'A floating prison': Cruise of Asia ends in virus quarantine

Life on the Diamond Princess in Yokohama, Abel said, “has changed beyond recognition to what you would call a luxury cruise.” One meal was just a glass of orange juice, a yogurt and a bit of melon. Another was a “lettuce sandwich with some chicken inside” and a dessert.

I wish the travellers well, but their mealtime plight is such a first world problem. Lots of people don't have the luxury that the passengers have.

It's highly inconvenient, sure. But it's hardly a prison.

I agree, calling it a prison is going over board! How many millions of people around the world do not have the money nor time, to take a leisure cruise anywhere?

Personally speaking, let them stay on the ship if it means protecting the rest of us here!

Aww Mr. Abel. Some are now in a cold grave. Want to join them?

Cruising sure isn’t what it used to be...

@Toasted Heretic, no offense, but have you ever been on a cruise. Regardless of the 'plight' of those aboard, even when the ship's asea and on-schedule, it's a prison. Without ports, you can't get off. Walls, windows, exercise facilities, good food and booze (okay not so much in prison), and nothing but the aloneness of the ocean around you. Prison.

Prison please, compared to those inside the hot zone, the ship is a luxury. Not the best of accommodations but it could be much worse for them.

Reports are now just coming in that some passengers are being allowed to move around on the ship, for 90 minutes. They must wear a mask, and are banned from coming within 1 meter of other guests.

Not ideal, but not a "prison". Poor people all around the world can only dream of being aboard a luxury cruise ship.

A floating prison ? How civilized English.

 Regardless of the 'plight' of those aboard, even when the ship's asea and on-schedule, it's a prison. Without ports, you can't get off. Walls, windows, exercise facilities, good food and booze (okay not so much in prison), and nothing but the aloneness of the ocean around you. Prison.

Really now, for the public good and to hopefully prevent a full blown epidemic in Japan you THINK that keeping a few thousand people in a ship, is a prison?

Better that prison than dead!

The big issue is the ship's HVAC (ventilation) system is an effective incubator for the virus and a very effective way of transmitting the virus (for those old enough ... remember the Legionnaire's outbreak in the 70s). These people do have other than 1st world problems as they are trapped on a ship and confined in rooms where a ventilation system might be (is likely to be) moving the virus around the ship. I am not surprised 20 are ill and it is likely there will be more.

I hope these folks are OK! It is also nice that they have the freedom to post about this online and express their concerns and grievances.

Are we scared or just realize the olympics are not the main event this year

Floating prison. I would feel the same way if I were one of the quarantined passengers. But first priority is containing the spread of the virus. And the passengers are still lucky, for worse things happen at sea.

Dr. Li is a hero for trying to speak out against this virus and dying in the act of trying to save his fellow countrymen.

Why anyone would get on the floating petri-dish of disease and infection that cruise ships are is beyond me.

I remember the Legionnaire's outbreak from when I was a kid and how ventilation systems aided the spread of the disease in the hotel.

Anyway, best of luck to the passengers and chin up folks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zwW7iWinrk

As much as I do feel for these people's plight, the warnings about this disease were issued before they boarded the boat. Perhaps they should have postponed their trips.

These people are under quarantine yet people can still board planes from China share the air in a confined space with hundreds of other people and fly to multiple cities across the nation, go figure? This is going to get worse before it gets better.

Does anyone know if there are any Japanese passengers confined as well?

These people are under quarantine yet people can still board planes from China share the air in a confined space with hundreds of other people and fly to multiple cities across the nation, go figure? This is going to get worse before it gets better.

EXACTLY. very good point

Sydney radio reported this morning that some passengers said they have heard violent coughing during the night from surrounding cabins. Also many people are over 70 and with depleted prescription medications from their home countries.

Perhaps prison is too stronger word but I wouldn't like to be sharing a windowless cabin with three other adults and one chair in the cabin listening as outside your door two of your neighbors have succumbed to coronavirus and are being transported to hospital.

Does anyone know if there are any Japanese passengers confined as well?

Yes, there are Japanese passengers aboard.

UnamusedToday  07:54 am JST Why anyone would get on the floating petri-dish of disease and infection that cruise ships are is beyond me.

Exactly. The pleasures of taking a cruise with 3,500 other people utterly baffles me.

