Disney Cruise Line delays its planned June 29 test sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida. The Disney Dream cruise ship has not met the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements due to inconsistent test results.
Disney Dream Simulated Sailing Delayed
Disney’s plans for a test sailing have been pushed back due to inconsistent test results. Disney Dream was scheduled to depart on June 29 from Port Canaveral, Florida, on a two-night simulated cruise. The ship was the second in the U.S. to be approved by the CDC to operate the sailing to stress tests new protocols.
According to a statement sent to the Orlando Sentinal, Disney Cruise Line, there was a small number of inconsistent test results:
“We are delaying our simulation cruise due to a small number of inconsistent COVID-19 test results, which are considered positive by the CDC,” according to the statement. “The rigorous health and safety protocols we have in place helped us identify the situation, though the test results were ultimately negative.”
With the ship not reaching the requirements for the CDC, it does now mean that Disney Dream is listed as red status. The vessel is considered to have positive results by the CDC, and the Disney Dream will need to reach green status to be allowed to sail and receive its conditional sailing certificate.
It is a setback for the cruise line, which was to sail on Tuesday with crew members as volunteer passengers. It’s not yet known when the ship will eventually operate the simulated sailing, but it’s likely to be sometime in July.
Disney Cruise Line has already canceled departures for Disney Dream through August 6, 2021. It’s not clear if further sailing will be impacted. There is enough time to get the green light from the CDC.
Another reason the ship could restart sailing by then is the CDC Conditional Sailing Order becoming a recommendation and no longer a requirement due to the success of the Florida lawsuit against the agency.
Freedom of the Seas which Royal Caribbean operates, became the first cruise ship to depart the U.S. on a simulated sailing, and it was completed successfully. More cruise ships will begin test cruises and Celebrity edge has become the first vessel to restart regular sailings out of the U.S. over the weekend.
