Updated: November 19, 2020 (Originally published November 13, 2020)
OSLO, Nov 13 (Reuters) – SeaDream Yacht Club has halted a cruise in the Caribbean following several positive coronavirus tests among passengers, the company said on Friday.
The SeaDream I vessel has returned to port in Barbados and all passengers are currently being re-tested, the privately owned company said in a statement.
“The ship’s medical staff has tested all crew members and all tests have come back negative,” SeaDream said.
Cruise ships were home to the some of the earliest clusters of COVID-19 as the pandemic spread globally early this year, shutting down much of the cruise industry.
SeaDream Yacht Club said in September it planned to become the first luxury cruise operator to resume sailing in the West Indies, with 22 voyages planned from Nov. 7 onwards.
By contrast, most U.S. cruise operators have suspended their operations until the end of 2020, The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said on Nov. 3.
SeaDream Yacht Club, founded by Norwegian investor Atle Brynestad, operates two luxury vessels, each with a capacity of up to 112 passengers.
It did not say how many passengers and crew were aboard at the moment.
The company was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Reuters. (Reporting by Nora Buli; Eriting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Alison Williams, William Maclean)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020.
This article contains reporting from Reuters, published under license.
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
Saudi Arabia's National Shipping Co. (Bahri) provisionally hired at least five supertankers as freight rates approach $200,000 per day, the highest since 2020. The bookings signal rising Saudi crude exports to Asia amid geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
West African crude traders are slashing prices as soaring freight costs and an unfavorable Brent-Dubai spread kill Asian demand. Tanker rates to Asia hit five-year highs while Nigerian crude discounts deepen with no buyers emerging.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has ordered three new cruise ships from Fincantieri—one each for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises—with deliveries scheduled for 2036–2037. The deal secures valuable European shipyard capacity through 2037 and brings NCLH’s total orderbook to 17 vessels, supporting a projected 4% annual capacity growth through the next decade.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
