Royal Caribbean pauses some cruise operations due to Omicron concerns

Miami Jan. 8 (BUS): Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL.N) has temporarily halted some cruise operations amid rising numbers of COVID-19 infections due to the Omicron variant.

Three ships — the Serenade of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas — have been grounded while the Vision of the Seas’ return to sail has been pushed back to March 7, 2022, the cruise line said in a statement on Friday.

“We regret the need to cancel the long-awaited vacations of our guests and appreciate their loyalty and understanding,” the company added, adding that these measures were implemented “with great caution.”

Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean canceled its Jan. 6 Spectrum of the Seas cruise after nine guests on its Jan. 2 cruise were identified as having close contact with a local COVID-19 case in Hong Kong.

The company said the tests came back negative, but the cruise ship will return to Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on January 5 to test all guests and crew members who must take a second test on January 8.

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