Update: The Carnival Panorama informed passengers late Saturday that tests on a passenger came back negative for the coronavirus.

They were informed at 9:45 p.m. by Capt. Carlo Queirolo. The negative result was confirmed by the City of Long Beach.

“Because of the late hour in receiving the results, the current guests will stay on board overnight and debark on Sunday morning,” Carnival said in a statement.

“We thank our guests for their tremendous patience, cooperation and understanding and the support of local officials” who had required coronavirus testing “out of an abundance of caution,” the statement said.

Separately Saturday, at the nearby Port of Los Angeles, Princess Cruises canceled a cruise by the Royal Princess after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a “no-sail order” because of concerns about a crew member who previously served on the Grand Princess and was transferred to the Royal Princess 15 days ago.

The Grand Princess was heading from Hawaii to San Francisco when it was held off the California coast Wednesday so 46 people with possible coronavirus symptoms could be tested. The testing was ordered after a 71-year-old man who had been on a February voyage of the same ship to Mexico contracted the virus and died this week at a hospital in Placer County in Northern California.

Others who were on that voyage also have tested positive in Northern California, Minnesota, Illinois, Hawaii, Utah and Canada. A “presumed positive” patient was self-isolating at home in Nevada, health officials there said.

On Saturday, Princess Cruises said of the Royal Princess: “Late this afternoon, the CDC informed us of their decision to issue a ‘no-sail order’ until the crew member was tested for COVID-19. We have unfortunately been unable to obtain this test given the lateness of the request.”

“The crew member is past the maximum incubation of COVID-19, has been evaluated and has never developed any respiratory symptoms or fever. The crew member had no known contact or exposure to other guests or crew who were ill on Grand Princess. The crew member received a precautionary screening by the Medical Staff upon boarding Royal Princess to test for respiratory symptoms, including fever. Due to the unknown timing of obtaining the test and results or anticipated response, we have cancelled the cruise,” the company said in a statement.

The website Cruise Hive reported the cruise was to have been a seven-day trip to the Mexican Riviera.

Earlier coverage:

Travelers on a cruise ship docked in Long Beach were blocked from disembarking on Saturday while a woman who had been aboard the ship was being tested at a local hospital for coronavirus.

As the passengers remained stuck on the ship for hours, hundreds of others milled about nearby, waiting to board the Carnival Panorama for a 7-day trip to Mexico. That trip was ultimately delayed a day with a scheduled departure as a 6-day voyage on Sunday.

A letter given out by Carnival Cruise Line staff in the morning said that the passenger “did not meet the CDC criteria for coronavirus risk” but “officials still require additional information.”

Travelers trying to board the Carnival Panorama cruise ship for a 7-day trip were met with a delay in Long Beach on Saturday, March 7, 2020. The ship sent a letter to passengers explaining a non specific medical issue is preventing them from disembarking the ship and allowing new passengers aboard. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Travelers trying to board the Carnival Panorama cruise ship for a 7-day trip were met with a delay in Long Beach on Saturday, March 7, 2020. The ship sent a letter to passengers explaining a non specific medical issue is preventing them from disembarking the ship and allowing new passengers aboard. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Travelers trying to board the Carnival Panorama cruise ship for a 7-day trip were met with a delay in Long Beach on Saturday, March 7, 2020. The ship sent a letter to passengers explaining a non specific medical issue is preventing them from disembarking the ship and allowing new passengers aboard. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Sound The gallery will resume in seconds

Travelers trying to board the Carnival Panorama cruise ship for a 7-day trip were met with a delay in Long Beach on Saturday, March 7, 2020. The ship sent a letter to passengers explaining a non specific medical issue is preventing them from disembarking the ship and allowing new passengers aboard. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Travelers trying to board the Carnival Panorama cruise ship for a 7-day trip were met with a delay in Long Beach on Saturday, March 7, 2020. The ship sent a letter to passengers explaining a non specific medical issue is preventing them from disembarking the ship and allowing new passengers aboard. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)



Faye Orchekowsky reads a letter handed out at Carnival Panorama cruise ship her family is trying to board for a 7-day trip in Long Beach on Saturday, March 7, 2020. The letter informs passengers that a non-specific medical issue is preventing passengers from disembarking the ship and allowing new passengers aboard. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach city officials announced in the early afternoon that the passenger was taken to a hospital to be evaluated and tested for the coronavirus. While that was taking place, city officials said, the other travelers were being kept on board out of an “abundance of caution.” The officials described the passenger as a woman.

