Covid scare hits SeaDream on first Caribbean cruise since pandemic

A Covid scare has rocked the first Caribbean cruise since the pandemic with a SeaDream vessel forced to abort its voyage and return to Barbados.

Passengers on board SeaDream 1 have been confined to their cabins and are waiting for tests after a fellow traveller tested positive yesterday.

All crew are understood to have tested negative.

The development is a PR disaster for the cruise line which earlier in the week faced a barrage of criticism after photographs showed crew were not wearing face masks.

SeaDream initially defended the policy, insisting crew wore masks in "red zones" such as the embarkation area.

But according to reports, the company changed its policy with passengers and crew told to wear masks when they were unable to maintain a six-foot distance.

Several journalists are on the voyage – which departed last Saturday with 58 passengers on board – including UK travel journalist Sue Bryant.

She tweeted that the voyage ‘ended abruptly’ after a passenger tested positive. The vessel is now back in Barbados with passengers confined to cabins awaiting tests, Bryant said.

US journalist Gene Sloan told CNN that the captain informed passengers of the preliminary positive test shortly before lunchtime on Wednesday as the ship was anchored off Union Island in the Grenadines.

Passengers were immediately instructed to return to their cabins and remain isolated.

The impact on the industry of the incident "will depend in part on how this situation unfolds in the coming hours and days," Sloan told CNN Travel via email from his cabin on board.

"But it’s not a great development for the cruise industry. I think the hope had been that the rigorous testing that SeaDream was doing would keep Covid off its ship."

SeaDream 1 had been operating in Norway since June without incident.

In September, when announcing the series of 22 Barbados voyages, executive vice president Andreas Brynestad said sailing in a Covid era ‘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," he said. "We are thrilled to offer our guests a much-needed escape and the dream vacation they deserve onboard SeaDream."

Because of the size of its vessel – its capacity is fewer than 250 passengers – SeaDream falls outside the remit of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and CLIA.

TravelMole has approached SeaDream for comment. 

On its website, SeaDream said it was able to ‘successfully implement a comprehensive COVID-19 prevention plan that resulted in zero positive cases during the entire Norwegian summer season’.

The company said it has since improved its procedures further, with three machines testing guests prior to departure.

"The goal is to create a Covid-19 negative bubble, where guests can relax and enjoy the safety of the ship," the cruse line says.

"Guests will be asked to observe social distancing guidelines and take temperature checks daily.

By Steve Jones, Contributing Editor (UK)