A voyage from Tahiti to the Marquesas Islands was canceled after several crew had tested COVID-positive.
The 2015-built cargo cruise ship Aranui 5 had already left French Polynesia's capital and was forced to sail back to Papeete Tahiti. 7 crew are affected. Resident cruisers were allowed to return home while foreigners were immediately repatriated.
In August, another cruise ship - PONANT's MS Paul Gauguin - sailed back to homeport Papeete after a crew member's test returned a Coronavirus-positive result. All 339 other people onboard subsequently tested negative.
1500+ Coronavirus cases have been recorded since borders were opened. Mandatory quarantine requirements were abolished in July 2020 in order to revive the economy and boost tourism.
For more Aranui 5 accidents and incidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.