Coral Princess Docks in Miami

USPA NEWS - A day after the Holland America Zaandam and Rotterdam docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale with 14 seriously ill guests, Princess Cruises, Coral Princess docked in Miami with at least 7 guests and 5 crew members that have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. There were also two deaths on board.

On Saturday April 4th, after receiving permission from the US Coast Guard, the Coral Princess docked in Miami, Florida. Princess Cruises which is a brand of Carnival Corporation, released a statement Saturday, on their website. Here is some of what was communicated. "Guests requiring shoreside medical care will be prioritized to disembark first. Disembarkation for guests who are fit to fly is anticipated to begin on Sunday, April 5. These guests will transfer directly from the ship to Miami International Airport for flights home. Those with any respiratory symptoms, or who are still recovering from being ill previously, will remain on board until medically cleared by the ship´s doctors."

The Coral Princess had 1,020 passengers and 878 crew members who were stuck at sea while the ship was waiting for permission to dock. Canadians were required to remain aboard the COVID-19-stricken Coral Princess cruise ship on Sunday, a day after some passengers were allowed to disembark. Only passengers bound for Australia, the U.K. and California were permitted to leave the ship. New guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control state that cruise passengers shouldn't board commercial planes, Princess Cruises said in a statement, adding that only those with imminent chartered flights can disembark. Princess says they will try to arrange a chartered flight for stranded guests, but affected Canadian passengers are calling on Ottawa to send a chartered flight to return them home to Canada.

Monday April 6th, 2020, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said, "Canadian passengers on the Coral Princess cruise ship will be headed home today, after undergoing a health screening." Champagne said in a tweet, "Canadians who don't show any symptoms of COVID-19 will be allowed to disembark the ship in Florida and get on a flight chartered by the cruise line." Passengers will be screened again upon arrival in Canada and will be subject to a mandatory 14-day self-isolation period.

For the latest health and travel advisories, impacted ships and cancellations, visit www.princess.com.