Queen Mary 2 Will Not Return to New York

Much as they were last year, cruise ships are once again in the spotlight due to COVID-19.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned people against taking cruise trips during the current Omicron outbreak.

Perhaps it’s for reasons like this.

The Queen Mary 2 announced that it will not return to the port of New York after a COVID outbreak on board, according to CNN.

The venerable liner was to return to New York before returning to its homeport in Southampton, England, on January 10. Instead, it will remain docked in Barbados until January 2.

“As a precautionary measure Queen Mary 2 will take on additional manning in essential roles in Barbados prior to the sail back to the UK,” Cunard, parent company of the ship, said in a statement.

The Queen Mary 2 docked in New York and dropped off 10 passengers who tested positive for COVID-19. The ship plans to add staff for the return to England, and Cunard will pick up the expenses for flights for passengers who were originally set to leave the boat in New York on January 3.

The Queen Mary 2 is one of more than 90 cruise ships being investigated by the CDC for possibly having more positive cases of the virus on board than the CDC allows under its threshold.

“Since the identification of the Omicron variant, there has been an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases among cruise passengers and crew reported to CDC. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of cruise ships meeting the Covid-19 case threshold for CDC investigation,” the CDC said in a statement.