MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Two Covid-19 positive cases on Celebrity Millennium in Caribbean cruise despite abiding CDC guidelines

“Two guests sharing a stateroom onboard Celebrity Millennium tested positive for COVID-19 while conducting the required end-of-cruise testing,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement

Uncomfortable start for Caribbean cruises. Two guests on one of the first cruise ships to sail from the United States since the COVID-19 pandemic hit tested positive on Thursday, Royal Caribbean said, adding that all passengers and crew had been vaccinated.

The Celebrity Millennium, carrying about 600 passengers and 650 crew, set sail from the Caribbean island of Saint Maarten on Saturday for a seven-day cruise including stops in Barbados, Aruba and Curacao.

“Two guests sharing a stateroom onboard Celebrity Millennium tested positive for COVID-19 while conducting the required end-of-cruise testing,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement. “The individuals are asymptomatic and currently in isolation.”

It said that the ship exceeded US COVID-19 guidelines, and all guests were required to show proof of vaccination as well as a negative COVID-19 test before sailing.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently requires that more than 95% of passengers and crew be vaccinated for cruise lines to bypass a requirement for trial voyages.

Cruise operations were suspended on Mar 14 last year when the CDC issued a “no sail order” to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. Several ships already had deadly outbreaks on board.