The Grand Princess cruise ship carried a male passenger who later became the first person to die from coronavirus in California.

Valencia, California-based Princess Cruises issued the following press release, as it moves forward with proactive measures.

After collaboration with and guidance from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and local authorities, Princess Cruises can confirm the following proactive measures to ensure the continued safety and well-being of our guests on board Grand Princess.

While there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 currently on board, the CDC has identified groups of guests and crew who will be tested before arrival into San Francisco.

There are fewer than 100 guests and crew identified for testing, including all in-transit guests (guests who sailed the previous Mexico voyage and remained on board for the current Hawaii voyage), those guests and crew who have experienced influenza-like illness symptoms on this voyage, and guests currently under care for respiratory illness.

To facilitate this testing, the U.S. Coast Guard will deliver sampling kits to the ship the morning of March 5 via helicopter. Our onboard medical team will administer the test and the samples will be sent in batches by helicopter to a lab in Richmond, California, across the bay from San Francisco.

Public health officials have advised that no guests will be permitted to disembark until all results have been received. Out of an abundance of caution, all guests who have been identified for testing have been asked to remain in their staterooms. We will continue to proceed under the guidance of the U.S. CDC and local authorities.

Princess Cruises can also confirm the cancellation of the upcoming Grand Princess Hawaii cruise departing on March 7. All guests will receive a full refund of their cruise fare, Princess Air, Princess Cruise Plus pre- and post-cruise hotel packages, prepaid shore excursions and other prepaid items purchased through Princess. Unexpected expenses, such as air change fees, reimbursement of reasonable non-refundable out-of-pocket expenses will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Guests will also receive a Future Cruise Credit equal to 100% of the cruise fare paid on this voyage.

Below is the letter Princess Cruises chief medical officer Dr. Grant Tarling issued to guests and crew currently sailing onboard Grand Princess. A similar notification has been emailed to guests who sailed on the previous voyage. For guests who sailed on the previous Grand Princess voyage (Feb 11-21), if you have experienced any symptoms of acute respiratory illness with fever, chills, or cough since your return home, please immediately contact your medical provider. You can also view the COVID-19 information card (PDF) provided by the CDC.

Dear Princess Guest:

I wish to advise you that today we have been notified by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that they are investigating a small cluster of COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in Northern California connected to our previous Grand Princess voyage that sailed roundtrip San Francisco from February 11 to February 21. We are working closely with our CDC partners and are following their recommendations.

For those guests who sailed with us on our previous voyage and may have been exposed, in an abundance of caution, the CDC requires you to remain in your stateroom until you have been contacted and cleared by our medical staff. A member of our medical team will be calling you between the hours of 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM this morning. You may order room service while you wait for the medical screening to be completed, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Please be assured that the health, safety, and well-being of all guests and crew are our absolute priority. The CDC is continuing to actively collect information and has set up a meeting with us this morning to determine what, if any, actions need to be taken during this cruise and on arrival in San Francisco. We have shared essential travel and health data with the CDC to facilitate their standard notification to the State and County health authorities to follow up with individuals who may have been exposed to people who became ill.

As we anticipate that further review of the situation will be necessary on arrival in San Francisco, we will be cancelling the call to Ensenada on Thursday, March 5, in order to sail directly to San Francisco — exact date and time for arrival to be determined. We will keep you updated with information as we finalize plans. To assist you in contacting your family, we are providing free internet and phone service. We will advise you if the need arises to make changes to your onward travel plans post-cruise.

COVID-19 causes mild illness in about 80% of cases, typically with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath, like the common cold or flu. About 20% of people develop more severe symptoms. The more severe symptoms typically occur in more susceptible individuals that have higher risk factors, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions, as it does with regular flu. The illness is mainly spread by droplets from close person-to-person contact. It is possible for the virus to spread by hand touch surfaces, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Updated information on the illness can be found at the CDC website.

As with all respiratory illnesses, particularly during cold and flu season, you can take steps to reduce your risk of illness:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Supplement hand washing by regularly using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid close contact with people suffering from respiratory illness.
Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze using a tissue or your bent elbow.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
We are closely recording and monitoring all persons who have reported to the medical center with cold and flu symptoms during the voyage. As a precaution, we are also conducting additional enhanced environmental disinfection onboard in addition to our regular stringent cleaning and sanitation protocols.

If you have experienced any symptoms of acute respiratory illness with fever, chills, or cough at any time during this cruise, and you have not already consulted with the medical staff, please immediately contact the Medical Center to report your illness. There will not be a charge for this service.

Thank you for taking the time to read this important information.

To access complimentary internet, turn on your Wi-Fi and access the “ocean” network for connection.

Yours in health,

Grant Tarling, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer

Family Assistance
If you are the immediate family of a guest onboard Grand Princess you may call the appropriate number for your region for assistance:

US and Canada: +1 888-358-8055
International Number: +1 872-201-6779