Two passengers who were on the Coral Princess cruise ship say they struggled to get a rapid antigen test and an asthma puffer while in isolation amid a Covid outbreak on board.
Amba Kirchner Kalpins said her partner, who did not wish to be identified, tested positive to Covid on 6 July, leading to a four-day ordeal before they disembarked from the ship in Brisbane, ahead of its departure to the New South Wales south coast.
He was among the 24 Covid-infected passengers that Queensland’s chief health officer, John Gerrard, said had disembarked in Brisbane, with 118 cases confirmed to be onboard the ship – 114 of them crew. NSW Health said it was working with the ship’s operators to monitor the outbreak ahead of its planned stop in Eden.
As he lay bedridden and feverish, the passenger said a doctor initially refused to give him an asthma puffer despite his difficulty breathing.
He said the doctor later changed their mind but staff did not check up on his symptoms for two days and only called to offer him board games.
Kirchner Kalpins said when the ship docked in Brisbane, she had to argue with staff for a RAT to ensure she was negative.
“I got told by a very rude doctor that it’s not our policy to test again until day six of isolation and she just hung up on me,” Kirchner Kalpins said. “My mum and Nan … went to reception … and they eventually gave me one.”
On Wednesday Princess Cruises said a PCR test had been conducted “in response to the request”, while its medical centre had called guests daily and “guest services were in touch at least once a day”.
Another passenger, Wendy, told ABC Brisbane while she was on board staff were careless about controlling the spread of the virus and that an open buffet was operating on the ship.
“The buffet, unbelievably, is still in operation and you serve yourself,” Wendy said. “There’s tongs, but if you touch your face or you cough, there’s no glass covering the food – I think that should have been canned straight away.”
Wendy said she tested positive on the ship, and was not told about positive cases until the night before she disembarked in Brisbane.
“That night, my husband started feeling ill, he had the chills and so now he’s still sick coughing,” Wendy told the ABC. “I had a terrible night, I’ve been coughing all night. It definitely isn’t the dream holiday.”
Princess Cruises said on Wednesday that “it would not have been appropriate to disclose the health status of other guests.”
A spokesperson at Carnival Australia, the parent company of Princess Cruises, had said positive cases “are overwhelmingly among crew” who had been isolating “in line with the protocols that have effectively supported the resumption of cruising in Australia since May”.
“Under the protocols, all crew must be fully vaccinated and we also regularly conduct surveillance testing of all crew,” the spokesperson said.
The NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, said he had received advice about the ship’s journey but the situation was still developing.
NSW Health confirmed the “vast majority” of cases on board were among crew members.
“All Covid-positive people are isolating and being cared for by the onboard medical team,” it said in a statement. “NSW Health’s assessment is that the Covid-19 risk level for the Coral Princess during this cruise is amber, which indicates a moderate impact to the vessel.”
NSW Health said “no crew members will disembark” the ship “and all passengers disembarking will be requested to return a negative RAT result first”.
Queensland’s health minister, Yvette D’Ath, said some passengers with the virus had left the ship to quarantine, while others were isolating as per normal protocol.
Kirchner Kalpins said the cruise had left “a sour taste” in the couple’s mouth as they isolated in Brisbane before flying home to Melbourne.
She said they were told to organise their own accommodation and had paid $800 to stay in an Airbnb in Brisbane. They couple said they had asked for a refund but had only been offered boat credits.
“They did not seem equipped to deal with it at all,” she said. “I feel like I’ve we’ve been treated appallingly. It was a holiday from hell.”
