Cruise ship stranded in Caribbean over Covid-19 cases anchors in Firth of Forth

There are no passengers aboard.

The MS Braemar, a Fred Olsen cruise ship which was stranded in the Caribbean in March after passengers tested positive for Covid-19, has arrived in the river Forth.

The ship has joined three other Fred Olsen Vessels, the Balmoral, Black Watch and Boudicca, to anchor just off Gullane while the coronavirus crisis continues.

Fred Olsen has suspended all operations until May 23, and the ships are not carrying any passengers, just a skeleton crew.

Fred Olsen ships have been anchored in the Forth while operations are suspended.

They can often be seen sailing to and from the port of Rosyth or Hound Point off South Queensferry to drop off crew catching flights home from Edinburgh Airport.

Coronavirus was first detected on the Braemar on March 10, when the ship was docked at Curacao in the Caribbean. No passengers were allowed to disembark.

These two initial positive cases among passengers were joined by four cases among crew members.

In total 28 passengers and 17 crew members were placed into isolation after showing flu-like symptoms.

Because of this the Bahamas and Barbados refused to allow the ship to dock, instead offering to send out supplies of food and medicine.

After a week stranded in the Caribbean, the ship was eventually allowed into the port of Mariel in Havana, Cuba.

Those of the nearly 700 British people on board who needed medical treatment were given it, while those not in isolation were repatriated.

The 43 Cuban workers who oversaw the disembarkation of the ship were placed into isolation for two weeks. None of them were infected with the virus.

The Braemar then made its way back to the UK, and after a brief call in at Southampton has joined the other Fred Olsen vessels in the Forth.

It has been deep-cleaned since passengers and crew with coronavirus symptoms disembarked.