Singapore ‘cruise-to-nowhere’ turns back after coronavirus case aboard

Gulf Today Report

Nearly 1,700 passengers on a Royal Caribbean 'cruise-to-nowhere' from Singapore were told to stay in their cabins after a passenger on board was diagnosed with the coronavirus, prompting the vessel to return early to Singapore on Wednesday.

All passengers had cleared a mandatory polymerase chain reaction test for COVID-19 up to three days before the cruise started on Monday, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said.

Passengers look from their balconies of the Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship in Singapore.

Royal Carribbean said in a statement that a guest on the Quantum of the Seas ship "tested positive for coronavirus after checking in with our medical team."

"We identified and isolated all guests and crew who had close contact with this guest, and each of those individuals have subsequently tested negative for the virus," it said.

The ship returned to port in accordance with government protocols, and will allow guests to leave after a review of contact tracing is completed, it said.

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Singapore has been trialing the trips, which are, open only to residents, make no stops and sail in waters just off the city-state. There were around 2,000 passengers aboard at the time who have all been told to return to their rooms, according to media reports.

The global cruise industry has taken a major hit from the coronavirus pandemic, with some of the earliest big outbreaks found on cruise ships.

“We identified and isolated all guests and crew who had close contact with this guest, and each of those individuals have subsequently tested negative for the virus,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement.

“The ship is returning to port today...and will debark guests after a review of contact tracing is completed.”