This morning, a passenger on @CarnivalCruise was transported to a local hospital by @LBFD. Ship is docked at LB Cruise Terminal. In an abundance of caution @CDCgov has decided to hold passengers on board until the patient can be evaluated & tested for COVID-19. #COVID19LongBeach — City of Long Beach (@LongBeachCity) March 7, 2020

There was no official count of how many passengers were on board, but the ship can hold more than 4,000 passengers, At 6 p.m., those waiting to board received a text from Carnival saying some news was expected in an hour. But later, around 8 p.m., Carnival notified passengers due to leave Saturday that their trip would be delayed while the arriving passengers remained on the ship.

“We are still waiting for the test results for the guest who was disembarked this morning from the previous cruise….,” Carnival communicated to passengers who had planned to start their trip Saturday. “It is clear, given the late hour, that we will not be able to conduct embarkation for your cruise this evening.”

In its notice to passengers, Carnival reiterated that the passenger being tested did not meet the CDC criteria for coronavirus risk and had not traveled internationally.

Sharon Asmus of Phoenix, traveling with her son and husband Jamie, left the Carnival terminal about 8 p.m. tired and frustrated. They made the most of it by recording a video blog for their YouTube channel.

“We’re disappointed but we’ve been on more than 30 cruises so we know something like this can happen,” Asmus said. “So well just go with the flow. Hopefully we only lose one day and still have a great cruise.”

The ship was supposed to disembark Saturday around 9 a.m. and load the new passengers at 1:30 p.m., some passengers said.

Tasha Wiles was planning to get married on board the Panorama this weekend with a group of 13 from Arizona. They were waiting out the delay in the shade Saturday afternoon, enjoying a mellow breeze off the Long Beach harbor.

“I’m more worried about getting stuck in quarantine on the ship than actually getting the coronavirus,” she said.

The situation in Long Beach is still in limbo. Message just a few minutes ago informed passengers there is still no update. pic.twitter.com/QINUdiw8vY — David Rosenfeld (@RosenfeldReport) March 8, 2020

Baltimore Sandoval and his family of five drove six hours from Salinas Saturday. He said they’ve been making payments for a year to go on the trip, so they plan to stick around.

A cruise official told him it might be four or five hours.

But, he said, “We drove all this way and were looking forward to it.”

Millie Vallejos from Lake Elsinore, said she would wait it out, too.

“I’m going if it kills me,” she joked.

Ed Spreitzer, who was waiting to board the cruise with a group of eight from Ohio, said he was told if the afternoon that if they cancel their trip Saturday afternoon the cruise line would offer just a 70% refund but if Carnival cancels they will give them a full refund and pay for airfare home. So they were waiting until 6 p.m. when they expected to get an announcement.

In its announcement around 8 p.m., Carnival said one day of the planned fare would be refunded as a stop in Mazatlan had to be canceled. The company offered a $200 hotel voucher and $50 per person meal voucher.

“I’m glad they are taking precautions,” said his wife Barb Spreitzer. “Hopefully they clean the ship before we get on.”

Not everyone was pleased.

“It’s just a nightmare,” said Michelle Horan, traveling with two girlfriends from Minnesota. “They waited so long to tell us this. Now it’s 8 o’clock and and we have to find a hotel room with 4,000 to 5,000 other people. It’s just ridiculous.”

They left their luggage at the terminal in favor of heading to a hotel.

Margaret Mayole and her mom Tara drove from Phoenix Saturday morning for the cruise. After getting several messages about delays they were frustrated by what they perceived as a lack of information. At about 2 p.m. they received a message that they would not know the status of the sick passenger until at least 6 p.m.

They didn’t want to wait that long, but were told if they canceled before then, they could not be assured a full refund.

“So I can cancel now but I won’t know until tomorrow if I’ll get a refund,” said Tara Mayole. “That’s pretty harsh.”

“Carnival sent us messages saying they would do a good job with medical screening and keeping the ship clean,” Margaret Mayole said, “so my concern is whether that happened.”

Ron Griffin, who was scheduled to board the ship with his wife and 5-year-old daughter, was frustrated. At about 6:30 p.m. he said he had enough and wanted a refund but operators were not answering the phone.

“We can wait a certain amount of time, but after seven or eight hours, kids can’t wait that long,” he said. They were planning to try to get their luggage and book a hotel room, then sort out the finances in the morning.

“We have to get our money back,” he said.

“I’m not canceling until I know we can get a refund,” said Debbie Witheridge, who was with her husband Grant from Australia.

Aboard the Panorama, at least some activity continued pretty much as normal.

Ell Sean Smith, who was on the ship with his wife, said the bars remained open.

“We’re just waiting,” he said at about 5:30 p.m. At close to 7 p.m., they were told of events planned on the ship for the evening, in case they would still have to be on board.

The Panorama made its debut last year as the cruise line’s first new ship on the West Coast in 20 years. It launched its seven-day Mexican Riviera service from Long Beach in December, featuring trips to Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.