Cruise ship docks in Haifa for the first time since start of pandemic
The arrival of the Royal Caribbean ship makes it the first arrival of a cruise ship in Israel since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFRoyal Caribbean cruise(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Royal Caribbean cruise ship the Odyssey of the Seas docked at Haifa port last Wednesday morning.N12 reported that the arrival marks the first time a cruise ship has docked in Israel since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The ship is 347 meters long and 41 meters wide, weighing 169,000 tons with 16 decks and over 2,000 rooms, according to the report. The ship also comes with many attractions such as restaurants, resorts, pools, a spa and a basketball court. The ship docked in Israel in order to begin receiving deliveries and port services without much human contact, as much of the ship's crew are unvaccinated on board.However, before officially receiving Israeli passengers, the ship's crew must first be vaccinated. Docking at the port after a long journey from Germany, the cruise ship is expected to operate the first cruises from Israel for vaccinated citizens, as well as for those that have recently recovered from COVID-19, starting in June. Last Monday, it was reported that the Royal Caribbean-owned luxury brand, Celebrity Cruises, launched a new Hebrew-language website for Israelis to book cruises to an array of destinations worldwide. Zev Stub contributed to this report.
