Two passengers on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship tested positive for Covid-19, officials said Thursday.
Celebrity Millennium, which is part of Celebrity Cruises owned by the Royal Caribbean Group, was the first cruise ship to sail out of North America since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, Celebrity Cruises said in a news release.
“Today two guests sharing a stateroom onboard Celebrity Millennium tested positive for Covid-19 while conducting the required end of cruise testing,” the cruise line company said. “The individuals are asymptomatic and currently in isolation and being monitored by our medical team.”
All guests were required to show a negative Covid-19 test and proof of vaccination 72 hours before its departure on Saturday, the company said.
“Celebrity Millennium is sailing with fully vaccinated crew and guests and following comprehensive protocols that align with our destination partners and exceed CDC guidelines to protect the health and safety of our guests,” Celebrity Cruises said. “This situation demonstrates that our rigorous health and safety protocols work to protect our crew, guests and the communities we visit.”
The Celebrity Millennium is a 7-day cruise from St. Maarten, the Caribbean port of Philipsburg, with additional stops in Aruba, Barbados and Curacao.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the go-ahead to begin work toward restarting cruises for the first time in over a year after the massive ships became some of the first superspreader locations for the coronavirus.
