Broward County Commissioners have delayed making a decision on whether two Holland America Line ships, the Zaandam and Rotterdam, can dock at Port Everglades until they see a formal proposal from the cruise line.
“No vote today on Zaandam/Rotterdam coming to Port Everglades. Unified Command says more work has to be done on plans submitted by Holland America. Cruise line will work to create a suitable plan,” said the Broward County Commission in a social media post.
A lengthy meeting was held on Tuesday afternoon among county executives to discussion the issue, while United States Coast Guard Sector Miami Commander Captain Jo-Ann Burdian said that the vessels will not be allowed to enter U.S. waters until a plan is approved.
Florida Governor Ronald DeSantis said he had talked to the White House about diverting the ships.
“We cannot afford to have people who are not even Floridians dumped into South Florida using up those valuable resources,” DeSantis told Fox in a Monday interview.
Meanwhile, an article penned by Holland America President Orlando Ashford said the company was dealing with a “not my problem” syndrome, while he painted a picture of ports turning away the Zaandam in South America and even denying medical evacuations.