On Friday, passengers from the 2020 Westbound Panama Canal cruise started to receive an email from Disney Cruise Line which shared information that a handful of passengers have reported back to Disney since returning home that they have tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Normally, the Important Information About Your Cruise emails are sent out and signed The Cast and Crew, Disney Cruise Line. This particular email was from Jeff Vahle, President Disney Cruise Line.
As you know, the March 6 sailing of the Disney Wonder from New Orleans was a unique voyage, with our Disney team taking additional measures to help prevent illness onboard and providing information to all guests on how to keep themselves health amid concerns over COVID-19. We also shared regular updates with you throughout the cruise and during debarkation about the evolving public health crisis. We reminded all guests to contact our medical center if they felt unwell, and we didn’t receive any report of guests or crew members with COVID-19 systems during the sailing.
In our efforts to continue to provide you with information, we want to make you aware that a handful of guests have shared with us that they began feeling ill after returning home and have since tested positive for COVID-19. Disney has shared this information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
3/27/2020 Email from Jeff Vahle, President, Disney Cruise Line
The 2020 Westbound Panama Canal cruise was a unique voyage. Early on in the sailing, the Disney Wonder returned to Grand Cayman for an unrelated medical evacuation which set the ship behind resulting in the inability to allow passengers to go ashore in Cartagena, Columbia. As the Coronavirus threat grew into a pandemic, the tour operators in Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta ceased operations. This led to the decision to skip the ports, which at the time would still allow the Disney Wonder to dock/tender, and arrive in San Diego ahead of schedule. Complimentary phone and internet packages were given to guest to address any travel concerns ahead of disembarkation.
Scott, many thanks for sharing this letter from Jeff Vahle on the blog. We can count on disneycruiselineblog to report information that is correct and properly corroborated.
I can’t agree more. Thanks Scott !
My husband and I were on this cruise. Guests were initially told that we would make a “technical stop” in Cartagena. We never actually docked in Cartagena, and we were told afterwards that Colombian authorities had denied us entry. The ship was unable to restock or to allow the entertainers to deboard or pick up new entertainers.
I was also on this Cruise and appreciate the extra efforts that the ship’s crew went to in the effort to keep the ship Virus clean. Also I wish to thank you Scott for this information. as of 3/30/2020 I haven’t received this latest info from DCL.
My husband and I were also on this Cruise and would like to thank the Captain and Crew for the exemplary job they did throughout.
We agree with others if we were asked we would return and repeat the Cruise if we would be assured of the same Captain and Crew.