Cruise giant Carnival grapples with a significant COVID-19 outbreak on ship
At least 27 people on a Carnival Cruise Line ship sailing in the Caribbean have tested positive for COVID-19 -- the biggest recorded outbreak of the illness on a cruise vessel in the region since Caribbean cruising resumed in June.
The Galveston, Texas-based Carnival Vista arrived in Belize on Wednesday with 26 crew members and one passenger on board who had tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from the Belize Tourism Board.
All the crew and the passenger who tested positive were vaccinated, the tourism board said, and are experiencing either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
The statement from the Belize Tourism Board put a concrete number on a COVID-19 outbreak that has been simmering for several days and that Carnival appears to have tried to downplay. Carnival in recent days only has said that it is "managing a small number of positive [COVID-19] cases" on board Carnival Vista -- a phrase the line used again Friday in a statement sent to TPG.
In theory, there could be additional cases on board Carnival Vista that have gone undetected, as Carnival has not been regularly testing most passengers on the ship. The line only is regularly testing crew on the ship on a rotating basis every few days.
Still, the Belize Tourism Board said Carnival did contact tracing for all 27 crew and passengers who tested positive, testing all "close contacts" of the 27 people, and found no additional COVID-19 cases. More than 900 people on the ship were tested for COVID-19 as part of this contact tracing process, the tourism board said.
Carnival Vista is sailing with more than 4,000 people on board -- 1,441 crew members and 2,895 passengers.
All the crew and passengers who have tested positive have been quarantined on the ship, in keeping with the latest COVID-19 guidelines for cruise ships issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While other cruise ships that have restarted operations in the Caribbean since June have experienced isolated cases of crew and passengers testing positive for COVID-19, the numbers reported have generally been very low. Celebrity Cruises reported two cases of passengers testing positive for COVID-19 on a Caribbean sailing in June, for example, and Royal Caribbean recently reported six cases on a sailing.
In its statement, the Belize Tourism Board noted that it met virtually with officials on the Carnival Vista in advance of its arrival in Belize on Wednesday to discuss the positive COVID-19 cases on board and was assured that "the infected crew and passenger do not pose a threat to guests, crew or frontline workers in Belize."
Carnival restarted departures out of U.S. ports on July 3 after a 16-month-long halt to operations caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Like many cruise lines that have restarted departures in recent months, Carnival is requiring that all passengers be vaccinated for COVID-19, though it is making exceptions for a small number of children who are not old enough to be vaccinated and passengers with medical issues.
Related: The ultimate guide to Carnival ships
On the current sailing, nearly 97% of passengers are vaccinated.
The line also has implemented new mask-wearing rules for some indoor areas of its ships and is adding a requirement, effective Saturday, that passengers show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to board a vessel. The COVID-19 test must be taken within three days of boarding a ship.
Carnival Vista is operating a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean out of Galveston that began on Saturday and has included calls in Honduras, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico. All of the stops went on as planned despite the COVID-19 cases on board. The ship currently is on its way back to Galveston, as scheduled, and will be back in the Texas port Saturday morning.
In its statement to TPG, Carnival said the next departure of the ship, later on Saturday, would take place.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.