Coweta County couple stuck on cruise ship after others test positive for coronavirus

David and Dianne Fowler have been self-isolating in their cabin on the Coral Princess Cruise Ship for several days.

"The longer we just sit here our health is affected," Dianne said.

Getting home to Coweta County is their top priority after being onboard for a month.

The voyage began on March 5th and was to end on March 19th in Argentina.

However, nearly 2,000 passengers and crew members were stuck at sea until Saturday.

That’s because various ports were not allowing them ashore due to coronavirus.

"We were very saddened to hear that some of our fellow passengers, and the crew, had fallen ill," Dianne mentioned.

Princess Cruise officials said two passengers died from COVID-19 and several others tested positive.

Once they finally arrived at the Port of Miami Saturday, the Fowler’s said staff told them they were set to fly back to Atlanta on Sunday, but that notice was withdrawn.

"It was either that it got canceled or the CDP or CDC was not ready to let anybody else off the ship except Floridians," the couple explained.

Cruise officials tell us new CDC guidelines will further delay passengers getting off the ship.

The CDC’S policy for post disembarkation travel for passengers calls for no travel via commercial flights nor shared transportation with a non-cruise guest.

"We should have been home three weeks ago. As you can imagine, bills need to be paid. Our dogs in the kennel, need to pick him up."

Princess Cruise said passengers flying to California, Australia, and the United Kingdom were able to disembark today.

In a statement, Princess Cruise said “all guests are being screened as directed by the CDC before disembarkation of the vessel.”

They said “those with respiratory symptoms, or who are still recovering, will remain on board until medically cleared by the ship’s doctors.”