It's disappointing to have to isolated on a holiday and not enjoy yourself.
The Washington Post reported that some passengers and staff on the Norwegian and Royal Caribbean ships were served rotten or inadequate food, which made their situation worse.
Others said they were left without water.
Frank Rebelo, a passenger on the Norwegian Getaway, told the outlet that he was forced to isolated in his room and only be able to order food from the room service menu.
"They told me they were going to give me the minimum I needed to survive," Rebelo said.
Norwegian Getaway and Royal Caribbean didn't reply to Insider's request for comment.
The Washington Post quoted a Royal Caribbean spokesman as saying that passengers were given free bottled water.
There have been cases on cruise ships recently. According to the CDC, as of Friday, 91 US cruise ships at sea had confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.
A crew member aboard the Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas told The Post she found her lunch outside of her room. My dinner was a box of rice. Nothing else. She said not even a roll or a vegetable. "Just rice." I was happy that I have a box of Pop Tarts in my room.
A former staff member on Oasis, Ovation and Harmony of the Seas said that he was served inedible food during his time on the ship. He told the outlet that there was a small scoop of rice, a hard-boiled egg, and a small portion of corned beef hash.
If I worked for a construction company that didn't know how to cook food, it would be different.
Passengers on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship said they felt like lepers and were served stone-cold food after they were isolated during the COVID-19 outbreak.