Cruise Lines Forced To Turn Back Following Coronavirus Outbreaks
FLORIDA — Just as the cruise ship industry was resuming some semblance of normalcy, officials announced that an outbreak of the COVID-19 omicron variant has hit a third Florida-based cruise ship.
In a statement issued by Carnival, the cruise line said a number of passengers and crew members aboard the Carnival Freedom holiday cruise tested positive for COVID-19 and, as a result, the ship was denied entry to Bonaire and Aruba.
The ship carries 2,497 passengers and 1,112 crew members. It was forced to return to Miami.
"Carnival Freedom is following all protocols and has a small number on board who are in isolation due to a positive COVID test," said Carnival in its statement. "Our protocols anticipate this possibility and we implement them as necessary to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew."
This was the third outbreak on a cruise ship operated by Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines sailing from Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
On Monday, Royal Caribbean said 48 guests and crew members of the 6,091 on the Symphony of the Seas, which sailed on Dec. 11, tested positive. The cruise ship requires that all crew and passengers be vaccinated unless there are mitigating circumstances requiring a physician's exemption. The Royal Caribbean said 98 percent of those on the ship were fully vaccinated.
Under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, there are five threshold levels of cases of coronavirus about a cruise ship.
A yellow status (the second most serious level) means the ship has met the threshold for a CDC investigation, which includes one of the following criteria:
Levels are at or above the investigation threshold for cases for crew.
Levels are at or above the investigation threshold for cases for passengers.
A state or local health department has notified the CDC of passenger cases withing the past five days of disembarkation.
A red status (the most serious level) means the ship is at or above the CDC investigation threshold for passenger and crew cases. At this level, the CDC recommends the ship return to port immediately or delay its departure.
As of Dec. 23, no ships have met the red status. Ships that have met the yellow status include:
Royal Caribbean International
Adventure of the Seas
Allure of the Seas
Anthem of the Seas
Explorer of the Seas
Freedom of the Seas
Harmony of the Seas
Independence of the Seas
Jewel of the Seas
Liberty of the Seas
Mariner of the Seas
Navigator of the Seas
Oasis of the Seas
Odyssey of the Seas
Serenade of the Seas
Symphony of the Seas
Silver Spirit
Silver Whisper
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Breeze
Carnival Conquest
Carnival Dream
Carnival Ecstasy
Carnival Elation
Carnival Freedom
Carnival Glory
Carnival Legend
Carnival Magic
Carnival Mardi Gras
Carnival Panorama
Carnival Pride
Carnival Radiance
Carnival Sunrise
Carnival Sunshine
Carnival Valor
Carnival Vista
Princess Cruises
Regal Princess
Ruby Princess
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Dream
Disney Fantasy
Disney Magic
Disney Wonder
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Apex
Celebrity Edge
Celebrity Equinox
Celebrity Millennium
Celebrity Reflection
This article originally appeared on the Miami Patch