The ship was denied permission to port in Trinidad & Tobago as a precautionary measure after more than 300 guests and some 26 crew fell ill.

Caribbean Princess is now returning to its Florida homeport where it is expected to arrive on Thursday morning (13 February) ahead of a fresh Caribbean departure on Sunday (16 February).

Guests will receive a 50% refund and future cruise credit worth 50% of their cruise.

In a statement, Princess said the ship’s journey had been cut short due to guests reporting symptoms “consistent with a mild case of gastrointestinal illness”.

“Those individuals are being treated by the onboard medical team, and there are no cases of coronavirus identified among guests or crew,” said the line in a statement.

“The ship, with 4,196 guests and crew, is now sailing back to the Port of Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, and is scheduled to arrive at the port at 7am Eastern Time on Thursday February 13.

“This is a highly unusual development and we share the disappointment of our guests. However, the health and safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and in working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it was decided out of an abundance of caution, in this specific instance, to discontinue the cruise.

“All guests will receive a 50% refund on their voyage and a future cruise credit valued at 50% of their cruise for this inconvenience.

“Caribbean Princess will resume its schedule with a February 16 departure from Port Everglades for a round-trip Circle Caribbean cruise.”

According to the CDC, 345 guests and 26 crew have been struck down with vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms, adding the ship will undergo “super sanitation cleaning” when it returns to port on Thursday.