A German newspaper reports that the AIDA Cruises’ AIDABella is “being (temporarily) converted from a cruise ship into a quarantine ship. 1,500 people are said to be on the ship for two weeks to spend their time there in quarantine.”
The newspaper explains that there is a need to quarantine future AIDA crew members, including the crew of the AIDACosma (below right), the “newest ship in the Aida fleet (which) is scheduled to go into operation in Bremerhaven in December. Before the crew can start their work on the cruiser, they have to go into isolation due to the ongoing corona pandemic. And that is what the AIDABella is intended for.”
The German newspaper further explains that the cruise ship, which has not been used by passengers this year, will then remain in Bremerhaven for the next three months.
The pro cruise industry publication, Cruise Industry News, reports today, without any explanation, that AIDA Cruises, owned by Carnival Corporation, denies that it has plans to use the AIDAbella as a quarantine ship for its crew members.
“No, this is not true,” AIDA’s press department told Cruise Industry News. “There are no concrete plans for the AIDAbella now.”
AIDA’s denial raises the question how the cruise line of how Aida intends to quarantine its new, incoming crew members in the future.
Have a question or comment? Please leave one below or join the discussion on our Facebook page.
Image credit: AIDABella – Top – Maciek Godlewski – CC BY 3.0, commons wikimedia.; ADACosma Bottom – Meyer Werft.