Covid 19 and Influenza Outbreak on Quantum of the Seas

[Whistleblower2024]

The Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas has an outbreak of Covid 19 and Influenza A onboard. Original outbreak happened from sailing on 4/4/24 from Brisbane to Honolulu. A large number of people fell ill. Company is trying to keep it quiet. 4/19 to 4/29 Honolulu to Vancouver trip, boarded to room not cleaned or linen sheets changed. Ship blamed coast guard annual inspection. Tested and confirmed Covid and quarantined to cabin. A lot of sick crew and guests. Crew very sick in dining room and housekeeping. Housekeeping manager onboard after quarantine says rooms we are occupying had lots of Covid and influenza guests, didn’t get to clean them as well as wanted and ran out of time. Ship staff confirms outbreak but ship doesn’t report it to the us authorities like coast guard or cdc vessel sanitation program. People in quarantine getting cold food in cabins. Ship ran out of tests and supplies at one point in medical to treat the numerous crew and guests falling ill. Royal Caribbean doing their all to keep things quiet and not let it get out. CDC reported to meet ship and do inspections as well as coast guard after up to 5,000 guests have been in contact with COVID 19 or influenza a or fallen ill. Ship disembarks Monday 4/29 Vancouver Canada. Then sails to Alaska.

[Whistleblower2024]

 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Whistleblower2024 It's unfortunate an outbreak like this occurred. Unfortunately, viruses like this spread all too quickly. Were you cruising on either of these itineraries mentioned? I'm surprised the ship would have ran out of tests onboard. I'm more curious to learn about how this situation affected you? Did you become ill at some point? RCL is known to be a very clean ship. I would be very surprised with the bed linens weren't being properly sanitized, particularly if there was an alleged increase in sickness onboard. 

[Whistleblower2024]

Yes I was aboard. Quarantined for 10 days. The US Coast Guard did their annual inspection in Honolulu on 4/19/24 when the Brisbane passengers disembarked and new passengers embarked. The guest service desk and housekeeping manager disclosed that the rooms were not cleaned because they were busy with the Coast Guard inspection and crew were needed elsewhere. They then said they would get to rooms as they could. The line of angry guests went a long long ways down the ship at guest services. The housekeeping manager also disclosed that many guest were sick on the floor we were on, and many other rooms as well as ship crew. 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Whistleblower2024 That's so crazy! To think guests are still having to be quarantined for ten days despite the pandemic being "over" comes as a shock to me. I can't believe that the service desk and housekeeping manger disclosed this information to guests. Rooms not getting cleaned are unacceptable. I thought that would be against protocol. That's so intense! When an outbreak like this strikes, it's pretty hard to come back fro, especially if the rooms aren't being cleaned! Did you end up being quarantined onboard Quantum of the Seas? You weren't allowed to go to the buffet and pool areas? 

[Bcarley]

We just got off Quantum June 3rd 2024. A large number of us are also sick. We are in a roll call group for our particular sailing and many people have tested positive for Covid. There were 4 in our party and every one of us have flue like symptoms. Cough, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, the works. We haven't tested for Covid but non the less we are still sick. Surely they would have sanitized the ship before repositioning to Seattle right??

[3Sisters]

@Bcarley That's such a shame! I'm sorry to hear you all fell ill on your cruise vacation. Unfortunately, in smaller spaces with the same group of people for an extended period of time can cause issues like this. I really hope RCL does a good job of cleaning out the rooms after that sailing. Germs that linger on surfaces can cause the cycle to repeat. Typically RCL (and most other lines) are pretty good about cleaning and keeping up with sanitary standards to ensure that this doesn't happen! I would really hope the ship was properly sanitized after Seattle! The crew is trained to do so.

[Bonisu]

We just got off the Quantum of the Seas yesterday  June 17, 2024. My husband and I both became ill as well as my daughter-in-law at the same time about 4 days in and thought how odd that was. Flu like symptoms so I wore a mask to protect other's. I could barely get off of the ship and back home on the 5 plus hour flight. Got home and we all tested positive for Covid.I thought I'd see if anyone else got ill this week so this came up. Dang!! Anyone else sick?

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Bonisu This is so alarming! How is this potential illness still circling since @Whistleblower2024's cruise? At first thought I assumed it was just a fluke thing, but now I'm questioning it all. How is it that this illness is continuing to spread this long? I always thought RCL was really great at sanitizing and keeping things cleaned. Do you think this is serious issue? It is one thing to get sick on vacation, but when it's clearly becoming a trend, that's an issue. That's a horrible way to end a cruise vacation! 

[Bonisu]

Yes it was a really bad way to end the cruise. I thought the same thing tge RC would be a good choice seeing their reputation but now I have a different feeling.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Bonisu This is very interesting. It's so dreadful to get sick on a cruise vacation. The fact that there seems to be a pattern forming is not a good look. I wish I could say RCL is doing its part to sanitize effectively, but in this case it seems Quantum of the Seas may be dropping the ball. Why do you think it is that many guests are coming off recent Quantum of the Seas itineraries ill? Germs spread do quickly in small spaces like a cruise ship, but as some point everything is supposed to be properly sanitized and untainted by previous guests' germs.