Royal Caribbean cancels cruise sailings on Jan 31 and Feb 3 after Covid-19 outbreak
Cruise operator Royal Caribbean International has cancelled two cruises to nowhere, after it detected Covid-19 cases among its crew.
This will affect customers who bought tickets to sail on its Quantum of the Seas on Monday (Jan 31) and Thursday.
It first announced the cancellations in e-mails to affected customers on Sunday morning.
It said a small number of crew had tested positive for the coronavirus, and this had triggered the cancellation, in line with government regulations.
The operator said in a media statement on Sunday afternoon that the cruises were cancelled "in an abundance of caution".
It said less than 0.6 per cent of its community on board had tested positive, without providing specific details of the number of people affected.
Those infected, who are all fully vaccinated, were identified during routine weekly testing conducted by the operator. They were on board a cruise that had set sail on Jan 27.
The operator said the positive cases were immediately isolated and their close contacts quarantined and tested.
"Everyone is asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic," it said. "As per safety protocols, the ship will also go through a deep cleaning and disinfection."
Quantum of the Seas was supposed to return to Singapore on Monday, but the operator did not elaborate on what would happen to the passengers on the ship.
Customers booked on the Jan 31 and Feb 3 sailings will be offered compensation.
Those scheduled to sail on Jan 31 would receive a full refund plus a 100 per cent credit for future bookings. Meanwhile, those booked on the Feb 3 sailing will receive a full refund or a 125 per cent credit for future cruise bookings.
"We regret having to cancel our guests' long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding," said Royal Caribbean International.
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