savannah for refueling, but new passengers could not come aboard and current passengers could not leave the ship and return, he said.

"That was our understanding at the time the vessel was approved for docking," Morris said. "It wasn't what we thought it was going to be."

The Savannah port is set up to handle cargo ship security, but it is not approved by the federal government to handle passenger ships, he said.

"We were told Friday that the port didn't have the proper security measures in place and the Coast Guard was not going to let us board," Terry Lombardi of Savannah said Monday as she waited for her bus to leave.

"This bus ride all the way to Charleston is very inconvenient," she said. "Plus, we're missing a day on the boat, a day we paid for."

Holland America Line, in a letter to affected passengers dated May 6, apologized for the missed embarkation and assured those with passage from Savannah that their on-board account would be credited by one day. The company also gave each passenger an additional $100 shipboard credit.

Coast Guard Cmdr. David Murk said bringing the ship into port in Savannah was never the issue.

"At no point did we say the ship couldn't come into port," said Murk, commander of the Port of Savannah. "Our major concern was the embarkation of new passengers and the additional security measures that would require."

Excursions Unlimited in Savannah booked passengers for the cruise. Jan Warren, reservations manager, said she learned at 3 p.m. Friday that the Maasdam would not be allowed to take on new passengers. She contacted most of her customers in time for them to rearrange their plans.

Warren said in her eight years working as a travel manager, she has never seen a passenger ship in Savannah. She received word from her boss that the Coast Guard had denied the scheduled boarding of new passengers Sunday on the Maasdam because the Port of Savannah failed to meet Homeland Security requirements.

"They were just shocked," she said.

State Ports Authority Cruise Ship Passenger Terminal officials would not allow media on the buses to interview the displaced tourists, saying people on the buses did not want to talk to the press.

Wayne Lee of Excursions Unlimited briefly spoke about the situation while standing in the door of one of the buses. "Something to do with Homeland Security and the Georgia Ports Authority," Lee said.

Some passengers on the ship who got off to stroll around Charleston said they were unaware of the situation. Steve Pentek of Boston said he left the ship for awhile in Savannah. "People who were on board didn't have any problem," he said.

The Port of Charleston plays host to some 50 cruise ships and 100,000 passengers a year.

Mary Carr Mayle of the Savannah Morning News contributed to this report.

Reach Prentiss Findlay at pfindlay@postandcourier.com or 937-5711.

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