Crew member tests positive for COVID-19 on Spectrum of the Seas, cruise cancelled
The cruise from Hong Kong is now cancelled with guests offered full refund and a free future cruise.
The Spectrum of the Seas has been sailing from Hong Kong since October 14, 2021. PHOTO: HONG KONG TOURISM BOARD
Two weeks after Spectrum of the Seas resumed ‘Ocean Getaways’ from Hong Kong, one crew member onboard tested positive for COVID-19 during routine crew testing. This crew member has been identified to be a 40-year-old male crew member who already has received two doses of CoronaVac in April and May 2021. His test taken on October 19th came back positive for Covid-19 with a low viral load, which is now classified by the Hong Kong Department of Health to be a re-positive overseas case. This is due to an earlier COVID-19 infection taken when he was in Malaysia in July 2021.
Royal Caribbean shared that he arrived in Hong Kong in August and tested negative for COVID-19 more than 10 times since arriving into Hong Kong. He is stationed for duties in the back-office and has not interacted with any guests. Prior to the positive case, all 1,250 crew members onboard the Spectrum of the Seas had completed required vaccination, passed PCR tests and relevant health screening before boarding, boarding with negative results.
Guests disembarking Spectrum of the Seas in Hong Kong on October 21, 2021.
PHOTO: ERIC CRUISE AND TRAVEL BLOG
Royal Caribbean states that it “continues to work closely with Hong Kong’s health and tourism authorities to comply with the official anti-pandemic measures". In response to this high health risk, Royal Caribbean has announced the cancellation of the current cruise that is supposed to depart Hong Kong this evening (21st October). All guests who have embarked onto Spectrum of the Seas earlier in the day, have been instructed to disembark tonight. The cancellation of this cruise sailing will result in all guests being compensated through:
Free Cancellation, 100% refund on paid cruise fare and taxes & fees
Transportation subsidy of HK$100 per guest
An extra Future Cruise Credit of 2021/10/21 sailing’s full cruise fare to use on your next choice of Spectrum cruise-to-nowhere sailing that departs from Hong Kong (excluding charter sailing, sailing departs on Christmas, New Year’s Day and Spring Festival)
The Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (Department of Health) shared that specified individuals who had been on board the ship at “specified periods” will be required to undergo compulsory testing on or before the specified date. Close contacts of the patients will be put under mandatory quarantine. This includes anyone who has spent more than two hours onboard Spectrum of the Seas from September 30, 2021, to October 21, 2021, as shared by Chinese news outlet ChinaNews.com.
Epidemiological investigations and contact tracing are still in process. As of now, it is unsure whether the next sailing will be cancelled as well.
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