Delayed passengers arrived to the news that the previous sailing was being tested for the virus. Photo / Twitter, @RosenfeldReport
Delayed passengers arrived to the news that the previous sailing was being tested for the virus. Photo / Twitter, @RosenfeldReport
It was revealed a second cruise ship was being tested for Covid-19 in California at the same time as quarantine measures were put in place on the Grand Princess cruise ship.
Last Wednesday the Grand Princess was stopped mid sailing between Hawaii and San Francisco after a previous passenger was found to be carrying the disease. Tests found 21 positive cases and a 71-year-old passenger who had been on a previous sailing died in hospital last week.
The Grand Princess and the will return to port in Oakland on Monday, where crew and passengers will start a controlled disembarkation that could take days the cruise line told local KCRA radio station.
However in a separate case the Carnival Panorama was held at sea for testing, after a passenger reported symptoms.
Stuck inside Long Beach cruise terminal and it looks like we won’t be going anywhere. Coronavirus scare and people are being held on the Carnival Panorama. Getting all my news from Twitter as they are not sharing anything here #COVIDー19#carnivalpanoramapic.twitter.com/Z9EgDggeBE
At the weekend the cruise line issued a statement regarding the passenger, who is a US citizen, saying, "based on an evaluation at a local hospital, medical authorities want to administer a COVID-19 test out of an abundance of caution," the cruise line said over the weekend.
The test came back negative, to the relief of passengers and crew. However, "because of the late hour in receiving the results, the current guests will stay on board overnight and debark on Sunday morning."
After the scare, passengers were relived and delighted to get off the Panorama.
"We almost jumped off, like fifty times," Ryand Hudson, 42, told the Press Telegram.
"I'm supposed to be on another cruise in about a week out of Miami," said Shawn Burke, fellow passenger from Sacramento. "I don't think I'm going."
I'm at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, talking to folks who had an unexpected extra day aboard the Carnival Panorama due to a coronavirus scare. (The passenger has since tested negative.) pic.twitter.com/5u24UfgHt2
Though the delay was minor compared to the Diamond Princess and Grand Princess cruises, passengers are thinking twice before getting back on a boat.
Passengers waiting to embark the cruise ship after the scare had do decide whether or not to go ahead with their holiday. Many were milling about on the Saturday, uncertain of if they would be allowed onboard at all.
Carnival blamed the test lab for delayed sailing saying they were told they would get results by 6pm on Saturday, "but it is obvious that the lab has missed that deadline."
Missed deadlines and delays: Carnival offered embraking passengers the option to cancel at 8pm on Saturday. Photo / Supplied, Twitter
The cruise line told passengers late on Saturday that the itinerary would continued but shortened by a day, with the offer of a full refund or hotel expenses for the night of up to US$200 per room and $50 for meals.
The cautious course which cruise lines are steering in relation to the coronavirus epidemic and it is having huge ripple effects on sailings and schedules.
On Saturday the Royal Princess, which was due to set sail for Mexico, had a sailing cancelled after it was revealed crew member had possibly had exposure to the virus. The CDC had issued the ship with a "no-sail order" until the crew member was tested – which led to the canning of the cruise.
In a statement to the San Bernadino Sun the Princess Cruise Line said the "crew member is past the maximum incubation of COVID-19, has been evaluated and has never developed any respiratory symptoms or fever."
"Due to the unknown timing of obtaining the test and results or anticipated response, we have cancelled the cruise," they said.
