Celebrity Eclipse exposed passengers to Covid19

[FOXTROT]

Just home from the March 1- 30 sailing of the Eclipse. We were told NO ONE was sick with the virus. Now we found out a passenger has tested positive with the virus. The passenger was diagnosed by the ship's doctor with bronchitis about a week ago. They were sent back to their cabin. Then the passenger was diagnosed with pneumonia several days ago. Upon arriving home the passenger has tested positive with the virus. Way to go Celebrity for exposing 4,000 passengers & crew to the virus. Way to go Celebrity for sending thousands home exposing who knows how many to this. You are always saying the health & safety of our passengers is #1 to us. Looks like your bottom line is #1. Anyone who had symptoms of any breathing disorder should have been confined to their cabins. This passenger should have been tested before anyone was permitted to debark the ship.    

[Fouremco]

If true, this points to a potential issue with the capability of the medical staff, but I'm not sure that there was any error on the part of Celebrity per se. As you don't indicate how you acquired this information or what action Celebrity has taken since it was made aware of the patient's post-cruise diagnosis, if in fact it has been, it's premature to pass judgement. Perhaps you could provide more detailed information. And its source.

Edited March 31, 2020 by Fouremco

[Kartgv]

10 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

...Perhaps you could provide more detailed information. And its source.

 

Here's a link to one of the earliest local news releases, including a video with a phone interview with the woman's son.  https://www.kusi.com/family-confirms-passenger-on-cruise-ship-docked-in-san-diego-tests-positive-for-covid-19/

 

The son states that the woman was ill and was being treated on the ship for about 5 days with symptoms that certainly sounded like everything we've heard about the virus.    How could the medical staff and Celebrity officials not known before disembarkation was authorized?         

[Fouremco]

Thanks @Kartgv. There clearly seems to be an issue with medical staff, both from the perspective of the diagnosis and their failure to communicate. Again, Celebrity was unaware until after disembarkation and has taken the necessary steps to alert passengers. What bothers me is that the medical staff apparently hadn't been instructed to treat patients with these symptoms as potential COVID-19 cases and to alert the ship's captain so that the necessary precautions could be taken.

[sheffield]

Do you really think the medical staff did not inform anyone else about this? You are much more trusting of Celebrity than I am. I hope it wasn’t a case of them not wanting to deal with the major upset this would have caused it they had revealed it to the port. I am just bewildered that Celebrity could have let this happen. I can only think about all those people going home via many different ways possibly infecting people along the way.

[FOXTROT]

58 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

If true, this points to a potential issue with the capability of the medical staff, but I'm not sure that there was any error on the part of Celebrity per se. As you don't indicate how you acquired this information or what action Celebrity has taken since it was made aware of the patient's post-cruise diagnosis, if in fact it has been, it's premature to pass judgement. Perhaps you could provide more detailed information. And its source.

Please don't believe me, do a search for Celebrity Eclipse & read for yourself. It is far worse than my post. The ambulance waited for us to go through immigration. There are also 3 crew members who have it.

[WonderMan3]

How in the middle of a pandemic did Celebrity not know this was happening onboard? Medical staff would've reported any illness to the Captain for sure and the Captain would've reported it to Corporate. This was clearly kept hush hush to avoid problems with disembarkation. If San Diego had known about this they probably would not have allowed them to disembark or turned it over to the government and forced everyone into quarantine. Now all these people are scattered to the winds potentially infecting hundreds.

[MamaFej]

I"m trying really hard to convince myself that there isn't something nefarious going on here, but I'm failing. 

[lostchild]

5 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

How in the middle of a pandemic did Celebrity not know this was happening onboard? Medical staff would've reported any illness to the Captain for sure and the Captain would've reported it to Corporate. This was clearly kept hush hush to avoid problems with disembarkation. If San Diego had known about this they probably would not have allowed them to disembark or turned it over to the government and forced everyone into quarantine. Now all these people are scattered to the winds potentially infecting hundreds.

