Fred Olsen ship Braemar will set sail to Cuba where all guests will be repatriated back to the UK by air, the cruise line has confirmed.

Captain Jozo Glavic picked up the anchor at 9am local time (1pm UK time) to begin the passage to Cuba.

There are currently 22 guests and 21 crew members in isolation after displaying coronavirus symptoms.

In a statement, the line said: “We are working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to confirm details about onward travel arrangements.

“We would ask that you bear with us while we make these arrangements, and will confirm further details as soon as we have them.

“We are working closely with Public Health England to clarify any necessary requirement to guests once they return to the UK.”

A dedicated Braemar Relative Support Team has been set up at Fred Olsen’s UK head office to give a direct point of contact for those who have relatives on board. Relatives can reach this team by calling +44 (0) 1473 292350 between the hours of 8am and 8pm.

Last Thursday (12 March), Fred Olsen confirmed five people on board the 929-passenger ship, including four crew members, had tested positive for covid-19 at Willemstad, Curaçao, on 10 March.

Following the government’s warning last week that those over 70 should not travel by cruise, many cruise lines have suspended their sailings. For the complete list, click here.

Fred Olsen has paused its ocean cruise operations until 23 May 2020.

In a statement, the line said: “Our priority is to get all existing guests and crew home as safely and comfortably as possible. Any subsequent itineraries will not go ahead once the current cruises have come to an end.”

Visit media.fredolsencruises.com/latest_news for the latest updates.