by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:57 AM ET, Wed June 16, 2021
Royal Caribbean announced Tuesday night the debut of Odyssey of the Seas would be delayed until the end of July due to a COVID-19 outbreak among crew members.
According to an official statement from Royal Caribbean, eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19 during routine testing, despite all employees onboard the cruise ship being fully vaccinated on June 4.
Of the eight infected crew members, six are asymptomatic and two reported mild symptoms. The cruise line immediately quarantined the employees and is using health officials to monitor their status. All crew members have been quarantined for 14 days as a result.
Odyssey of the Seas was scheduled to conduct a simulation cruise in late June and launch from Fort Lauderdale on July 3, but both will be moved to the end of July. The ship was initially expected to sail from Israel on June 2, but unrest in the region forced the cruise line to cancel the voyage.
A Royal Caribbean released a statement to TravelPulse about the decision:
Odyssey of the Seas arrived in the U.S. on June 4, and as part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Conditional Sailing Order, the ship PCR tested all 1,400 crew on board before they were vaccinated.
In practicing our ongoing protocols, our crew members were tested again on June 10, and eight of them tested positive. All crew that tested positive are in good health and being monitored by our onboard medical team.
In addition, and in an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to ask all crew members to quarantine for 14 days to ensure the health and safety of everyone on board.
Our top priority is the well-being of our guests, crew and the destinations we visit, therefore, we are postponing Odyssey's debut until her July 31 sailing. This impacts the ship's previously announced sailings beginning on July 3, and a simulation cruise will still take place before setting sail. We are reaching out to affected guests and travel partners to assist with their options.
This was an unexpected but necessary decision to make, and we are committed to doing the right thing for everyone's well-being.
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