“The cruise line really sold us that they were the safest place to be right now, safer than on land. Everybody had to be vaccinated. Everybody was supposed to wear masks indoors on the cruise ship the entire time,” Alicia D’Amico told Inside Edition.
A cruise ship just returned to Miami after a COVID-19 outbreak on board.
It was a disturbing echo from the terrible early days of the pandemic in 2020 when 48 passengers on board the world's largest cruise ship tested positive.
Inside Edition spoke with two passengers who got sick on the trip.
“The cruise line really sold us that they were the safest place to be right now, safer than on land. Everybody had to be vaccinated. Everybody was supposed to wear masks indoors on the cruise ship the entire time,” Alicia D’Amico told Inside Edition.
D’Amico and her daughter, Rowena, took an 8-day Caribbean cruise on the 6,000-passenger Symphony of the Seas.
But despite the cruise line’s promises, they said that not everyone was wearing masks the whole time.
“We would go into elevators, and there would be people who would have their masks either already off or they would take them off for some reason,” Rowena said.
“And the elevators were limited to six people, but it was always 10, 12,15 people,” Alicia said.
At first it was the vacation of a lifetime, but then dozens of passengers became sick. They were placed under quarantine.
When the mom and daughter started having symptoms on the sixth day, they claim they were discouraged from getting tested and had to insist on seeing a nurse.
“She came out with the digital thermometer that you hold in front of somebody's forehead, and she just put that there and she's like ‘Your temperature is normal. Just keep wearing your mask and you can go back to cruising,’ and I just looked at her like, ‘Huh? I’m clearly symptomatic. I’m clearly sick,’” Alicia said.
Both have now tested positive.
Royal Caribbean says 48 positive tests is less than 1% of the 6,000 passengers on board.
“Those who tested positive were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and we continuously monitored their health. They each received assistance to ensure a safe return home,” a statement said.
“It felt like they were completely overwhelmed,” Alicia said.
Despite her experience, Alicia says she would still travel with the cruise line again.
