by Dave Monk, The Telegraph, February 11, 2020
When passengers board Diamond Princess in Yokohama, near Tokyo, on January 20, they are looking forward to a two-week dream cruise to China, Vietnam, Taiwan and back to Japan. The ship is described as a “treasure trove of exceptional delights waiting to be discovered”.
Guests are invited to “dine on freshly prepared sashimi in Kai Sushi, watch street performers in the dazzling atrium, or take in a lavish production show in our state-of-the-art theatre. And for a unique treat visit the Izumi Japanese Bath, the largest of its kind at sea.” Princess says the ship is “truly your home away from home”.
However, as the cruise is nearing its end, an 80-year-old guest who left the ship in Hong Kong on January 25 tests positive for coronavirus on February 1. Diamond Princess, carrying 2,666 guests – half of them from Japan – and 1,045 crew, returns to Yokohama a day early, on February 3.
Here’s what happened next:
Day 1: Tuesday 4 February
The next eight-day sailing of Diamond Princess is cancelled after Japanese health inspectors ask for 24 hours to check all guests and crew.
Passenger David Abel and his wife Sally, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, are among 78 Britons on board. In their balcony cabin on deck nine, they hear at midnight that health checks are due to begin so stay up all night – but are not visited until 10am, and then only to be asked three short questions.
Tests come back positive on 10 people, including a crewmember. As they are taken ashore to hospital, the ship is put under quarantine for 14 days. Food and other supplies are brought on board and passengers are given complimentary internet and phone use. The next sailing on February 12 is also cancelled.
Day 2: Wednesday
Mr Abel goes on Facebook at 11am local time to say he’s an insulin dependent diabetic who hasn’t eaten since 7pm the previous night so risks going into a coma. Food eventually arrives 18 hours after his last meal – but he cannot eat it because he is dairy intolerant. The crew later bring him bread rolls.
Ten more guests test positive. The ship heads out to sea so it can make more fresh water but Mr Abel says the ocean is choppy. “You’d pay money if you went to Disney for this,” he jokes.
Day 3: Thursday
There are 41 new cases, including the first Briton – honeymooner Alan Steele, from Shropshire. Quarantine will end on February 19 unless there are “unforeseen developments”, World Health Organisation says. Guests are given thermometers and told to monitor their temperatures.
Princess offers guests eight new satellite TV channels, more than 80 videos on demand, newspapers in 36 languages, trivia quizzes, games and and children’s activity packs. Passengers in inside cabins are given outdoor time.
Mr Abel tells ITV news: “Everybody is confined to their cabins. There is a lot more anxiety. What's going to happen to us? We've got access to the balcony all the time, but there are passengers in inside cabins where they've got no natural light, no windows, no fresh air. They are being allowed out on deck for a period of time under the supervision of quarantine officers. They must stay one metre apart and not congregate in groups.”
Day 4: Friday
American honeymooners Milena Basso and Gaetano Cerullo send a plea for help via CNN. “We should be quarantined in a sanitary environment that’s safe, not on a cruise ship that’s already infected,” says Ms Basso. “Donald Trump, save us. Get us a government-based airplane. Get us off the ship.”
However, fellow US passenger Matthew Smith disagrees. “You might have to drag me off the ship when the quarantine ends,” he tweets. To pass the time, he starts tweeting light-hearted daily updates, with pictures, of the food service, and says his only plea is for more coffee.
Alan Steele’s wife Wendy Marshall Steele says she’s “counting down the days until I can laugh about stupid things with my husband again”.
Two more passengers test positive for coronavirus.
Day 5: Saturday
Six more cases are confirmed. Remaining passengers are given phone numbers to talk to counsellors about their mental stress.
Jan Swartz, the president of Princess Cruises, says: “Our guests and crew on board Diamond Princess are the focus of our entire global organisation right now and all of our hearts are with each of them.” She announces that 2,000 repeat prescriptions are being organised for the guests.
Mr Steele, the Briton taken to hospital, is in good spirits, according to wife Wendy, but she has “cabin fever”. “It was a hard first night without Alan. But hey, we are constantly in touch.”
The ship sails out of Tokyo Bay again for routine operations. Mr Abel reports: “The sun is out and it is a beautiful morning. Life is good.”
Day 6: Sunday
Princess Cruises announces that all guests will get a full refund of the fare plus flights, hotel stays, gratuities and other costs. They will also not be charged for any onboard expenses.
The ship returns to Yokohama after a choppy night at sea. Mr Abel, who has been pining for Talisker whisky, is delivered a bottle to his room with a message from Jan Swartz of Princess Cruises saying: “We want to thank you for helping keep spirits high on board and we hope you enjoy these spirits as a gesture of our appreciation.”
Day 7: Monday
Another 66 cases of coronavirus are confirmed on board, including one more Briton, bringing the total to 135. Indian crew post a video on Facebook begging their government to rescue them. One of them, Binay Kumar Sarkar, says they are scared. “Those who are healthy should be allowed to disembark before they, too, contract the coronavirus,” he says. He tells the Washington Post that he fears "very soon we will all be infected.”
Day 8: Tuesday
Mr Abel celebrates having just eight days to go until passengers leave the ship. He says fellow Briton Alan Steele is showing no symptoms in hospital and is due to be released on Friday. Mr Steele’s wife Wendy is marking her birthday on board alone. But, despite everything, Mr Abel says on Facebook that the whole experience “hasn’t put us off cruising”.
This article was written by Dave Monk from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
Related Stories
Report: Holland America’s Westerdam Barred From Thailand
RCL Lifts General Restriction on Chinese Passport Holders