Regal Princess Docks at Port Everglades, 2 Crew Members Test Negative for COVID-19

Regal Princess, a cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, has docked at Port Everglades in Florida after two crew members tested negative for coronavirus.

The 142,714 gross ton vessel was stranded at sea for hours while awaiting results for the two cruise ship workers who recently served aboard the coronavirus-hit Grand Princess.

Regal Princess eventually arrived at the port’s Cruise Terminal 2 at about 10 p.m. on March 8 (local time).

“Princess Cruises can confirm that the test results for the two crew members tested for COVID-19 onboard Regal Princess were negative. As such, Regal Princess was given permission by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to resume sailing and has now docked at Port Everglades,” the US-based cruise line said in a statement.

Regal Princess immediately began disembarkation to clear the 2014-built ship the same night.

The 2014-built passenger vessel was originally planned to reach Port Everglades in the morning hours of March 8. However, Regal Princess was ordered to remain offshore while awaiting COVID-19 test results to arrive.

The two crew members worked onboard the Grand Princess vessel, also operated by Princess Cruises, which is hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Twenty-one coronavirus cases have been confirmed so far on this vessel which is scheduled to dock in Oakland today.

On Sunday, the US State Department warned US citizens not to travel by cruise ships.

“US citizens, particularly travelers with underlying health conditions, should not travel by cruise ship,” the advisory reads.

“CDC notes increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment… older adults and travelers with underlying health issues should avoid situations that put them at increased risk for more severe disease. This entails avoiding crowded places, avoiding non-essential travel such as long plane trips, and especially avoiding embarking on cruise ships.”