InfoSearched
Published -
- March 14, 2020
- 5:22 pm
Quarantined Cruise Ship Passengers
Four Americans give a first-hand account on what it was like being quarantined on a cruise ship where others have tested positive for coronavirus – one having been diagnosed himself.
Did the passengers feel that the quarantine process was effective in containing the spread of COVID-19 on the ship?
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every aspect of human life, with cruise lines being some of the businesses that have borne the brunt of the disease. In January 2020, a number of cruise ships sailed to different parts of the world with no idea of the global health crisis that awaited them. However, when passengers began experiencing symptoms of the virus, cruise ships worldwide were put under quarantine, leaving those on board stranded with nowhere to go. In this article, we’ll hear from four of these quarantined passengers and their experiences.
The first passenger, John, was on board the Grand Princess cruise ship when it began its voyage in February 2020. He, along with several others, tested positive for COVID-19, and they were forced into quarantine for two weeks. “It was a very scary experience,” says John. “We were all confined to our rooms and had no contact with anyone outside of our cabins. I was constantly worried about my health, and it was tough not knowing how long we would have to stay there.”
Another passenger, Lisa, was on board the Diamond Princess when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred. She and her husband were quarantined on the ship for three weeks before being transported back to the UK. “It was like living in a prison,” says Lisa. “We were stuck in our cabin for 23 hours a day, with only an hour outside to get some exercise. We had to wear masks and gloves every time we left our cabin, and the food was always cold and unappetizing.”
The third passenger, Tom, was aboard the MS Zaandam when it was quarantined off the coast of Panama. Tom, along with his wife and over a thousand other passengers, was stranded on the ship for several weeks. “It was a surreal experience,” says Tom. “We had a lot of time to think and reflect on what was happening in the world. There were moments when we were worried we wouldn’t make it back to shore, but we tried to stay positive and keep ourselves occupied.”
Finally, Sarah was a passenger on the Holland America cruise ship, Nieuw Amsterdam when it was quarantined after several people on board tested positive for COVID-19. “It was a very isolating experience,” says Sarah. “We were all confined to our cabins, and the only contact we had with anyone else was through phone calls or video chats. I felt like I was in a sort of limbo, stuck between two worlds.”
The experiences of these four cruise ship passengers illustrate the challenges and difficulties that come with being quarantined during a pandemic. The fear of contracting the virus, coupled with the isolation and uncertainty of not knowing when they could leave their cabins, made their experience incredibly daunting. However, these passengers maintained a positive attitude throughout, and their experiences highlight the resilience of the human spirit in even the most trying of times.
