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Four Royal Caribbean crew members on the Anthem of the Seas reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, according to the popular Crew Center website.

Crew Center reported the positive test results this evening, after the Royal Caribbean cruise ship arrived in Greece for loading of provisions and for the crew to receive vaccinations, scheduled for today and tomorrow. Royal Caribbean disembarked the four ship employees in the port city of Piraeus and reportedly suspended the vaccinations. Here’s what Crew Center reported:

“Starting today the crew onboard Anthem of the Seas will go in a so-called modified quarantine after four crew members tested positive for COVID-19 on the recent PCR test. According to our source, the 4 crew members disembarked the ship today.

Anthem of the Seas arrived in Piraeus, Greece for loading and for the crew re-vaccination, scheduled for today and tomorrow. (The crew apparently have apparently already received the first of their two vaccinations on May 22, 2021).  Our source said that due to the latest test results the vaccination was postponed. Tomorrow all crew will be tested once again in order to proceed with vaccination.

Anthem of the Seas’ captain made an announcement on the ship’s PA system saying:

“In an effort to keep you all safe starting now we will be implementing ship-wide modified quarantine for all crew for the next 48 to 72 hours. This means all crew are requested to go, and remain in your cabin, except to go to restaurants for daily meals. Social distancing will be strictly enforced. Please contact your manager or supervisor for a working schedule and mealtime. Smoking will be allowed on the balcony. Crew in crew cabins please use outside smoking areas after mealtime in a limited short visit. For more detail information will be sent to you. Crew PCR test is scheduled for tomorrow. It is utmost important that you contact the nurse on duty to report any symptoms, and do not leave your cabin.”

The Anthem of the Seas is scheduled to begin sailing to the U.K. from its new home port in Southampton with fully vaccinated passengers and crew members.

It seems unusual for crew members to be quarantined for only 2 or 3 days, as Crew Center reports.

There was a crew change between the Anthem of the Seas and the Odyssey of the Seas in Cyprus toward the end of May, after the Odyssey left Israel. When the Odyssey was sailing through the Atlanta before crossing the Atlantic, as many as five crew members tested positive for COVID-19 and were disembarked to an ambulance ashore in Palma de Mallorca. There was no quarantine of the other crew members.

After the Odyssey has arrived in the U.S. to begin cruises from Port Everglades on June 4th, eight crew members tested positive for COVID-19 after being tested on June 10th. Royal Caribbean disclosed the positive results on June 15th. Two of the crew members were symptomatic. Royal Caribbean then placed the other 1,400 crew members on quarantine and postponed sailings on the Odyssey until July 31st.

The four COVID-19 positive crew members on the Anthem of the Seas brings the total number of Royal Caribbean ship employees who tested positive in the last four weeks to seventeen (17). Including the two passengers on the Celebrity Millennium, there has been a total of nineteen (19) people on cruise ships owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises who have tested positive during this time period.

This brings the total number of positive COVID-19 cases since the cruise industry was shut down last year to 237. You can read about the prior cases here.

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Image credit: www.GlynLowe.com CC BY 2.0, commons / wikimedia.