Several crew members on Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas have tested positive for COVID-19. The cruise ship was heading to the United States after the cruise line canceled a cruise in Israel due to the recent violence.
Royal Caribbean said that four crew members tested positive and that one crew member had an inconclusive test. They were all asymptomatic and were quarantined before disembarking at the Port of Palma in Mallorca, Spain.
There were 1,400 crew members on the ship and no passengers. All crew members were tested before boarding the ship and were tested throughout the voyage.
Most of the crew members have not been vaccinated yet, but Royal Caribbean said they will all be vaccinated when the ship arrives in the United States.
Under new CDC guidelines for cruise lines, they will be able to resume sailing this summer if 98% of the crew and 95% of the passengers are vaccinated.
Royal Caribbean has submitted a plan to run a mock cruise to test its coronavirus protocols. Once the plan is approved by the CDC, the cruise line will begin simulated voyages. Over 200,000 people have signed up to take part in the test cruises.
Photo: Getty Images