Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan quarantined after passenger diagnosed with coronavirus

CNN ^ | February 4, 2020 | Joshua Berlinger, Emiko Jozuka and Junko Ogura

[kingu]

Full title: Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan quarantined after passenger diagnosed with coronavirus

Japanese authorities are racing to contain a possible outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus after it was revealed that an infected passenger flew into Tokyo and spent a few days aboard a Princess Cruises ship, forcing authorities to lock down the vessel and quarantine thousands of people on board.

Of the 31 people who have been tested for the virus, 10 cases tested positive for the virus, Japan's Health Ministry said. Authorities are still waiting for the results of more than 100 other samples.

This is the same ship that had a passenger board which tested positive for Coronavirus, apparently they shared with others while there (or others were already infected.)

[kingu]

Ladies and Gentlemen, we'd like to invite everyone to stay locked in their rooms while health authorities investigate this. In the mean time, feel free to enjoy our television service as you continue our wonderful cruise...

[BobL]

They get 14 days to cool their heels in Tokyo Harbor now. We also get to find out just how contagious this bug is.

...and by the way, this boat never even went to China (I think it was scheduled to go there, but diverted to Hong Kong, you know, to be ‘safe’).

[cazmandeuce]

Why would anyone get on a cruise ship right now? It must have been a great menu and deep discounted ticket price.....

[SteveH]

> Ladies and Gentlemen, we’d like to invite everyone to stay locked in their rooms while health authorities investigate this. In the mean time, feel free to enjoy our television service as you continue our wonderful cruise...

On channel 1, we have the love boat. And on channel 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 through 54, we also have the love boat!

[BobL]

I think they got on about 2 weeks ago, just as it was starting to kick up. At that time, seemed like just another SARS scare. But anyone getting on starting this week, particularly in Asia, deserves what they get.

This family did the right thing, but it cost them:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2020/02/03/coronavirus-family-says-norwegian-wont-refund-32000-asia-cruise/4643852002/

[null and void]

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[cazmandeuce]

Agree with the family, not so much with Norwegian. Just saying, I wouldn’t jump on a floating bacteria factory for several months until this plays out. I would likely just eat the trip at this point.

[NormsRevenge]

as long as I have a balcony, quarantine me.. make that a balcony and wifi..and room service.

Sailed on the Sapphire, haven’t been on the Diamond.. always see lots of asian folks .. never know what kind of stuff you’re possibly going to be subjected to. Been lucky so far.

We have no cruises currently booked .. I could handle visiting some Greek Isles again before it freezes over in that neck of the woods.

[kingu]

Why would anyone get on a cruise ship right now? It must have been a great menu and deep discounted ticket price.....

I do know some people who take cruises on whims, but most plan it out a year in advance (at least.) Cancelling just isn't an option for everyone, especially since two weeks ago when this ship set sail, why would you?

[kingu]

Anyone who books a cruise and doesn’t have trip insurance is penny wise and pound foolish. That said, most credit cards have (some) trip insurance built in (even if the card wasn’t used for the cruise, anything for the trip bought with the card counts.)

Something to investigate.

[BobL]

In this case, the insurance doesn’t work, and they did have it. It’s basically the word of the cruise line (saying it’s safe, LOL) and the customer (saying, of course, that it’s not safe).

Not enough to make a claim. The insurance is meant to cover last-minute emergencies, such as medical. If the cruise is cancelled by Norwegian, then things may be different.

[cazmandeuce]

Sorry, I would still eat the cost and not go. I know most trips like this are booked well in advance, and likely not refundable, but I would still not go. Two weeks ago we knew this thing was spreading, and fast.

Just my 2 cents.

[VanShuyten]

I bet I could get a great deal on tickets, maybe even a free upgrade to the Presidential Suite and every meal at the Captain’s Table with open bar! And I could use any of the facilities without waiting in line!

[ProtectOurFreedom]

14 days won't do it because not everybody will get sick at the same time. One person passes it to another person who passes it to another person who passes it on, etc.

The diagram below is a schematic of a disease branching process. Two generations of infections are shown. Every horizontal bar segment represents the time interval that a specified individual remains infectious. The first sick person (farthest left bar) infects three others. The top-most person does not infect any others. The other two infected by Patient 0 infect two others.

Now imagine this process being carried out from one patient to the 3,600 people on that ship. It would take a long time for the disease to play out. How long would that be? I have no idea. A month? Two months?

[BobL]

Man, that bites. Makes sense, but bites!

[GnuThere]

Good times at the midnight buffet!

[Political Junkie Too]

In the mean time, feel free to enjoy our television service as you continue our wonderful cruise...

The first six channels are Princess excursions you can't take, the next five channels are the international news feeds that we're blocking, the ship channel that replays the "newlywed game" shows is on, but is repeating the last cruise's shows, but the Spanish language channels are available.

-PJ

[unread]

"They get 14 days to cool their heels in Tokyo Harbor now. We also get to find out just how contagious this bug is."

Yeah... A giant test tube.. I'll wager a lot of folks are thinking of jumping ship...

[SteveH]

allegedly shanghai and other mainland chinese ports are now beginning to be dropped from the lists of what are considered viable transit ports...