A Royal Caribbean cruise ship skipped docking at two island countries this week after 55 passengers and crew tested positive for Covid-19, the cruise line company has said.
The Odyssey of the Seas departed for an 8-day trip on Dec. 18.
While the ship had scheduled ports in Curacao and Aruba, a decision for the ship to avoid those stops "was made together with the islands out of an abundance of caution due to the current trend of Covid-19 cases in the destinations’ communities as well as crew and guests testing positive on board," said a statement from Royal Caribbean.
The ship has about 5,000 people aboard and 95 percent of them are vaccinated, the company said. Its maximum capacity is just under 7,175, including passengers and crew.
Royal Caribbean requires travelers who are 12 and older to have two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Everyone who has tested positive "are fully vaccinated and mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic," according to Royal Caribbean. "Close contacts were also identified and placed in quarantine to be monitored for 24 hours prior to testing."
"We are sailing with a layered set of health and safety measures in place to make our cruises the safest vacations possible," the statement said.
The outbreak comes after Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas returned to Miami Saturday after 48 passengers and staff members had tested positive for Covid-19.
