FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Thousands of cruise ship passengers are back in South Florida on Wednesday after a coronavirus scare at sea.
The Caribbean Princess returned to Port Everglades early Wednesday, on time and on schedule, after two crew members were tested for coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Those tests came back negative.
The crew members were isolated and tested after it was discovered they had spent time on the Grand Princess, a California-based ship which recently had 21 confirmed cases of coronavirus on board.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Coronavirus
Passengers on the Caribbean Princess said they only missed one port on their 10-day voyage, and had a great time.
"A lot of sanitation measures in place," said passenger Ali Beach. "We were free to move around. We did not have masks or anything. They continued the activities, but they were very careful."
"We had a wonderful trip, nothing spoiled, we had a great time," said passenger Karla Weston, who brought her own mask, just to make herself feel better. "Couldn’t have asked for any better treatment, keeping things clean, wiping. Everywhere you look they were wiping stuff down."
The Florida Department of Health is warning anyone who travels through Port Everglades to monitor their health carefully for the next 14 days, and if you develop symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing, contact your doctor and the health department and self-isolate at home.
Passengers are disembarking. Most tell me they had a wonderful cruise and staff was very attentive at keeping everything clean, etc. @FOX29WFLX @WPTV pic.twitter.com/mm5Ed6LdhJ
— Stephanie Susskind (@StephanieWPTV) March 11, 2020