The ship, which returned briefly to port on Sunday to disembark a passenger with COVID-19, is carrying 3,587 passengers and 1,599 crew. With vaccinations required among all crew members and guests 12 and older, 95% of those on board were fully vaccinated, according to Royal Caribbean. Additionally, there have been no COVID-19 related hospitalizations, medical evacuations, ventilator use, or deaths from this ship."įifty-five passengers and crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 on Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship, which departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday for an eight-night Caribbean trip, Royal Caribbean said in a statement shared by spokesperson Lyan Sierra-Caro. "CDC is investigating the recent increase in COVID-19 cases identified on Royal Caribbean International’s Odyssey of the Seas," CDC spokesperson David Daigle told USA TODAY Thursday. "All cases appear to be mild or asymptomatic. The CDC is investigating Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas ship as it continues to sail with more than 50 cases of coronavirus onboard. ►Nervous about travel (again)? What to know about airline, hotel and cruise cancellation policies as omicron surges CDC investigating Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas ►Analysis: Will the cruise industry shut down due to the omicron variant as it did in March 2020? When port visits are canceled, she said, the cruise line will try to find an alternative destination. Some destinations have limited medical resources and are focused on managing their own local response to the variant." "Unfortunately, the rapid spread of the omicron Variant may shape how some destination authorities view even a small number of cases, even when they are being managed with our vigorous protocols. "We are working closely with the CDC and local health authorities in all ports and destinations that we visit," Mathews said. "Our protocols anticipate this possibility and we implement them as necessary to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew," she said. "This is a vaccinated cruise and all guests were also tested before embarkation."Īruba and Bonaire did not permit Carnival Freedom to call at their ports. Mathews did not immediately specify the number of cases on board when asked. The cruise line said Wednesday it would continue to monitor the health of those passengers and crew members and would offer complimentary testing for passengers who wished to have it "to feel reassured and for peace of mind." Carnival Freedom denied entry to Aruba, Bonaire due to COVID casesĬarnival Freedom, which is sailing in the Caribbean according to Cruise Mapper, has a "small number" of coronavirus cases on board and is following protocols, spokesperson AnneMarie Mathews told USA TODAY Thursday. The majority of those who tested positive are asymptomatic, some have mild symptoms. MSC health protocols were implemented "immediately" and all who tested positive and their close contacts were isolated in balcony cabins in a separate area on the ship. Twenty-eight (all fully vaccinated) of the 4,714 guests and crew members – 0.59% of the onboard population – were discovered to be positive," MSC said in a statement provided by spokesperson Stephen Schuler. "During a routine monitoring aboard MSC Seashore, a limited number of guests and crew tested positive for COVID-19. MSC Seashore, which was scheduled to disembark passengers Thursday, sailed with 28 passengers who tested positive for COVID-19. 28 breakthrough COVID cases on MSC Seashore The CDC advises people who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to avoid cruise travel and advises travelers get a booster shot if eligible. The likelihood of contracting coronavirus on cruise ships is "high because the virus spreads easily between people in close quarters aboard ships," Daigle said. He continued that "cruise travel is not a zero-risk activity." "We are still learning how easily it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, and how well available vaccines and medications work against it." The CDC has been working with global public health experts and industry partners to learn about omicron, spokesperson Dave Daigle told USA TODAY Thursday. As omicron continues to spread across the country, COVID-19 cases are continuing to emerge on cruise ships.Ĭarnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and MSC Cruises are among the cruise lines currently dealing with clusters of cases on board resulting in a myriad of scenarios including protocols kicking in to mitigate spread, itinerary changes and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigations.
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