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An American passenger from the stricken Ruby Princess, which has been linked to hundreds of coronavirus infections, has criticised the cruise line and authorities for failing to track international guests.
Key points:
- The passenger told the ABC she has had "zero follow-up" from the cruise ship's operator
- She has also criticised NSW Health
- Ruby Princess passengers are now being offered full refunds
Californian Sarah Prudhom, who lives in Costa Rica, said she had heard little from the cruise's operator Carnival Australia.
She also said NSW Health's online passenger surverys she had been sent did not work.
Ms Prudhom travelled on the cruise that docked in Sydney on March 19 after a trip to New Zealand — a voyage that has led to hundreds of COVID-19 cases and 21 deaths, including two in the US.
Despite not having coronavirus symptoms, Ms Prudhom is angry about what she believes is a lack of information being provided to international travellers.
It is believed up to 900 of the 2,647 guests on the ship were from overseas.
Ms Prudhom said it was an "epic fail" Carnival Australia hadn't provided information about areas on the ship linked to people diagnosed with coronavirus.
"They knew where we all were. Our cabins, our dining tables and times, our bar tabs and where they were from," Ms Prudhom said.
"I don't know how, when or if they maintained contact with Australian passengers, but they sure have ignored the other approximately 900 of us."
She said Carnival Australia's parent company Princess Cruises notified her on March 21 of positive cases from the ship, but that she had not heard from them since then.
So far, the ABC has traced at least 35 international coronavirus cases to the Ruby Princess.
Ms Prudhom said she had not been able to stop thinking about the tragedy, and her place in it.
"I look at pictures of these victims from the ship," she said.
"I hate the fact that I look at them in detail, so I can try to remember if I ever ran into them, or had a conversation with them."
Ms Prudhom received three electronic surveys on March 25, 26 and 27 from NSW Health over email "regarding your exposure to coronavirus", which she claimed were broken.
After leaving the last port in Napier on March 14, she said passengers were told over the ship's PA system they should self-quarantine when they got home but that the remaining days at sea would count towards that.
Ms Prudhom claimed announcements on board "misled people" by giving them the impression everything was fine.
When it was announced the ship was returning early to Sydney, passengers were offered a 50 per cent credit on a future cruise booking, or a 25 per cent refund.
Ms Prudhom instead requested a full refund from Princess Cruises — her cruise fare of $US4,133 ($6,496) as well as the $US1,100 cost of changing her flights out of Sydney — but so far she's had only automated responses.
Princess Cruises told ABC News it was now offering all passengers a full refund and was in the process of advising passengers "as soon as possible".
A spokesman said passengers would be contacted through a combination of letters and emails.
"[There is] a bit of systems work involved but complete commitment to getting it done," he said.
Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak
The ship remains docked in Port Kembla, south of Sydney, and will be there for at least another week as sick crew members on board are monitored.
NSW Health said yesterday there were 171 confirmed cases on board, with another 12 crew members in NSW hospitals.
NSW Police is conducting a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the ship's arrival in Sydney.
Passengers were allowed to disembark despite several people on board having symptoms of, and being tested for, coronavirus.
Princess Cruises maintains it adhered to all requirements and protocols at the time passengers disembarked.
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Topics: covid-19, diseases-and-disorders, infectious-diseases-other, health, police, travel-health-and-safety, travel-and-tourism, sydney-2000, nsw, new-zealand, costa-rica, united-states