Coronavirus: Grand Princess Passengers Confined to Cabins After Death of Passenger

Grand Princess has been the latest cruise ship to be affected by coronavirus, with all passengers on board being told not to leave their cabins.

The confinement was sparked by the death of a passenger from the virus – known as covid-19 – with thousands of passengers now in limbo off the coast of California.

A total of 45 passengers and crew have been tested for the virus so far, with the results expected to come in today (Friday 6 March).

Out of the 3,500 people on board the ship, 142 passengers are British, with the total number of guests representing 54 nationalities.

The ship was sailing a 15-day itinerary from San Francisco to Hawaii and was scheduled to return tomorrow (Saturday 7 March).

#GrandPrincess Update: We can confirm that while there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 currently on board, the @CDCgov has identified groups of guests and crew who will be tested before arrival into San Francisco.

— Princess Cruises (@PrincessCruises) March 5, 2020

Grand Princess has been off the coast of California since Wednesday, following the death of a 71-year old California man – who was likely exposed to the virus on Grand Princess cruise between 11 and 21 February.

“In collaboration with the U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and local authorities, samples were collected today from 45 people on Grand Princess, which includes a mix of guests and crew members,” said a spokesperson for Princess Cruises.

“The samples were delivered to the California Department of Public Health in Richmond for processing. The results of these tests are expected by tomorrow.

“Princess Cruises can confirm there are 3,533 people currently onboard Grand Princess, including 2,422 guests and 1,111 crew members. In total, they represent 54 nationalities.

“Following guidelines received today from the CDC, all guests have been asked to stay in their staterooms while test results are pending. Guests are receiving meal deliveries in their staterooms by room service, and additional television and movie options have been added to in-room programming.

“Guests have also been provided complimentary internet service to stay in contact with their family and loved ones, and the ship’s internet bandwidth has been increased.

“Immediate family members of guests onboard Grand Princess may call the appropriate number in their region to speak with Family Assistance representatives: US and Canada: +1 888-358-8055, International: +1 872-201-6779.”

This is the second incident for Princess Cruises stemming from the coronavirus outbreak, with the line’s sister ship Diamond Princess quarantined for over two weeks last month.

More than 700 people were affected on board Diamond Princess, with six passengers, including one from Britain, dying from the virus.