48 People Tested Positive For COVID On The World's Largest Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean announced that 48 people on a week-long Caribbean cruise have tested positive for COVID-19. The cruise line said that a guest tested positive during the voyage, which began on December 11 when the Symphony of Seas departed from Miami. The ship made stops at St. Martin, St. Thomas, and The Bahamas before returning to Miami.

Royal Caribbean said that 95% of the more than 6,000 passengers and crew members were fully vaccinated. The company said that 98% of the cases were reported in vaccinated individuals and that they all had mild or no symptoms. Six of the passengers left the ship before it returned to Miami. Officials did not say if the positive tests were the result of the Omicron variant.

Royal Caribbean requires all passengers over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of a negative test before departure. In addition, all crew members must be fully vaccinated and are required to undergo weekly COVID testing. The cruise line does not require people to get a booster shot but strongly recommends it.

"Each person quickly went into quarantine. Everyone who tested positive was asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, and we continuously monitored their health," the cruise line said in a statement.

The positive tests did not impact the schedule of the cruise. Future voyages on the world's largest cruise ship are also unaffected.