Crew Members On Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey Of The Seas Test Positive For COVID-19

By: Alana DeRose

On Tuesday Royal Caribbean announced the sailing of Odyssey of the Seas will be delayed until the end of July due to a covid-19 outbreak among eight crew members.

During routine testing Royal Caribbean spotted eight of their crew members were positive despite the crew being fully vaccinated.

“Of the eight infected crew members, six are asymptomatic and two reported mild symptoms,” according to Travel Pulse. “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.”

Originally, Odyssey of the Seas was supposed to conduct a test sail in late June and then start sailing on July 3, but this has been moved back to the end of July.

“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,” RCL told Travel Pulse.

“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.”