Royal Caribbean cruise ship refused entry to Curacao and Aruba after Covid outbreak

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been refused entry to two islands after dozens of vaccinated crew and passengers tested positive for Covid just days after setting sail.

The Odyssey of the Seas will not be allowed to make port at Curacao and Aruba, two of just three stops in its itinerary before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on December 26.

Some 55 fully vaccinated crew members and passengers have become infected on the eight-day round trip that set off on December 18.

It means tourists onboard the 5,500-passenger liner will spend Christmas Day at sea with activities and entertainment reduced to prevent spread of the virus.

The outbreak comes days after at least 48 people aboard the company’s Symphony of the Seas ship tested positive for Covid-19 when the cruise docked in Miami. 

Health officials in Curacao refused to allow the ship to dock because the percentage of infected people on board was too high, the Curacao Chronicle reported. 

Dr Izzy Gerstenbluth, an epidemiologist on the island, said that when it was found that more than one percent of crew members were infected, passengers were banned from disembarking.

‘The day before yesterday, 18 crew members were positive, yesterday 36 and this morning there were 51,’ he told the publication.

‘In addition, several crew members have not been quarantined, so there is a good chance that passengers have also been infected.’ 

Cruise mapping data puts the ship’s last known location between the islands of Curacao and Aruba in the Southern Caribbean

The ship was scheduled to arrive in Aruba today, but has also been refused entry there. 

Cruise mapping data puts the ship’s last known location between the two islands in the Southern Caribbean.

The ship’s operators Royal Caribbean said in the statement: ‘In an abundance of caution for the well-being of our guests and crew, adjustments have been made to Odyssey of the Seas’ schedule of shows and activities on board the Dec. 18 sailing.’ 

Royal Caribbean added that they had a ‘layered set of health and safety measures’ in place for cruises.

‘Examples of these are pre-cruise testing for all guests and weekly testing of all crew members, required vaccinations for all crew and all guests age 12 and older, enhanced cleaning and sanitization standards, expanded expert medical care, 100% fresh, filtered air, and our enhanced face mask policy.’ 

Figures from Royal Caribbean state that Odyssey of the Seas can accommodate up to 5,510 guests and 1,663 crew members.

USA Today reported the ship is carrying 3,587 guests and 1,599 crew, significantly below its maximum occupancy.

The ship’s operators Royal Caribbean said in the statement: ‘In an abundance of caution for the well-being of our guests and crew, adjustments have been made to Odyssey of the Seas’ schedule of shows and activities on board the Dec. 18 sailing’

The outbreak comes days after at least 48 people aboard Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas – known to be the world’s biggest cruise ship – tested positive for Covid-19 when the cruise docked in Miami.

Royal Caribbean announced that one of the passengers onboard a prior cruise itinerary had tested positive for the Omicron variant. 

‘We were notified by the CDC that a guest onboard our (December) 4th cruise tested positive and it was identified as omicron,’ a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told USA TODAY on Saturday.

‘They asked us to notify guests on the sailing, the one that ended today, and the current one.’

Forty-four out of 6,074, passengers – or about 0.72 per cent – onboard the cruise that departed on December 11 tested positive for COVID after the trip around the Eastern Caribbean. The cruise line said they’ve all been quarantined.

Forty-four passengers onboard Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas cruise tested positive for COVID-19 after the ship docked in Miami on Saturday (file picture)

The cruise line also announced that one of the passengers onboard a prior cruise itinerary had tested positive for the Omicron variant

The scene is slightly reminiscent of the early stages of the outbreak in 2020, when cruise ships became the first super-spreaders due to their enclosed environment and contact between travelers from different cities and countries.

Royal Caribbean said future cruises won’t be halted. 

The cruise line’s rules dictate that all travelers on board a ship aged 12 and above must be fully vaccinated and test negative before departure.

The cruise line says it ‘strongly recommends’ guests receive a booster dose prior to sailing, but this is not currently mandated.

Crew members are also required to be fully vaccinated and test ‘at least once a week.’