Cruise Ship 'Overwhelmed' With COVID Docks In Seattle

Charles Woodman
Updated ·2 min read

SEATTLE — A Carnival Cruise Ship 'overwhelmed' with COVID-19 infections dropped off dozens of infected travelers in the Seattle-area this week, according to several reports.

Passengers told KING 5 news that the ship, which docked in Seattle Tuesday, had well over 100 people aboard test positive for COVID-19. Many of those passengers have reportedly entered quarantine in several Seattle-area hotels.

Carnival Cruise Line has not confirmed exactly how many passengers tested positive for COVID-19, but some passengers estimated it could be as high as 200.

"They didn't have enough staff to handle the emergency that was happening, period," cruise ship passenger Darren Sieferston told KING. "They were overwhelmed, and they didn't have a backup course in how to handle about 200 people affected with COVID. We all suffered."

Seiferson claims he and other passengers had to wait hours for meals, weren't properly isolated aboard the ship, and couldn't access medical care.

The ship de-boarded Tuesday, KING 5 reported, and has already left for Alaska with a new round of passengers.

"It's just unacceptable. This ship is so poorly managed. I'm fearful for the people that are going up to Alaska," said Sieferston.

Carnival said there were no serious COVID-19 cases linked to the outbreak, the Associated Press reported. Carnival's website says its cruises require passengers to be fully vaccinated in most cases, though there are some exceptions for younger children or immunocompromised passengers who cannot vaccinate.

The outbreak marks an inauspicious beginning for Seattle's first full cruise season since the pandemic began. The Port of Seattle's cruise season kicked off in mid-April when Norwegian Cruise Line's Bliss arrived at Pier 66. Over the course of the season, the port says it expects some 1.2 million passengers aboard 296 ships. The final ship, Norwegian Cruise's Encore, will depart Seattle on Oct. 23.

Cruise Ship 'Overwhelmed' With COVID Docks In Seattle originally appeared on the Seattle Patch