Guests have begun disembarking Coral Princess after the cruise ship was allowed to dock in Miami on Saturday (4 April), Princess Cruises has confirmed.

The disembarkation of guests may take several days due to limited flights being available because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Princess Cruises has confirmed 12 cases of coronavirus (covid-19) on board. Guests with respiratory symptoms, or who are still recovering, have been told to remain on board until medically cleared by the ship’s doctors.

In a statement, the cruise line said: “Princess Cruises can confirm that guest disembarkation for Coral Princess at the Port of Miami began yesterday, April 4.

“Disembarkation will continue today limited to those departing on chartered flights arranged by Princess Cruises to California, Australia and the United Kingdom.

“Overnight, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) communicated changes to their policy regarding post-disembarkation travel for cruise passengers, recommending no travel via commercial flights nor shared transportation with non-cruise guests.

“Princess Cruises continues to work tirelessly to adjust the repatriation plan to meet the new CDC requirements.

“This will unfortunately result in further delays in disembarkation and onward travel for many guests as we work through this complex, challenging and unfortunate situation. We express continued gratitude to our guests for their patience and understanding as we work to adapt to these new requirements.

“All guests are being screened as directed by the CDC before disembarkation of the vessel. During disembarkation, and until they reach their homes, guests are required to wear a mask and practice social distancing measures.

“Those with respiratory symptoms, or who are still recovering, will remain on board until medically cleared by the ship’s doctors. Further details on disembarkation will be shared once available.”

Coral Princess departed 5 March from San Antonio (Santiago) for a South America voyage which was scheduled to end in Buenos Aires on 19 March.

In response to the global spread of covid-19, Princess Cruises announced a voluntary 60-day pause of operations on 12 March.

Coral Princess remained in service longer than previously expected, until arriving at the Port of Miami, due to a series of port closures, airline cancellations and other actions taken, which impacted the onward travel home of the guests and crew on board, said the cruise line.

Visit princess.com for the latest updates.