Royal Caribbean Crew Tests Positive For COVID-19, Cruise Delayed

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — The inaugural trip of the Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas has been delayed after eight crew members have tested positive for COVID-19, the company’s CEO Michael Bayley shared in a statement posted to Facebook.

The ship was set to sail from Fort Lauderdale July 3 with stops throughout the Caribbean. After crew members tested positive for coronavirus, though, the cruise ship’s launch has been pushed back to July 31, Bayley said. A simulation cruise that was scheduled to take place in late June has also been rescheduled.

“While disappointing, this is the right decision for the health and well-being of our crew and guests,” Bayley said.

The Odyssey’s 1,400 crew members were vaccinated against coronavirus June 4. They’ll be considered fully vaccinated June 18.

“The positive cases were identified after the vaccination was given and before they were fully effective,” Bayley said.

Six of the crew members who tested positive are asymptomatic, while two have mild symptoms of the virus. All crew members on the ship have been quarantined for 14 days, the CEO said.

Royal Caribbean, headquartered in Miami, announced earlier this month that it would resume cruising in the United States in July with the Freedom of the Seas departing from PortMiami July 2 and traveling to Perfect Day at CocoCay over the Fourth of July weekend.

The debut of the brand-new Odyssey of the Seas, which has scheduled six- and eight-night Caribbean cruises, was scheduled for July 3.