Over 100 people who were on a Carnival cruise ship have tested positive for COVID-19, overwhelming the ship, which docked Tuesday in Seattle.
Passengers infected with the coronavirus have spread out, going to hotels in the Seattle area to wait out the virus and quarantine, according to a report.
An exact number of passengers who tested positive has not been confirmed by Carnival Cruise Line.
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“As soon as I got diagnosed with COVID, I did not feel safe,” one passenger said.
“They didn’t have enough staff to handle the emergency that was happening, period,” the passenger continued. “They were overwhelmed, and they didn’t have a backup course in how to handle about 200 people affected with COVID. We all suffered.”
Another passenger echoed the sentiment that the crew was not ready for the surge in cases.
“I think that they were unprepared. I think they were understaffed. I think that they were overwhelmed,” according to the passenger. “I don’t think they had clear guidance as to how to handle this.”
During the experience, passengers said they waited hours for food, could not get properly isolated, and that it has hard to reach medical staff.
The ship has since left Seattle after deboarding and is on its way to Alaska, the report noted.
The ship managed “a number of COVID cases during its 16-day Panama Canal sailing,” Carnival Cruise Line said.
No serious health problems occurred, the company added.
“Our protocols are designed to flex up as needed and additional measures were implemented during the voyage, including mask requirements for guests. In addition, all guests who were scheduled to continue on with the ship’s next cruise to Alaska were tested and any guests who tested positive were disembarked,” a statement from the company read. “Carnival provided transportation and lodging support for guests who needed to quarantine per CDC guidelines. The ship departed on its next cruise on Tuesday afternoon as scheduled.”
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“We are committed to protecting the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we visit, including preparing the ship for its next voyage with thorough and effective sanitation measures,” the statement read.
