National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang says that like the 1,044 Jamaican crew members who returned to the island this week via the Adventure of the Seas, there are nine other cruise ships on the high seas with nationals eager to come home.

Chang was speaking at Thursday’s press conference at the Falmouth Port in Trelawny, where crew members disembarked, were tested for the new coronavirus, and were processed by immigration officials before being whisked away into quarantine at two St Ann hotels.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and the Jamaica Government are coordinating to see how best we can deal with the requests,” said Chang.

Chang also pooh-poohed a suggestion that returning cruise ship crew members be quarantined on their vessels because they were virtually floating hotels.

“[Quarantine arrangements] cannot change not only based on costs, but also ships would not want to be quarantine vessels,” said Chang.