Royal Caribbean International is postponing the inaugural sailings of its newest cruise ship after eight crew members received positive coronavirus test results during routine testing.
The Odyssey of the Seas’ initial sailings, which the cruise line had laid out as six- and eight-night Southern and Western Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from July 3 to July 31, are being canceled as a precaution, Royal Caribbean spokesperson Lyan Sierra-Caro told USA TODAY. The launch will be postponed until July 31, when the first sailing with paying passengers is now scheduled to depart. Four sailings were scrapped in total.
A test cruise originally set by the company to leave in late June, though it hadn’t yet received CDC approval to sail, is on track to be rescheduled at a date to be announced, Sierra-Caro said.
Those who had planned to sail “will be notified and given several options to consider,” Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley said in a Facebook post.
Ready to set sail? Royal Caribbean announces summer cruises from Texas, Florida ports
Previously:Israel unrest leads Royal Caribbean to cancel Odyssey of the Seas June through October sailings from Haifa
All 1,400 crew members on Odyssey were vaccinated on June 4, but the positive cases were found before the vaccines would be considered fully effective June 18.
Of the eight crew members who tested positive, six are asymptomatic and two have mild symptoms. They were quarantined and were being monitored by Royal Caribbean’s medical team, according to Bayley’s post. All crew members are set to quarantine for 14 days, and the cruise line plans to continue weekly routine testing.
“While disappointing, this is the right decision for the health and well-being of our crew and guests,” Bayley said in the post.
The ship had been set for an inaugural sailing from Haifa, Israel, on June 2, but that was canceled because of unrest in the region.
Seven other Royal Caribbean ships are scheduled to set sail from ports in Texas, Florida and Seattle this summer.
Passengers aboard most Royal Caribbean cruises are “strongly recommended” to be fully vaccinated, and those who are unvaccinated or unable to verify their vaccinations will need to be tested and follow other protocols.
Those aboard Alaskan-bound ships in July who are 16 and older must be fully vaccinated. The age requirement drops to 12 starting Aug. 1.
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