A security breach aboard a cruise ship visiting St. John's Wednesday resulted in passengers being forced to disembark while crews searched the vessel.

The Star Princess, which can accommodate more than 2,500 passengers, underwent a full sweep that ultimately found nothing substantial.

Passengers aboard the Star Princess cruise ship were required to disembark while crews searched the vessel.
(CBC)

Three suspicious packages were found onboard, although the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said they were found to pose no danger.

As well, police said, some passengers had reported seeing a stranger on board the vessel, although the unidentified man had left the ship before the search.

One year ago, authorities found six Chinese citizens hidden in the Star Princess when it docked in St. John's. Lin Zhou Zhang, 39, was subsequently sentenced to a year in jail for smuggling himself and five others into Canada with fake passports.

After it was cleared, the Star Princess left port Wednesday night, almost three hours past its scheduled departure.