Carnival spokesman Matt Lupoli said in an email that the cases on the ship were recorded during a Panama Canal voyage that sailed from Miami to Seattle. “There were no serious health issues, but we did have guests who showed minor symptoms or tested positive,” he said.
Passengers who tested positive for the coronavirus or were exposed were being isolated in Seattle hotels. Some told local newspaper KING 5 that more than 100 people tested positive on the Carnival ship. Lupoli did not specify how many cases the ship recorded, and the Department of Public Health – Seattle & King County did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the number.
“Normally guests are responsible for quarantine costs, but because many of our guests were away from home, we made hotel arrangements and offered to share the cost of their accommodations while they stay in Seattle to complete their quarantine. five-day.” Lupoli continued.
Passengers told KING 5 that the ship’s crew was overworked and that they were not properly insulated. They also said meals took hours to arrive and they were unable to reach medical personnel.
“They didn’t have enough staff to handle the emergency that was going on,” passenger Darren Sieferston told the media. Lupoli did not share additional information in response to a request for comment on that claim.
Carnival requires passengers to show proof of vaccination and a negative test result or proof of recovery from the coronavirus on board, with some vaccination exceptions allowed, according to its website.
The news comes shortly after Carnival Princess Cruises reported its latest outbreak on the Ruby Princess ship, which saw more than 250 cases of the coronavirus in just 5 weeks.
Earlier this year, the CDC lifted the pandemic requirements for cruise lines. The agency changed its masking, testing and vaccination guidelines to recommendations, and in February, a number of cruise operators, including Carnival Corp., told the Washington Post they would participate in the voluntary program.
