CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The “Carnival Sunshine” cruise ship remains under a “yellow status” for COVID following its departure from the Port of Charleston on Thursday.
The “Yellow” color status given by the CDC indicates that there is a report of COVID-19 cases aboard and they have met the threshold for CDC investigation.
The Sunshine is headed to the Bahamas on a 4-day cruise following a pause in operation due to COVID-19.
This also comes after the CDC had been investigating the Sunshine for possible COVID-19 cases. The CDC’s website had earlier showed that the ship was operating under a “Restricted” status.
According to Carnival’s website, there are numerous COVID-19 precautions onboard their ships:
- passengers must be vaccinated or have a valid exemption
- must wear masks in certain areas
- have a negative COVID test within 2 days of departure
- complete health questionnaires
- and follow Shore excursion requirements
Carnival released the following statement on their enhanced protocols.
We are carefully monitoring the situation with the Omicron variant and have taken steps to strengthen our already rigorous protocols which exceed CDC guidelines to further promote the health and safety of our guests, crew and communities we visit.
All our crew wear masks at all times, are fully vaccinated, and are receiving booster shots when eligible. Nearly all our guests are fully vaccinated and all guests, two and older, must present a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding. As part of our enhanced protocols, guests are required to wear masks indoors at all times, except when in their staterooms or are actively eating or drinking. As advised by health experts, we are recommending guests use higher-grade masks indoors (such as surgical or KN95). There is no smoking allowed in the casino, and we also strongly recommend guests obtain a booster shot when they are eligible. All of our protocols can be found on our Have Fun Be Safe section of Carnival.com.
But even with these measures and other stringent COVID-19 protocols we have in place, it is possible we will have some positive cases on board, given the prevalence of the Omicron variant. Should that happen, we are prepared to actively manage the situation, protect guest and crew health, and continue to operate the cruise. In December 2021, over 217,000 guests sailed with us. Thanks to our multilayered protocols, our case rate was much lower than what was experienced in the U.S.
We recognize that, given the circumstances, some of our guests may want to consider sailing at a different time, so we are providing those guests with cruises booked through Jan. 31 the option to rebook at a later date or receive a full refund.
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