44 people test positive for COVID on Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas ship
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In the email to the passengers who sailed on the three cruises on Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean outlined what happened.
“This guest did not report symptoms to our onboard medical teams as outlined in our health protocols,” the cruise line said in a copy of the email obtained by USA TODAY. “Their post cruise test results were subsequently confirmed as the omicron variant.”
On the most recently concluded sailing, which disembarked on Saturday, 44 people out of 6,074 passengers and crew members on board Symphony of the Seas tested positive for COVID-19 – .72% of the community present on the ship.
“They were found as a result of immediately identifying close contacts after a guest tested positive,” Sierra-Caro said, noting each person was quarantined quickly. “Everyone who tested positive is asymptomatic, and we continually monitored their health. Six guests were disembarked earlier in the cruise and transported home. The remaining guests received assistance today upon our arrival.”
In the email to passengers, Royal Caribbean said that the cases on the Dec. 11th sailing were “unrelated to the omicron case from the guest who sailed on Dec. 4th.”
The cruise line advised that passengers visit a certified testing center three to five days after disembarkation per CDC guidance.
Future cruises have not been impacted, according to Sierra-Caro.
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