Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

Passenger tests positive for coronavirius on first Caribbean cruise to resume sailing

Passenger tests positive for coronavirius on first Caribbean cruise to resume sailing

A passenger aboard the SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream 1 tested positive for COVID-19 on a preliminary basis Wednesday after taking a rapid test.

An attempt by SeaDream Yacht Club to provide a COVID-19 free cruise for passengers this week didn't go as planned.

SeaDream 1 was the first vessel to set sail in the Caribbean Saturday after a prolonged pause in operations due to the pandemic. A few days into the trip, a passenger has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to The Points Guy.

The passenger tested positive on a preliminary basis after taking a rapid test on Wednesday, prompting the ship to make an immediate return to Barbados, the outlet reported.

The captain of the vessel announced the results of the rapid test over the intercom just before noon while the ship was anchored in the Grenadines and told passengers to return to their cabins for isolation. Nonessential crew members were also told to isolate, according to the outlet.

Industry experts applauded the company's efforts in deploying onboard safety protocols to keep passengers safe.

"There is a dual focus on limiting the risk of onboard exposure and containing any positive cases to eliminate the potential for onboard transmission," Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, told FOX Business.

The ship, with 53 passengers and 66 crew members, had set sail for the first time on Saturday, marking what was supposed to be a pivotal moment for an industry hit hard by the pandemic.

Cruise lines canceled sailings in Asia when the outbreak was mostly limited there, but bookings dropped and cancellations rose just about everywhere as the virus spread. In mid-March, the CDC ordered cruise ships to stop sailing to U.S. ports after several vessels reported outbreaks onboard.

Although the CDC's order only stretched through Oct. 31, and the agency has since outlined conditions for the resumptions of sailings, dozens of cruise lines have extended their pause through the end of the year due to the spike in COVID-19 cases around the globe.

In its latest notice, the CDC reiterated that there is an "increased risk of COVID-19 on cruise ships" and a "careful approach" is needed to resume operations.

Cruise Lines International Association, the industry's trade group, said the pause in operations is to help members "prepare for the implementation of extensive measures to address COVID-19 safety" under guidance from public health experts.

"Those learnings will be paramount to a more robust return to service, particularly here in the U.S." she said. "The primary focus of cruise lines continues to be the safety of their guests, crew members and the communities they visit across the globe."

For now, all "eyes are on cruises that are currently sailing," McDaniel said.

Prior to embarking on the journey, passengers on SeaDream had to test negative for COVID-19 several days in advance of boarding and on the day of boarding in order to create a COVID-free “bubble” on the ship, according to The Points Guy.

After Wednesday's announcement, all the ship’s crew and passengers were tested again for COVID-19. By Wednesday evening, all of the crew members had tested negative, the outlet reported.

McDaniel noted that while this is encouraging news, "what’s still to be determined is whether there is any onboard transmission."

Representatives for SeaDream did not respond to FOX Business' request for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
×