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Date Published: 10/01/2022

ARCHIVED - Blow for businesses as Covid forces cruise ship passengers in Cartagena to remain in managed groups

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Passengers will be confined to bubble groups at the Murcia port due to Omicron fears

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Blow for businesses as Covid forces cruise ship passengers in Cartagena to remain in managed groups

Cruise passengers docking at the coastal port of Cartagena will once again be placed into ‘bubble groups’ and their movements in and around the city will be limited due to ongoing concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant.

Despite imposing stringent safety measures, infections can spread rapidly amongst those on board, and the recent arrival of the Viking Venus liner brought three Covid infections among its 335 passengers.

The infected travellers were quarantined in a hotel close to the port while three of their close contacts will have to isolate on the ship for the next seven days of the voyage.

It is the second time in less than a month that a group of cruise passengers have had to be quarantined. The previous outbreak occurred during the December bank holiday and resulted in several arrivals from Portugal being quarantined in Cartagena.

The rules vary across the cruise lines, but in general most ships operate with a minimum of 95% vaccinated passengers – exceptions are made for a small number of unjabbed young children and adults who have previously had Covid. Many ships require masks to be worn indoors and all companies demand a Covid test prior to boarding.

Some cruise companies have even gone further: Viking’s sea and river cruises only accept fully vaccinated passengers, who must also undergo a nasal swab test for Covid-19 detection before boarding, as well as daily tests for the duration of the trip.

The latest incident means that cruise ships arriving in Cartagena during the month of January – eight liners carrying 16,000 passengers – will have to ensure that their passengers are kept in "bubbles" away from the general population. They will only be permitted to enter the city to shop or visit museums or hospitality venues in pre-organised excursions by the cruise liner operators and will not be able to wander freely around the city.

This will logically limit their opportunities to shop or consume refreshments in the many bars and restaurants of the city, reducing substantially the amount of money spent in the port.

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