Coronavirus: Third Princess cruise ship being kept at sea

The ship is under a 'no sail' order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

A third Princess cruise ship is being kept at sea due to coronavirus concerns.

The Caribbean Princess was scheduled to dock in Grand Cayman on Monday, but passengers and crew will be required to stay onboard while some individuals receive coronavirus testing.

Concern over potential viral spread on the ship began when Caribbean Princess officials learned that two crew members working on the ship had transferred from a ship in California on which a guest tested positive for the virus.

The crew members in question are being quarantined to their rooms.

According to a statement released by Princess Cruises, the crew members haven’t displayed any symptoms, but are being kept isolated out of an “abundance of caution”.

The ship is currently under a “no sail” order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A Twitter user who claims to be a passenger on the ship claims two individuals were taken off the ship in Grand Cayman, and that the ship then proceeded towards Miami before turning back to Grand Cayman.

According to the user, another individual will be taken off the ship in Grand Cayman, though there is no official confirmation of that at the moment.

The news of another cruise ship quarantine comes just a day after the US State Department issued a travel advisement telling travellers to avoid cruise ships due to an increased risk of coronavirus infection.

Another ship in the Princess fleet, the Regal Princess, also has dealt with coronavirus-related issues. The ship was finally allowed to dock in Florida on Sunday after being denied entry over fears its crew were infected with coronavirus. When the tests came back negative, the passengers were allowed off the ship.

Most of the crew causing the concerns formerly worked on the Grand Princess. Twenty-one people on that ship tested positive for coronavirus. The cruise ship was expected to dock in Oakland, California, having been anchored off San Francisco for several days.

A plan is in place for the 3,500 passengers aboard to be treated or assessed at facilities in California, Georgia and Texas. The crew will be assessed on board.