Aroya Manara accidents and incidents

05 February 2020Cruise Illness / Virus Outbreaks

(Coronavirus) On February 5, 2020, the cruise liner carrying a total of 3691 people (1871 passengers plus 1820 crew) was quarantined in homeport Hong Kong (China) after onboard health screening for COVID-19 (Coronavirus). The tests were conducted after the Infirmary reported several crew members with flue-like symptoms. The ship docked in Hong Kong (Kai Tak Cruise Terminal) after 3 passengers from the previous cruise tested Coronavirus-positive. On February 4, the vessel was denied docking at Port Kaohsiung (Taiwan).

Between January 19-24, on World Dream three cruisers (from mainland China) were found to have Coronavirus. They all disembarked the ship in homeport Nansha-Guangzhou on January 24. The itinerary was a 5-day roundtrip from China to Vietnam (Nansha to Nha Trang and Danang). On the voyage, the liner carried a total of 6903 people, including 108 passengers from China's Hubei Province, of which 28 from Wuhan.

When the vessel returned to Nansha (Jan 24) during debarkation was conducted termo scanning of all passengers and crew. A total of 31 were reported with flu-like symptoms and sampled. All the tests returned Coronavirus-negative, but later some of the passengers were confirmed infected.

Between January 24 - February 2, the cruise ship made 3 more roundtrips (from Nansha and Hong Kong) - which 2 cruises to nowhere and 1 cruise to the Philippines. The Philippines cruise was affected as disembarkation in Manila was denied due to local protests.

On February 2, the vessel started a Hong Kong roundtrip to Taiwan with ~3800 people (pax+crew). At the same night, Dream Cruises was notified about the confirmed three Coronavirus passengers from the voyage to Vietnam. On February 4, Taiwan denied entry to the scheduled call at Port Kaohsiung. The ship returned to Hong Kong on February 5 and was immediately quarantined at Kai Tak Terminal. The lockdown was lifted on February 9, after all the staff-crew tested Coronavirus-negative. Passenger debarkation was allowed, but most of them were not tested. On February 11 were officially confirmed a total of 8 infected ex-passengers.

On Feb 27th, Indonesia announced that all the Indonesian crew from two cruise ships (World Dream and Diamond Princess) will be repatriated (evacuated by plane) and quarantined on the uninhabited Sebaru Island (in Indonesia's Thousand Islands district). The evacuation from World Dream included a total of 188 crew (172 men, 16 women).

19 October 2018Other Incidents

On October 19, 2018, Dream Cruises celebrated the company's 1 millionth passenger with an official ceremony held at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. Upon debarkation in Hong Kong, the lucky passenger (Mimi Lo, Hong Kong resident) was welcomed at the terminal. The grand ceremony was attended by company's President (Thatcher Brown), Director of Worldwide Terminals (Jeff Bent), Genting Cruise Lines Senior VP (Christine Li), also ship's Captain (Robert Bodin) and Hotel Director (Ann Zhang).

Ms. Lo and her family embarked the ship on October 14, for a 6-day voyage from Hong Kong to Japan (Naha and Miyakojima). Onboard, they received special gifts (including prints signed by ship's hull artist Jacky Tsai), private Navigation Bridge tour, champagne party, exclusive photo session.