Anyone in Fife or East Lothian with a sea view has probably wondered about the three huge boats that have been anchored in the Firth of Forth for weeks now.
Some people have even taken to social media to speculate that they are army vessels who are poised to respond to the current coronavirus crisis.
However, the reality is less alarming, although it is related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The three cruise ships are owned by Fred Olsen Cruises, who have suspended their activities due to the current pandemic.
The ships that are currently visible from shore are called the Balmoral, the Boudicca and the Black Watch, and they will soon be joined by another Fred Olsen vessel: the Braemar. The ships are empty and not filled with quarantined passengers.
The MS Braemar hit the headlines recently after it confirmed at least five coronavirus cases on board, leading to ports in the Caribbean refusing to let the ship dock including Barbados and the Bahamas.
The Cuban government eventually stepped in and said it was willing to receive the MS Braemar cruise ship.
As well as the confirmed cases, 20 passengers and another 20 crew members, including a doctor, were placed in isolation after displaying influenza-like symptoms while traveling on the ship.
The Cuban government said it would allow the ship to dock in Cuba out of “humanitarian concerns” and the need for “a shared effort to confront and stop the spread of the pandemic.”
Fred Olsen Cruise Lines specialise in smaller cruises - their ships, although big, aren't as large as gigantic liners like Royal Caribbean's titanic Symphony of the Seas. They are based in the UK and sail from Rosyth near Edinburgh, Southampton, Dover, Liverpool and Newcastle.
They recently announced: "We have taken the difficult decision to pause our ocean cruise operations until 23rd May."
A charter flight carrying British and EU citizens who had been on the Braemar landed at MOD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire on 19 March.
