Trapped on a Cruise Ship by the Coronavirus: When Is Breakfast?

Ms. Ishida and her family enjoy cruises and had been especially looking forward to relaxing aboard the Diamond Princess as it wended its way from Yokohama to Kagoshima, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan and Okinawa.

Now, instead of taking a dip in the freshwater pools or going on a “Chocolate Journey,” Ms. Ishida and her family are whiling away their time playing games on their tablets, reading, watching movies and speaking to family and friends using the ship’s now-free Wi-Fi.

Judging by social media, other passengers trapped on board have had more difficult moments.

In a Facebook video, David Abel, a passenger from Britain, said on Wednesday morning that he was concerned about how the quarantine might affect his diabetes, saying that he had not eaten in many hours and was fearful that he could fall into a coma.

The problem was resolved, he said, after staff members aboard the ship responded to a flood of emails expressing concern about his condition.

Earlier that morning, he had been more optimistic. As an announcement about the quarantine came over a loudspeaker, Mr. Abel said that the passengers would be confined to their cabins and that he was looking forward to the free time.

“Most of my day will be spent writing and researching and so on,” he said, adding, “What my bar bill is going to be, goodness only knows.”

For Ms. Ishida, her biggest worry is about the toll that being stranded on board for such a long time will take on her family.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/world/asia/japan-coronavirus-cruise-ship.html?emc=rss&partner=rss