Carnival has begun the weekend-long task of flying 4,363 passengers home after their cruise had to be cancelled.
The cruise line has arranged for around 50 special commercial and private flights from St Maarten for passengers stranded after technical problems on Carnival Dream.
"Guests began disembarking the ship this morning to board flights scheduled for today, and will continue to do so throughout the weekend," it said in a statement.
"We are working to try to accommodate special requests from guests, including those who asked to remain on board longer."
For passengers who remain onboard, activities such as children’s programmess and live music continue.
The Carnival Dream was on the last leg of a seven-day cruise and was docked in St. Maarten when the technical problem arose.
The ship is based in Port Canaveral, Florida.
