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Holland America Line's Oosterdam's ship. Petros Giannakouris/Associated Press

Two crew members on Holland America Line's Oosterdam cruise ship criticized the communication onboard, which they say left many workers in the dark for three days about a sick colleague who was eventually removed from the ship.

They have been on the ship without passengers since March 14, and don't know when they'll be able to leave.

The two crew members were told by coworkers about a training exercise held less than two weeks after passengers left the ship that involved placing around 150 people in a single lifeboat.

"We know this is a very challenging and uncertain time for our crewmembers," a Holland America representative said. "We are working through several options to determine the best way to get our crewmembers home as soon as possible."

Do you work in the cruise industry? Do you have an opinion on how your company or the industry as a whole has handled the coronavirus? Email this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.

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On April 3, the hotel director on Holland America Line's Oosterdam cruise ship told about a dozen crew members that one of their colleagues had tested positive for COVID-19, before shouting the news to about 20 others who were waiting in line to receive masks and gloves, two crew members told Business Insider.

There are 753 people on the ship now, a Holland America representative said, which means the vast majority may not have learned about the sick crew member until Monday, when the ship's captain first mentioned over the vessel's intercom system that she had been removed from the ship for medical reasons the night before. The captain added that the Oosterdam has not been able to conduct accurate tests for COVID-19, as the necessary equipment is onshore. Business Insider heard a recording of the announcement.

"This has been handled so poorly," one crew member said. "There's so little information they're giving us."

The two Oosterdam crew members spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity due to a fear of retaliation from Holland America. Their identities are known to Business Insider.

"The type of tests that we have on board our ships are not approved by the US CDC or FDA as confirming tests, nor will they confirm a negative result. They are blood tests that indicate the presence of antibodies in someone who is ill and provide direction," the Holland America representative said. "Following CDC protocol, we immediately isolated the one crew member and their close contacts. When additional cases presented the crew was notified."

'Reckless endangerment'

While the spread of the novel coronavirus has resulted in mass cancellations of cruises until May at the earliest, tens of thousands of crew members are still on their ships. In many cases, they face local governments that are hesitant to let them disembark at their ports, leaving the crew members uncertain of when they'll return home.

On March 14, the final passengers left the Oosterdam. Eleven days later, the ship ran a training exercise both crew members found troubling, as it involved placing around 150 people in a single lifeboat. While neither of the two crew members who spoke to Business Insider participated in the exercise, each heard about it from their coworkers, who told them some of those in the lifeboat were coughing.

"To me, it just seems like reckless endangerment," one crew member said.

No passengers or crew members on the ship had tested positive for COVID-19 at that point, but it had been less than two weeks since the passengers had left. Symptoms of the disease can take up to 14 days to show after a person has been exposed, if they show at all.

"We are sorry that some of our crewmembers felt uncomfortable with this exercise," the Holland America representative said. "These kinds of required training exercises were suspended as soon as we saw a small number of people reporting with symptoms."

Both crew members are now among the 70 or so who are isolated in their rooms after being in close contact with their colleague who tested positive for COVID-19, passing the time by reading, exercising, texting friends, and watching TV while the Oosterdam travels between Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Angeles to pick up supplies. They're joined by about 35 other crew members who are isolated with a cough, sore throat, or flu-like symptoms, the captain said in a Tuesday announcement.

"We know this is a very challenging and uncertain time for our crewmembers," the Holland America representative said. "We are working through several options to determine the best way to get our crewmembers home as soon as possible."

'Everyone's just kind of scared and wants to go home'

Quarantine has come with a few perks: One of the crew members was moved from a crew cabin to a larger guest cabin with a window and a balcony, and both are still being paid their full salaries, though that could change in May, according to an internal document viewed by Business Insider. (The Holland America representative said that document was preliminary. The company's final compensation plan will be shared with crew members in the coming week.)

"I feel like they truly are trying to make it livable for everyone," one of the crew members said.

But the mood on the ship has worsened in recent weeks as its occupants face uncertainty around when they'll be able to leave. Even if they're allowed off the ship, air-travel restrictions will present a new set of challenges.

"Everyone's just kind of scared and wants to go home," one crew member said.

Do you work in the cruise industry? Do you have an opinion on how your company or the industry as a whole has handled the coronavirus? Email this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.

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