Leesburg couple stuck on cruise ship due to coronavirus testing returns home

LEESBURG, Fla. - A Leesburg couple is back home after they were stuck aboard the Regal Princess, while crew members were tested for coronavirus. 

Gregg Mallinger and his wife were aboard the Regal Princess when they learned they'd be stuck at Port Everglades all day on Sunday.

It was discovered that two crew members on the Regal Princess had worked on the Grand Princess, which had 21 people test positive for coronavirus. 

"It made you really nervous and anxious," Mallinger said. 

The Regal Princess was scheduled to dock Sunday morning, but the ship was not allowed to come into the port until the crew members were tested. According to Princess Cruises, those tests came back negative and they were able to dock around 11 p.m. on Sunday. 

"We just praise God and thankful that it didn’t turn out the way it could have been," Mallinger said. 

The Mallinger's said they were able to get off the ship and to their car after a nerve-wracking 16 hours. 

"Everyone’s just waiting on pins and needles," Mallinger said. "You’re looking to come home, your mail, your pets, your home and you could have just as easily been quarantined on a central military base just by flipping a coin in the air." 

The U.S. State Department said Sunday that U.S. citizens, especially those with underlying health conditions, should not travel on cruise ships. 

"It’s not worth the risk to potentially put yourself through that at this point," Mallinger said. "Because what was a great trip, and great excursions, entertainment, and facilities can turn on the snap of a finger into a prison."