Fully Vaccinated Carnival Cruise Ship Hit With COVID-19 Outbreak

A Carnival Cruise Line ship is seen on March 27, 2020 in a file photo. (Greenwood/Getty Images)

Carnival Cruise Lines confirmed that it experienced a COVID-19 outbreak on its Carnival Spirit in recent days even though the company requires all passengers and staff to be fully vaccinated.

“The Carnival Spirit team managed a number of COVID cases during its 16-day Panama Canal journey that departed Miami on April 17 and arrived in Seattle on May 3,“ told The Epoch Times Thursday. ”There were no serious health issues, and while some guests showed minor symptoms, most were asymptomatic.

It’s not clear how many passengers or employees contracted the virus. A spokesperson for the company did not elaborate when asked about the figure.

Carnival’s spokesperson said that “all health and safety protocols were closely followed including vaccination requirements and pre-cruise testing of all guests” and “our crew are also vaccinated and wear masks.”

“Our protocols are designed to flex up as needed and additional measures were implemented during the voyage, including mask requirements for guests,” the spokesperson said.  “Carnival provided transportation and lodging support for guests who needed to quarantine per CDC guidelines” and that the “ship departed on its next cruise on Tuesday afternoon as scheduled,” said the spokesperson.

Several passengers onboard the Carnival Spirit complained about how Carnival allegedly handled the COVID-19 outbreak on board the ship.

“I literally stayed in this room for six days, with no telephone service, they wouldn’t answer the phone,” Darren Siefertson, who was placed in quarantine, told CBS News this week. “This ship was so unprepared and so mismanaged that many of us suffered greatly,” he added.

Sieferston told NewsCenter Maine that he believes about 200 people tested positive for the virus.

“They didn’t have enough staff to handle the emergency that was happening, period,” Sieferston alleged. “They were overwhelmed, and they didn’t have a backup course in how to handle about 200 people affected with COVID. We all suffered.”

About a month ago, officials confirmed that a “100 percent” vaccinated cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises suffered a COVID-19 outbreak before it docked in San Francisco.

On March 18, the CDC released updated COVID-19 guidelines for cruise operators, with an agency spokesman telling news outlets that it entails the agency’s suggestions on social distancing, quarantine requirements, and port agreements.

COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.