The UK-flagged cruise ship MS Braemar which was left stranded in the Caribbean when passengers aboard became sick with Coronavirus (COVID-19) finally docked in Cuba after a search for a port that would accept the vessel.
The Fred Olsen-owned vessel Braemar arrived in Mariel Cuba (west of Havana) early on Wednesday (March 18), with travellers expected to be flown to the UK the same day. The cruise company confirmed four aircraft had landed in the country ready for the rescue operation. The first flight was scheduled to depart at 6 PM local time.
The news follows a few days in which ms Braemar searched for a place to dock after refusals from several Caribbean island ports.
According to a statement from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, 5 people aboard had tested positive for COVID-19. A further 28 passengers and 27 crew, including a doctor, are still in isolation after displaying flu-like symptoms. The ship carries 682 passengers plus 381 crew. Cuba allowed the vessel to dock out of "humanitarian concerns".
For other Braemar accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.
For Coronavirus updates on cruise ship quarantines (infected passengers and crew) and top-pandemic countries (COVID-19 cases and deaths, daily updated statistics) see at CruiseMapper's Norovirus page.