A relatively small group of COVID-19 cases on board the Mein Schiff 2 was quickly handled by the ship and Spanish authorities. TUI Cruises’ cruise ship Mein Schiff 2 was en route to the Canary Islands when the cruise line discovered that four guests were infected with the virus.
Occupational health measures
The cruise line only managed to keep four guests who tested positive at the end of the cruise in the group, while the remaining 996 guests and 800 crew members tested negative.
TUI Cruises said:
TUI Cruises’ comprehensive health and hygiene concept is proving its worth once again: during testing, four of the approximately 1,000 guests aboard the Mein Schiff 2 tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of the previous voyage. All other guests tested negative. Subsequently, the entire crew also tested negative.
The measures taken on board by Royal Caribbean proved effective in preventing the spread of the virus on board the ship.
Photo credit : Vytautas Kilaitis / Shutterstock.com
Following the positive test, the four guests were immediately isolated aboard the ship and the cruise line subsequently disembarked the guests in Gran Canaria, where the cruise line quarantined them. All four guests are in good health and symptoms are mild or nonexistent; TUI Cruises is monitoring these guests during the quarantine period.
The German cruise line operates throughout the country:
In accordance with the procedures established with the Spanish authorities, the four guests and the other guests who tested negative (identified as belonging to contact group 1) were immediately isolated on board and transferred last Friday to a quarantine facility in Gran Canaria, subject to all safety measures, where they will remain under the supervision of TUI Cruises.
The boarding procedure at Mein Schiff has been expanded. Guests must take the PCR-RT test, paid for by TUI, 24-72 hours before departure. When arriving at the airport for departure by charter plane, guests are actually in a bubble that they do not leave until they arrive in Germany.
Although the cruise line has identified customers infected with the virus, it is possible that they contracted the virus following a PCR test. The fact that the infections were detected on board the ship and that they were manageable speaks volumes about the well-coordinated procedures the cruise line has in place.
All other guests returned home on Friday, February 5, as originally planned. The trip was not delayed and there were no problems for the next trip.
After the guests left, all areas of the vessel were disinfected regularly, including with electric sprinklers, and only released after the prescribed soaking time. There was no reason to disturb the arriving guests and the cruises continued as planned.
Image credit: Solarisys / Shutterstock.com
TUI is navigating on
The main ship will continue to sail as it did in July 2020. To date, the shipping company has carried up to 60,000 guests, the first time the cruise line has determined that guests are infected with the virus.
Mein Schiff 2 will continue sailing via the Canary Islands. The well-organized situation on board the ship is an example of what other cruise lines will investigate. The fact that the news is published a week after the events refers to the sensational media coverage that took place in Singapore late last year.
The reality is that there will be cases aboard ships when they go to sea. As TUI Cruises, with nearly 60,000 passengers and only four infections, has demonstrated, cruising is an inherently safe activity, provided the necessary measures are in place and implemented.
This shows that the media are always so quick to create outrage when it comes to ships owned by the large American company Royal Caribbean. However, when the ships are owned by a German-speaking company (partly owned by Royal Caribbean), the media are silent. So the so-called petri culture aboard cruise ships seems to be nothing more than media hype.
We can only congratulate the crew and officers of the lead ship and the Spanish authorities for handling the situation quickly and effectively and showing the world that it is possible to sail safely and securely.
Home Image Credit : penofoto / Shutterstock.com
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