'Gripping... The authors skillfully capture the fear and claustrophobia. A riveting real-life drama.' Kirkus
'Cabin Fever is riveting, taut, and extensively researched. Smith and Franklin have written a page-turning adventure that will keep you reading late into the night.' Martin Dugard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Taking Paris
'A gripping account of how an invisible stowaway - the Covid-19 virus - transformed a fun-filled luxury cruise into an unimaginable nightmare.' Sara Gay Forden, bestselling author of House of Gucci
In early 2020, the world was on edge. An ominous virus was spreading and no one knew what the coming weeks would bring. Far from the hotspots, the cruise ship Zaandam was preparing to sail from Buenos Aires loaded with 1,200 passengers - British, American, Australian, European and South American tourists, plus 600 crew. Most passengers were over the age of 65.
There was concern about the virus in the news but that was oceans away. Escaping to sea at the ends of the earth for a few weeks seemed like it might be a good option. The cruise line had said the voyage would go ahead as scheduled and it would be safe.
Within days, people aboard the Zaandam began to fall sick. The world's ports shut down. Zaandam became a top story on the news and was denied safe harbour everywhere. With only two doctors aboard and few medical supplies to test for or treat Covid-19, and with dwindling food and water, the ship wandered the oceans on an unthinkable journey.
Cabin Fever is a riveting narrative thriller, taking readers behind the scenes of the ship's complex workings, and below decks into the personal lives of passengers and crew who were caught unprepared for the deadly ordeal that lay ahead. It is a story layered with moments of peril, perseverance and kindness. A remarkable tale that is filled with individual acts of heroism and the struggles and the tragedies of the crew and passengers.
On 7 March 1,200 tourists, including Americans, Australians, Canadians, Brits and Europeans, gathered on the dock in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to board Holland America's 780-foot long, ten-story tall Zaandam for a 31-day South American cruise of a lifetime.
Few on board had heard of the virus as they set sail. No one could imagine the extraordinary sequence of events that was about to unfold on the high seas.
The tension rises and falls as passengers hear the news about the outbreak on land and the first signs of it appear on ship. Then the Zaandam is prevented from docking in port after port. At one point their passage is blocked by a Chilean naval cutter with guns raised.
In an attempt to manage the rising number of casualties onboard, the sister ship Rotterdam is called into action to meet the Zaandam on the high seas to take some of the passengers and transfer some of their staff to the Zaandam to help out. A high-risk manoeuvre in rough conditions that few would attempt. Only the crew of the Rotterdam don't know about the Covid outbreak on the sister ship until it is too late. Some of the crew try to mutiny and lock themselves in their cabins.
Meanwhile diplomats are desperately trying to negotiate for the Zaandam and the Rotterdam to sail down the Panama canal. A nail-biting journey through very narrow waters akin to threading a needle.
Cabin Fever is a story layered with moments of kindness, peril and perseverance. A remarkable tale that is filled with individual acts of heroism, the struggles and the tragedies of the crew and passengers.