 

Medical staff knew for sure.  They could kept it from the Captain.   Who is going to be treating the patients if the ship ended up being quarantined?   When it comes out, they could be in trouble but if everyone just kept to the story that they didn't realize it was covid-19, they might just get thru.   Worst case they get fired.   Now if the Captain knows or Celebrity knows... this will go way beyond corporate discipline. 

[WonderMan3]

Just now, lostchild said:

 

Medical staff knew for sure.  They could kept it from the Captain.   Who is going to be treating the patients if the ship ended up being quarantined?   When it comes out, they could be in trouble but if everyone just kept to the story that they didn't realize it was covid-19, they might just get thru.   Worst case they get fired.   Now if the Captain knows or Celebrity knows... this will go way beyond corporate discipline. 

 

In a pandemic like this the medical staff would have to tell the Captain. Isn't the head doctor one of the ship's officers who reports directly to the Captain?

[El turista]

I was on this ship. They told us we were a healthy ship until the very last minute before debarkation began yesterday. I'm not showing symptoms at the moment but I am feeling quite scared.

[sheffield]

El tourists, did they tell you before you got off that they had a person with COVID19 or that there was a sick passenger?

[Mojogurued]

It was obviously the medical staff this isn't anyone else's fault.

[jelayne]

Wondering a couple of things:  Did the ship have the tests kits for COVID 19 and the means to get the results?  
If the passenger felt bad enough to go to the Medical Center twice why didn’t they self quarantine in their cabin?
A few years ago we had dinner with the ships doctor who said the medical staff didn’t work for the cruise line, they worked for a organization that provided medical staff to cruise lines and hospital emergency rooms, does anyone know if that is still the case? 

 

[San Diego Mike]

2 hours ago, FOXTROT said:

Just home from the March 1- 30 sailing of the Eclipse. We were told NO ONE was sick with the virus. Now we found out a passenger has tested positive with the virus. The passenger was diagnosed by the ship's doctor with bronchitis about a week ago. They were sent back to their cabin. Then the passenger was diagnosed with pneumonia several days ago. Upon arriving home the passenger has tested positive with the virus. Way to go Celebrity for exposing 4,000 passengers & crew to the virus. Way to go Celebrity for sending thousands home exposing who knows how many to this. You are always saying the health & safety of our passengers is #1 to us. Looks like your bottom line is #1. Anyone who had symptoms of any breathing disorder should have been confined to their cabins. This passenger should have been tested before anyone was permitted to debark the ship.    

I am curious to know what ports the ship stopped at and passengers got off and went on tours etc.before your stop in Chile.  The experts say the virus's incubation period is 2 to 14 days and the ship left Chile and arrived in San Diego 15 days later. Like I said just curious.  Thanks

[FOXTROT]

15 minutes ago, sheffield said:

El tourists, did they tell you before you got off that they had a person with COVID19 or that there was a sick passenger?

Captain Leo kept saying "no one is sick with the virus, we are a healthy ship." Little did we know a passenger & crew members had all the symptoms of the virus. I am sure the Captain was under orders from Miami to lie to us.

[sheffield]

Foxtrot, I am so sorry that this has happened to you and all the passengers. It is inexcusable that it was known about and none of you were told. It leaves me at a loss for words. 

[El turista]

21 minutes ago, sheffield said:

El tourists, did they tell you before you got off that they had a person with COVID19 or that there was a sick passenger?

 

Not at all. I left the ship yesterday morning and the issue came to my knowledge via the news outlets that reported it. Not sure what happened after I left. We got an email today confirming the news.

[El turista]

6 minutes ago, San Diego Mike said:

I am curious to know what ports the ship stopped at and passengers got off and went on tours etc.before your stop in Chile.  The experts say the virus's incubation period is 2 to 14 days and the ship left Chile and arrived in San Diego 15 days later. Like I said just curious.  Thanks

 

Last port we visited was Puerto Montt on March 13. Crew had contact with the people that transferred provisions via barges to the ship in Valparaiso on March 17-19. 

