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SeaDream cancels 2020 cruises after nine COVID cases

SeaDream Yacht Club canceled sailings for the remainder of 2020 after nine people contracted COVID-19 on the industry's first Caribbean cruise since the shutdown.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

November 17, 2020

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

Two crew tested positive by Barbados health authorities, following the seven passengers who were earlier confirmed positive on that first Nov. 7 voyage.

Reduced capacity

SeaDream I, with capacity for 112 passengers, had been carrying just 53, along with 66 crew. Five of the passengers were a family group, while two were a married couple.

'Multiple negative PCR tests were required before the guests boarded, but this was not sufficient to prevent COVID-19 on board,' the company said in a statement.

Followed safe Norway-Denmark sailings

'SeaDream successfully operated more than 20 sailings [in Norway-Denmark] during the pandemic without any cases and further improvements were made to protocols before the Barbados season. The company will now spend time to evaluate and see if it is possible to operate and have a high degree of certainty of not getting COVID,' the statement continued.

SeaDream I returned early to Bridgetown after the first positive case on board.

The experience has caught the attention of two members of the US Congress, who called for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reinstate the no-sail order for cruise ships and reverse course on efforts to resume cruise operations.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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