Cruise operators ready to sail despite COVID-19 cases
Cruises are just starting to return to the high seas after more than a year of being grounded by the pandemic - and there's already two cases of COVID-19 aboard a ship.
Royal Caribbean revealed late-Thursday that two guests onboard its Celebrity Millennium ship have tested positive for COVID-19.
The two passengers, who are sharing a room, are said to be asymptomatic and are being isolated from others on the ship.
Royal Caribbean says it is doing contact tracing and fast-tracking tests for anyone who has come in close contact with the pair.
A cruise expert who is on the ship told Reuters that life onboard appeared to be back to normal and no one was wearing masks.
This was one of the first cruises to restart sailing last week in North America after the pandemic forced cruising to a halt for more than a year.
Royal Caribbean had to agree to new CDC guidelines requiring all crew members be vaccinated and anyone over 16 present proof of vaccination.
The cruise ship operator told Reuters Friday that this incident will not derail its plans to launch more voyages this summer.
Carnival, which announced this week that it would start sailing from U.S. ports this summer with fully vaccinate guests, also said its relaunch plans remain on track.
Norwegian Cruise Lines is planning to add more trips from multiple U.S. ports. Passengers and crew must be fully vaccinated with proof.
Cruise operators are among the last to return to their pre-pandemic operations after outbreaks on ships last year.
