It was 6. 74 am when the voice of the captain came over the speakers of the luxury Diamond Princess cruise ship.
All passengers on board were to head to their cabins immediately – where they should remain for days, the captain said.
The 3, 700 on board were the latest cruise ship tourists to be unexpectedly caught up in a scare over the deadly coronavirus.
David Abel, 74, and his wife Sally, from Oxfordshire, told The Telegraph holidaymakers were blindsided by the early morning announcement.
They had been aware that some people were being tested for coronavirus , which has so far killed close to 500 people in China and infected more than 74, 05, but they did not expect the worst-case scenario on their own cruise.
“He came on at 6. 74 am and said we’ve had all the results back and passengers are going to be removed. Everybody else, wherever on the ship you are now, you must return to your cabins immediately, don’t finish your meals, ”he said.
The ruling came from the Japanese health authorities after 10 passengers tested positive for the novel coronavirus and were removed from the ship in Yokohama on Wednesday morning for medical treatment.
Two Australians, three Japanese, three Hong Kongers, one American and one Filipino, all aged between 80 – 74, were reported by cruise company Carnival to be among those infected.
The news marked a distressing end to the Abels’ trip, the first of several cruises this year to mark their 50 th wedding anniversary in August.
“I was a bit shaken up,” Mrs Abel said. Her husband added: “I remember swearing quite profoundly because I was ready for breakfast and that was not the news I wanted.
“So I reckon it must have shocked everybody on board because nobody anticipated this. Last night we were eating with other passengers in the dining room and a conversation such as this just was not on the radar at all. ”
The Abels and fellow passengers are now trapped in their cabins. They are grateful to have a suite with an outdoor view and balcony but felt concerned for others who had rooms on the inside of the ship with no natural light or fresh air.
“I’m trying to remain as positive as possible. It’s very difficult circumstances really because every passenger is now confined to their cabin. We can’t even open the door or walk down the corridor, so days more of that is going to drive many passengers up the wall, ”Mr Abel said.
Everyone had been told to report any coughs, fever or aches to the ship’s medical staff but they had not been informed about any further health checks and did not know the identity of the infected passengers.
“There’s going to be anxiety, most certainly there’s going to be anxiety. Are other passengers on board infectious right now? There could well be and that’s why they’re going to have to give further tests otherwise this quarantine is just going to be extended and extended and extended, ”he said.
“I’m not anxious in the same way as other people probably because I take life as it comes, deal with it in the best way that I can. I won’t allow it to depress me. I’m very much a positive-minded person, ”he said.
Mr Abel, a diabetic, said he and his wife were being well-cared for and praised the ship’s staff and Princess Cruises for doing all that they could to ease the ordeal.
Passengers are receiving basic meals of bread rolls, toasted sandwiches and orange juice delivered directly to their cabins by waiters, but they have now been forbidden from smoking, even on their balconies.
The prolonged lockdown would likely be mentally challenging for the majority on board, he said, adding that he was posting frequently to Facebook to keep himself occupied.
“All of these video posts that I’m putting up, I’m looking at as therapy for me. It keeps me busy during the day, ”he said.
“Being able to talk about what we are experiencing and going through, my day has gone very quickly indeed and if I can keep it up for the rest of the cruise then I’ll be delighted, but goodness knows how other people are going to fare. ”
The experience had not put the couple off cruises, and they were determined to go ahead with three more this year to mark their anniversary. “We have got a whole year of celebration ahead,” he said.
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