SeaDream Yacht Club is canceling all remaining cruises planned for the year after seven passengers and two crew members tested positive for COVID-19 on a recent cruise in the Caribbean.
The company announced on November 12 that the SeaDream I had returned to Barbados after guests’ tests for COVID-19 returned assumptive positive results.
“Multiple negative PCR tests were required before the guests boarded, but this was not sufficient to prevent COVID-19 onboard,” said the cruise line in a statement released on its website.
The cruise line was the first luxury line to resume sailing after successfully implementing a COVID-19 prevention plan that resulted in zero positive cases during its entire Norwegian summer season. In October, SeaDream announced a bold plan to offer passengers 22 roundtrip sailings from Barbados.
“Sailing during these times undoubtedly presents some new challenges. But as the first luxury line to begin sailing again, we have learned many lessons and are confident we can provide a safe environment without sacrificing luxury,“ said SeaDream’s Andreas Brynestad. “We are thrilled to offer our guests a much-needed escape and the dream vacation they deserve onboard SeaDream.”
The first cruise departed on November 7. The first reports of illness were released days later.
“We are working closely with local health and government authorities to resolve this situation in the best possible way. Our main priority is the health and safety of our crew, guests, and the communities we visit,” said Brynestad, at the time.
SeaDream successfully operated more than 20 sailings during the pandemic without any cases, and further improvements were made to protocols before the Barbados season.
Looking ahead, 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-19. Until we can cruise safely, read up on information about some of our favorite cruising experiences.