[LiveToCruise99]

I understand you are scared and feel a bit betrayed but consider the alternatives.  I too left an 11 night Celebrity cruise earlier this month and traveled home from Florida.  We were scared the last week on the ship that someone might become ill and we would be quarantined and couldn't get off.  Fortunately the ship was cleared and we headed to the airport.  Then there was the fear we might come in contact with Covid 19 going from the ship to the airport, at the airport, on the flight, etc.  We were never so glad to be home.  And we self quarantined for 14 days thereafter which has fortunately now ended but our community has asked all citizens to self isolate until further notice.  Workplaces are closed, schools are closed and only essential services are open.  We are asked to stay 6 feet away from anyone we might come in contact with.   We consider ourselves to be very lucky to be home and to be healthy.

 

So for the alternatives.  What if our ship were to be quarantined and refused disembarkation, then what?   Would we be confined to our cabin for weeks on end, only to end up with Covid 19 anyway?  And if we did get it and became really sick, what then?  I don't think the ship can handle it, the hospitals can't so why might the ship?   And how long might we be talking, 1 month, 2 months?  And if I had to be hospitalized I'd much prefer to be home.

 

I'm grateful to Celebrity for doing their best to  get me back to port so I could fly home.  My biggest fear, outside of picking up Covid 19, was not being able to get off the ship and go home.  I know you don't feel grateful given the news but when you think of the alternatives it might help.  I truly hope you and yours stay healthy and safe.

[markeb]

10 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Wondering a couple of things:  Did the ship have the tests kits for COVID 19 and the means to get the results?  
If the passenger felt bad enough to go to the Medical Center twice why didn’t they self quarantine in their cabin?
A few years ago we had dinner with the ships doctor who said the medical staff didn’t work for the cruise line, they worked for a organization that provided medical staff to cruise lines and hospital emergency rooms, does anyone know if that is still the case? 

 

The point of care tests weren’t cleared by the FDA until a week or so ago, well after Eclipse sailed. It’s also “possible” they were positive on a rapid flu; the two aren’t mutually exclusive. 
 

Not a good look, though. 

[FOXTROT]

Just now, San Diego Mike said:

I am curious to know what ports the ship stopped at and passengers got off and went on tours etc.before your stop in Chile.  The experts say the virus's incubation period is 2 to 14 days and the ship left Chile and arrived in San Diego 15 days later. Like I said just curious.  Thanks

Our last stop was Puerto Montt on the 13th. We debarked in San Diego on the 30th. The passenger was showing symptoms for about a week. The crew members were probably showing symptoms just as long (not sure). Since Covid-19 is a respiratory disease, either the medical staff is completely a bunch of quakes or the Captain was order to mislead the passengers &  authorities. 

[Fouremco]

1 minute ago, FOXTROT said:

Captain Leo kept saying "no one is sick with the virus, we are a healthy ship." Little did we know a passenger & crew members had all the symptoms of the virus. I am sure the Captain was under orders from Miami to lie to us.

Or the captain hadn't been advised otherwise by the medical staff. If there was no diagnosis of possible COVID-19, they may not have seen a need to report. It's too soon IMO to be pointing fingers in any direction. There is sure to be more details forthcoming that will provide a far better idea of what happened than the scant information available to date. 

[FOXTROT]

8 minutes ago, El turista said:

 

Not at all. I left the ship yesterday morning and the issue came to my knowledge via the news outlets that reported it. Not sure what happened after I left. We got an email today confirming the news.

At least you were notified. As of this instance, we have received no notification at all.

[jelayne]

12 minutes ago, San Diego Mike said:

I am curious to know what ports the ship stopped at and passengers got off and went on tours etc.before your stop in Chile.  The experts say the virus's incubation period is 2 to 14 days and the ship left Chile and arrived in San Diego 15 days later. Like I said just curious.  Thanks

Actually the ship arrived near the port in Chile and was there for 3 or more days trying to get permission to dock, fuel, supplies and Chile keep putting up road blocks.  So if I recall correctly it was about 3/19 or 20 before the ship headed to San Diego.  Passengers didn’t leave the ship from 3/13 until 3/30 when they arrived in San Diego.