Costa Cruises has cut short the Costa Diadema charter carrying French passengers in the Mediterranean due to the surging virus situation in France, reports CruiseWeek.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron imposed a nighttime curfew in major cities across the country due to rising COVID numbers.
Eight guests on the previous Diadema sailings also tested positive for COVID-19.
"The cases refer to a previous charter cruise where, thanks to our protocols, we identified a small number of a symptomatic cases as we returned on the national territory from Greece. All was handled regularly according to protocols and in coordination with health authorities showing how protocols are working effectively," says Rossella Carrara, VP, external relations & sustainability for Costa Group, in a statement.
"We are now anticipating the end of another charter cruise for French operators and French passengers only due to the worsening of the epidemiological situation in France and the new restrictions announced by their government. This is for everyone’s safety and to make sure all return safely home."
All Costa Diadema passengers were required to be tested for Covid-19 before embarkation and upon re-entry into Italy. The cases were disembarked on 09OCT in Palermo and the ship completed its cruise.
"This proves protocols to be effective given the situation," Carrara says.
The ship arrived in Genoa on 16OCT.
Costa Diadema returned to service on 19SEP, the second vessel in the Italian Carnival Corporation brand’s fleet to resume sailings.
Anna Kroupina Journalist
Anna is OJ's newest member and she joins the team as a writer/reporter. She co-writes the daily news and covers events. Although she's new to the industry, pursuing a career path in travel/tourism has been a goal since her first family road trip to the Florida Keys sparked a desire to discover the world and this exhilarating, fast-paced industry.
