Anthem of the Seas crew member found dead on ship this week; unrelated to coronavirus

A crew member aboard the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas ship was found dead aboard the ship earlier this week, according to a Port Authority spokesperson.

News 12 Staff

Feb 8, 2020, 7:52 PM

Updated 1,728 days ago

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A crew member aboard the Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas ship was found dead aboard the ship earlier this week, according to a Port Authority spokesperson.
It comes as the CDC tests travelers from the ship for the deadly coronavirus, but the Port Authority and Royal Caribbean say the death is not related to the coronavirus.
The spokesman says the male crew member’s body was found after he did not report for his scheduled shift after the ship docked in St. Lucia on Feb. 2.
Royal Caribbean says St. Lucia police ruled the death as nonsuspicious. When Anthem of the Seas docked in Bayonne, Bayonne police took possession of the body.
The boat has been docked in Bayonne since Friday and is expected to ship out on Monday as they await results of coronavirus testing from the CDC.
On Saturday evening, Gov. Phil Murphy released a statement saying that four family members who arrived on the cruise ship and were tested for the virus were allow to leave. He says three were diagnosed with the flu and the other “did not have any symptoms.”
“All four passengers tested negative for novel coronavirus. New Jersey currently has no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and the risk to residents remains low," the statement says.
Royal Caribbean has since changed the destination of the cruise from the Bahamas to Bermuda. It is also offering refunds to travelers who don’t wish to embark.