Cruise ships, or any ship with many passengers, have long been floating Petri dishes.

https://www.webmd.com/women/features/sailing-into-sickness

Does anyone know if there are any Japanese passengers confined as well?

> Yes, there are Japanese passengers aboard.

Fighto, thank you for answering my question

Babies on the Hong Kong ship were reportedly running out of diapers and milk.

As a father of 2 small children I have to say that THIS is UNFORGIVEABLE.

Taking babies on a cruise is not what I call a vacation. Wait till the child is 3-4 years old. Never could understand why parents don’t want to stay home with young children. They and the parents will enjoy much more when the child is older. But I guess that’s the difference between japan and the rest of the west.

given how severe the infection is, Japanese prisons might become the safest places in Japan

https://twitter.com/naval/status/1225340656375099392?s=20

https://wordpress.futurism.com/china-infected-mass-quarantine-camps

Watch what they do,

Don't listen to what they say

News just in - 41 new confirmed cases of Coronavirus on board the ship. So at least 61 cases from the ship now. This number will rise without a doubt.

News just in - 41 new confirmed cases of Coronavirus on board the ship. So at least 61 cases from the ship now. This number will rise without a doubt.

What’s the source, cobber? I’m not doubting this but there have been trolls posting all kinds of nonsense from questionable sources.

I just learned that there are 41 other positive tests, among the 271, so 61 so far. I hope they all get well soon!

Hank ... feel sorry for your family for not taking them on holiday.

I just learned that there are 41 other positive tests, among the 271, so 61 so far. I hope they all get well soon!

If it weren't for the fact the extra infections were from a cruise ship (extremely high density living arrangement), this would have turned the situation into a pandemic.

Despite the sufferings by the occupants of the ship, I'm glad these cases weren't allowed to be agents on land infecting the general population. IMHO, what ever is the treatment these people are receiving, it's still a lot better than what the people of Wuhan are getting.

@BigYen

Cheers mate.

Remember that those who aren't infected are forced to stay in an area where 10 people have been diagnosed with a sickness that is lethal in some cases. They are forced to live in a situation where there is actually confirmed danger, while for us outside that area, it's a much less tangible danger. Who knows if they'll come do wn with it too? Rich or not, and at a different level of comfort and privilege than those poor people in the quarantined areas in China, they are still in a more difficult position than most of us reading this article.

His wife called it a prison and he immediately added, “A very posh prison” and they both laughed. Context, humans, context. They very distinctly did not compare it to a ‘real’ prison.

I hope someone helicopters in some booze for those poor souls...

I'm glad they're in that "prison" - which btw is not too bad of a place to be quarantined to, given the top notch facilities at their disposal. The last thing we need is those people being let out and allowed to roam. I would complain too, if I were inside, but the society would still have the right to quarantine me for the greater good.

That ship docked in Naha last Saturday Feb. 1st and passengers went sightseeing. 13 people did no reboard. Scary.

From Japan Times on Wednesday:

naha-alert-coronavirus-last-week-quarantine-cruise-ship

Thanks Ted Sales re Okinawa

This has been poorly reported in the Japanese media.

So it was 13 people who disembarked. Symptoms or not we can only assume they have been contacted.

and yet, even after all of this, i am sure many sick people (mentally) will not respect other peoples spaces,.. and definitely not stay at home when sick. But yet continue wearing damn masks like idiots just to cover their faces...?? I would think the virus is doing a favor with how people are these days.

Oh the poor things. Trapped on a luxury cruise liner. Do they actually want to get off and spread the disease? And what’s with the woman in the photo? She’s appealing in Japanese for more medicine? Why not in English too? Selfish

Yeah... a "prison"; the Diamond Princess. And sorry, but as others have said their breakfast complaints are truly a first-world problem. We should all be thankful this was not a Chinese cruise ship -- I have no doubt the solution on the Chinese side would have been to torpedo it, or at least anchor it well off shore and let the people on board fend for themselves.

They are still confined to their cabins.

We took a cruise on the Diamond Princess back in 2006. It is a beautiful ship, and very large.

I feel sorry for the passengers and crew, but these are special circumstances. Perhaps passengers in inside cabins could be moved to outside cabins if and when they become available, and after thorough disinfecting.....if they want to risk it. Perhaps scientists have determined how long the virus can exist outside a host and still be viable as a contagion.