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Royal Caribbean International and MSC Cruises have cancelled sailings from Shanghai amid concerns over the Chinese coronavirus outbreak.

Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas’ departure on Monday and an MSC Splendida sailing on January 28 have both been pulled.

Quantum-Ultra class ship Spectrum of the Seas was due to sail a four-day Best of Okinawa cruise, but the line has decided to suspend the voyage and is offering affected passengers “full refunds for the cancellation”.

The coronavirus has killed at least 81 people, infected around 3,000 and spread to as many as ten countries outside China.

There have been at least 44 confirmed cases outside China, including in Australia, the USA, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and France.

Royal Caribbean said on Friday that passengers who had travelled through or were from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus first broke out, would not be allowed to board its ships.

Source: Internet