On Thursday, two passengers who shared a cabin on the first North American Cruise since 2020 tested positive for COVID-19.
While undergoing tests prior to disembarking the cruise at St. Maarten, the guests discovered they were positive.
The two positive guests, according to a Celebrity spokeswoman, will remain in St. Maarten until they test negative, after which the cruise company will assist them in making travel arrangements to return home.
The Millennium is the world’s largest COVID-19-vaccinated cruise to date.
Vaccines, according to celebrities, are “game changers” since they allow them to restart operations.
The ship, which normally carries more than 2,000 passengers, is only around 30 percent full.
Celebrity has made various changes to their procedures, such as replacing their frequently congested muster drill with an online version and eliminating self-serve buffets. Their infirmary now has two physicians and 11 nurses on board, as well as extra ventilators and isolation chambers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises against cruise travel, but Celebrity was just given permission to sail the first cruise out of the United States from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, at the end of the month.