Trudy and Steve Clement of Callander are among 251 Canadians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, quarantined off the coast of Japan, after some passengers, including two Canadians, tested positive for the coronavirus.
All 37-hundred passengers and crew must remain in their rooms under quarantine for 14 days.
See: Japan quarantines cruise ship as toll of new virus grows
“February 20th is the day we hope to get off the ship. We’ve got a flight booked so fingers crossed,” said Trudy.
“We are in the port city of Yokohama. We were supposed to get off the ship Tuesday morning, but that is when they found out somebody had the virus. So, they had the Japanese authorities get on the ship and they went room to room because they wanted to do a face to face check with everybody. That took 14 hours,” explained Trudy.
“They took our temperature, and if you had a temperature or any symptoms, they did a swab. They had to take 10 more patients off by ambulance today. We can see it from our balcony.”
Passengers and crew will be retested later.
“If anybody shows any sign of sniffles, sore throat, or a temperature, you get swabbed and if you are positive, then you get taken off by ambulance.”
She said supplies were to have been picked up on Tuesday.
“But then we couldn’t come into port. So, we had to go on the supplies the ship already had here. They did the best they could. We didn’t get breakfast until 11 yesterday morning, lunch came at 3:30 and dinner was at 8:30. And it wasn’t great. We are getting food onboard today,” said the Callander resident.
“Even when they deliver our food it is with masks, gowns, and gloves. And they don’t cross the threshold. There is no cleaning of the rooms. They did bring us fresh towels, and they will empty our garbage, but they are not entering our room at all.”
She says the captain continues to keep passengers apprised of any new developments.
“The captain did make an announcement today that he is negotiating with the Japanese authorities that if we wear our mask, that small groups can get out of the cabin for a half hour to do some walking.”
Which would be welcome news, especially for passengers who are confined to cabins without windows.
“Steve and I are lucky that we are in a good-sized room, but there are people with inside cabins with no windows and some of them have kids in there. That is the sad part because they can’t get out.”
Sleep hasn’t always been easy.
“We had to go out to sea last night and it was pretty rough, with big waves. We bounced around until 8 this morning.”
Passengers are doing what they can to stay in contact with family and friends.
“Wi-Fi is now free. I can phone Canada on the landline here for free, but you can’t get through. You’ve got passengers all trying to do the same thing,” said Trudy.
“Our kids are really concerned. The texting is going back and forth. The Messenger is going back and forth. Marty contacted the Canadian Embassy on our behalf because he feels we’re more in danger of being locked in on the ship than anything. We’ll see. I don’t think they can do much against the authorities right now.”
Trudy says the crew is doing its best given the circumstances.
“I think as far as Princess cruise line goes, this is something they are learning too. This is a new protocol for them with this virus. They’ve had their hiccups, and we’ve had ours.”
If they knew then what they know now, the couple likely would not have taken the cruise.
“When we got on, on January 6, the coronavirus was in China, but none of us had heard about it, so we didn’t’ think anything of it. If we had known, we would have taken a second look at travelling.”
The couple is passing the time watching movies and reading.
“We feel the stress. It is not having the freedom to do what you want to do except within these four walls. I am used to going out walking every day, and my balcony really doesn’t cut it for a good walk.”
Fourteen days in close surroundings can be taxing.
“Steve and I have discussed this, and we say this is a great test of our marriage, or who goes over the balcony railing first,” laughed Trudy.
“You just do what you have to do to get through the day. We have both had our down moments, but you just get over it and get on with it.”
They had a message for family and friends.
“We’re hanging in there. We love you, and we’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
