The Quantum of the Seas cruise ship is docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Center in Singapore
Credit: AP
A tentative return to cruising in Asia had to be aborted early on Wednesday after a passenger on board was found to be positive for the coronavirus.
Quantum of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship returned on day three of a four-day “cruise to nowhere” after the captain confirmed that a guest had a Covid-19 infection despite strict checks before boarding.
Cruise holidays have been suspended globally since early this year after several mass Covid-19 outbreaks left hundreds of passengers sick or stranded as borders closed to keep the pandemic at bay.
In one of the first and most high-profile incidents in February, passengers on the Diamond Princess, owned by Carnival Corporation, were forced to isolate in their cabins for weeks, as the virus swept through the vessel, infecting 712 and killing 14.
The desperate situation damaged the industry’s global image even as borders closed to future ships, forcing the cancelling of cruises worldwide. This year the cruise industry is expected to lose close to $20 billion.
Royal Caribbean had only resumed three and four-night Ocean Getaway cruises as part of a safe cruising pilot programme announced in October by the Singapore Tourism Board to help revive the cruise industry. The short trips are only open to Singapore residents and do not include port calls.
All passengers are required to take a mandatory Covid-19 test prior to boarding and the Quantum of the Seas had halved its usual 4,000 capacity as part of strict health and safety measures.
Personnel in PPE stand on a passageway as Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship docks at Marina Bay Cruise Center
Credit: Reuters
Despite the measures, the tourism board confirmed on Wednesday that an 83-year-old passenger had tested positive for the virus after reporting to the medical centre with diarrhoea, reported the Straits Times. He had tested negative before the ship left port.
The ship’s captain turned the ship back early as soon as the case was confirmed. “It’s important that you know you are safe on board and we have a good plan in place to maintain your health, safety and comfort,” he told the 1,680 guests and 1, 148 crew members on board.
All leisure activities were suspended and the ship isolated all guests and crew who had close contact with the infected man. All of them tested negative for the coronavirus.
However, the ministry of health said the contacts will be placed on quarantine or health surveillance. Other people on the ship will be required to monitor their health for 14 days from the date of disembarkation and undergo a swab test at the end of the monitoring period.
The infection is a blow to an industry desperate to get back on its feet and dispel the notion of ships as “floating Petri dishes.”
The Quantum of the Seas had prepared for worst-case scenarios with a hospital on board, complete with a PCR testing laboratory and intensive care units equipped with ventilators.
Mask wearing on board is mandatory and passengers must have the Trace Together mobile application or token on their person at all times.
Royal Caribbean is not the only cruise company to attempt to take to the seas again despite the ongoing pandemic.
Chinese ships the Nanhai Dream and the Changle Gongzhu, are to set sail this week on a trial run from Sanya, Hainan Province, to the Xisha Islands, reported the Global Times.
The ships are forbidden from carrying more than 50 per cent of their passenger capacity initially and full services are not expected to resume until next year.
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