After 14 days in quarantine, cruise ship passenger returns to Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man is finally home Friday after he got stuck aboard a Princess Cruises cruise ship following 14 days in quarantine at a hotel in San Diego, California.

News4Jax first told you about Sean Damroze nearly two weeks ago when he was still on the ship with about 3,500 passengers with at least 19 people who were diagnosed with COVID-19.

Damroze was away from home for more than a month. He finally made it back home on Wednesday night.

He said the world is a different place after being stuck in quarantine.

“That’s the crazy part is I feel like the world has change so much since I was there,” Damroze, said.

After at least 19 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 on-board the cruise ship, Damroze said he was then brought to a hotel in San Diego where he was stuck in a hotel room in quarantine for 14 days.

News4Jax asked him about the process and what he did during that time.

“A whole lot of nothing to be completely honest. Makes me a very patient guy now thankfully I had my laptop and had Netflix,” he said.

Damroze said he tested negative for the coronavirus.

“I was really shocked,” Damroze said. “I had a fever for quite a few days. I had quite a few knocks on my door every day, I would say about nine. Three meals a day, they would come and deliver, at least two temperature checks and just to bring new towels.”

Two weeks later, Damroze was brought to the airport to return home. He described the airport in California.

“The process was pretty strange because the airports were so empty especially in California. I took a video, and it seemed like a ghost town. I was the only one there, almost,” he said.

According to TSA, on Thursday officers around the country screened 203,858 passengers at security checkpoints -- the lowest number TSA has screened in ten years.

Damroze said he’s taking all the precautions he can to keep healthy, and he’s thankful to finally be back home.