Due to a COVID outbreak among the crew of the AIDAnova ship, the vessel was stuck/tracker in Port Lisbon (Portugal).
~3000 passengers had to stay ashore on New Year's Eve. Due to several dozen cases among the crew members, AIDAnova was not allowed to leave Lisbon.
Disconsolate passengers were stuck in port for 5 days. AIDAnova, carrying 2844 guests and 1353 crew, had docked in Portugal's capital on Wednesday, December 29.
The liner was en route to Madeira Island (for the New Year's fireworks) but the voyage was cut short after COVID was detected among 52 crew who tested positive between Wednesday-Friday.
By Monday, 68 COVID-positive cases, including 4 passengers, had been detected, according to Port's Director Diogo Vieira Branco.
The ship's German operator, Carnival Corporation's subsidiary AIDA Cruises, said that all those infected had mild symptoms or none at all. All crew and guests 12+ had been fully vaccinated and required to show a negative rapid antigen test prior to departure, it added.
Guests who had again tested negative in the past 48 hours began to disembark before dawn and were transported by bus to the airport in an operation that lasted most of the day.
AIDA said it adhered to "comprehensive health and safety protocols" on all its voyages.
For more AIDAnova incidents and accidents see the ship's CruiseMinus page.