Guests who are cruising aboard the Disney Fantasy were reportedly not allowed to disembark the ship at St. Thomas, according to The Disney Cruise Line Blog.
UPDATE 12/30/21 2:30 PM ET:
- A Disney spokesperson has released the following statement regarding today’s events with the Disney Fantasy in St. Thomas:
- “The Disney Fantasy did not call on St. Thomas today due to both an increase in COVID-19 cases on the island and a small number of fully vaccinated Crew Members and Guests – less than 1% of those on board – in isolation for COVID-19. Those affected by these breakthrough cases are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, and we are following CDC protocols for managing cases on board. We continue to operate with multiple layers of health and safety protocols in place, such as requiring vaccinations, PCR tests at the port prior to embarkation for all guests, testing of our Crew multiple times per week, enhanced cleaning protocols and a requirement that masks be worn in all indoor spaces.”
Previously:
- According to reports, guests currently traveling aboard the Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Fantasy ship weren’t allowed to disembark in St. Thomas.
- The ship docked in St. Thomas earlier this morning, but guests were told they would not be permitted ashore due to an “abundance of caution” as a result of rising cases onboard.
- The Disney Fantasy left St. Thomas around 9:30 AM ET and will be spending the day at sea. According to ship trackers and marine data, Saturday’s stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is still scheduled.
- The Disney Fantasy is currently on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise itinerary, which usually consists of a few days at sea, as well as stops in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, and Castaway Cay. The ship is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral in Florida on Sunday, January 2nd.
- Reports from aboard the ship also reveal that the Carnival Magic, docked next to the Disney Fantasy, was allowing passengers to disembark in the port of St. Thomas. The current surge in cases around the world is affecting how destinations view even a small number of cases, and other cruise ship visits to the island have been denied this week.
- Guests aboard the Disney Fantasy today will automatically receive a $200.00 onboard credit per stateroom and will receive a 20% discount on a future cruise.
Courtesy CruiseMapper
About Disney Cruise Line Health and Safety Policies:
- Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line that uses PCR testing for all guests on the day of embarkation at the port. It was because of these efforts that they have identified a number of positive cases that were prevented from coming aboard the ship. Additionally, all guests 12 and over must be fully vaccinated to sail and starting January 13th, this will be expanded to all guests age 5 and over. The crew is also fully vaccinated with booster shots offered to those who are eligible per CDC Guidelines.
- Masks are required in all indoor spaces, social distancing, and an operation with enhanced cleaning protocols continue to be enforced on Disney Cruise Line ships.