Carnival Cruise Line is advising passengers to take out appropriate travel insurance after several guests had to be quarantined for COVID on disembarkation in Seattle, just days after the port marked the return to full-scale cruising after two years.

Passengers disembarking a cruise from Miami via the Panama Canal on Carnival Spirit have been put up in hotels in the Seattle area after an outbreak onboard.

At least 100 people had been affected, according to guests, with one passenger telling local TV station KING 5 that 200 were affected.

The passenger, Darren Sieferston, also said the crew was ‘overwhelmed’.

Carnival did not say how many people were affected but issued a statement to say: “The Carnival Spirit team managed a number of COVID cases during its Panama Canal journey from Florida to Seattle.

“There were no serious health issues, but we did have guests show minor symptoms or test positive.

“We encourage our guests to purchase travel insurance, and we believe that close to half the guests purchased travel insurance for unexpected travel disruptions related to COVID.

“Normally, guests are responsible for quarantine costs, but because so many of our guests were far from home, we made the hotel arrangements and have offered to share the cost of their lodging while they remain in Seattle to complete their five-day quarantine.”