Corona on board: There was bad news for the passengers of two cruise ships shortly after the turn of the year: Due to Corona cases, the trips were terminated prematurely.
Lisbon / Rostock – Shortly after the turn of the year, two cruise ships canceled their voyages due to corona infections: For “Aida Nova” and the more than 4,000 people on board, the trip ended prematurely in Lisbon due to corona cases in the crew.
The cruise ship “Mein Schiff 6” of the shipping company Tui Cruises is breaking off its current trip in Dubai. “The background to this are isolated cases of Covid-19 on board that were discovered during the voyage. As a purely precautionary measure and to protect guests and crew, Tui Cruises has now decided to take this short break, ”said the Hamburg-based company on Monday night.
New year different than expected
In the “Aida Nova” case, Aida Cruises announced on Sunday in Rostock that although the sick crew members had only mild symptoms, “due to the current situation we cannot make the trip with“ Aida Nova ”as planned until January 5, 2022 to the Canary Islands. ”Also the cruises of the ship with the start dates January 5th, January 8th and January 12th could not be offered. The next scheduled trip of the “Aida Nova” is scheduled to start on January 15th from Las Palmas on Gran Canaria. The shipping company asked the passengers for their understanding.
The almost 3,000 cruise passengers from Germany, among others, had to spend the turn of the year differently than planned and had to wait three days in Lisbon: The planned visit to the spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks over the port of Funchal on the Atlantic island of Madeira was canceled – which some travelers say, according to reports spoiled the New Year’s Eve and party mood on social networks.
The shipping company said on Friday that the positive corona cases were discovered early on during routine tests and that those affected were accommodated on land in coordination with the authorities in Lisbon. Instead of a trip out to the Atlantic, the passengers now expect the return flight home. According to the Lisbon port director Diogo Vieira Branco, the Portuguese authorities had given the “Aida Nova” permission to sail, regardless of the thinned-out crew.
Currently only current trip affected
In the case of “Mein Schiff 6”, the shipping company announced that the voyage would have ended on Monday as planned for the majority of the approximately 2000 passengers. The involuntary break affects both those who had booked a connecting cruise and the guests who wanted to go on board in Dubai. According to the information, Tui Cruises is currently organizing return flights for all guests who would have wanted to continue their journey. “RTL.de” had initially reported on the two cases.
As a company spokeswoman said, the cancellation initially only affects the current cruise, which should have lasted until January 10th. Should anything change in this regard, Tui Cruises wants to inform the guests in good time.
According to the shipping companies, strict corona rules apply on board the ships. Accordingly, all guests from the age of 12 and the crew are fully vaccinated. In addition, the passengers are tested several times. dpa
