On Feb. 12, 2020, 39 more passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have been confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus, or now known as Covid-19.
This brings the total number of cases linked to the Japanese cruise ship to 175.
Life on the cruise ship for 3,700 passengers
3,700 passengers and crew members onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama were quarantined after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive for Covid-19.
The ship is expected to be quarantined until Feb. 19 — 14 days after the isolation period began.
In the midst of their quarantine at sea, the stranded passengers have been given access to free WiFi to keep in touch with their loved ones.
After a week of quarantine, several stranded passengers have taken to social media to show the world how they pass their time to perhaps stay sane.
Surprisingly, many of them have taken it pretty well.
While passengers and crew aren’t allowed to leave the ship, food supplies are sufficient and passengers even have choices between multiple entrees, including vegetarian options.
Mental health resources including counselling services via telephone are also provided to passengers on board.
Passengers are allowed outside their rooms for a brief period everyday, which gives them more space to walk about and get some sun.
Family documents everyday life on cruise ship
One family has taken to social media to share about their life on the cruise ship, from their meals to their daily activities.
One passenger, Aun Na Tan said that it was the first time in years that her family got to watch the Oscars together, since they had plenty of time to do so during the quarantine.
According to Tan, they were still able to order items online through Amazon Japan, and items were delivered to their room by the next day.
However, things weren't all great for Tan's family, as she shared with BuzzFeed News that the 14-day quarantine initially came as a shock to them.
According to Tan, her 16-year-old daughter Kaitlyn Soh had to miss the final callbacks for a dance role with the Victorian State Schools Spectacular, a big musical theater event for public schools in Melbourne, Australia.
Due to the quarantine, the family will also miss out on a Queen and Adam Lambert concert, which they had been looking forward to, said Tan.
However, the family has taken all of it in their stride.
Tan's husband, Jeff Soh, is working remotely for his job at a financial institution from the small desk of the family's room.
Photo via Aun Na Tan/IG
Kaitlyn and her 19-year-old brother, Xander Soh, entertain themselves by reading, watching videos, and playing on their phones.
"All you need is a pair of headphones and music, and you are all set," Xander told BuzzFeed News.
Photo via Aun Na Tan/IG
Due to size constraints of the room, the family is restricted to basic stretches for their daily exercises.
Photo via Aun Na Tan/IG
"We are safe, we are together, we are in comfort, and we are being looked after by the crew. We are a positive bunch, and we’ll be alright," Tan said, looking on the brighter side despite not knowing what's to come.
On Feb. 9, the fifth day of the quarantine, Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz announced that all guests on the Diamond Princess will receive a full refund of their cruise. Princess Cruises has also cleared all charges incurred during the quarantine period.
Each guest will also receive a 100 per cent Future Cruise Credit equal to the cruise fare paid for this voyage.
Additionally, the management is reviewing arrangements for the passengers' journey home.
Top image via Aun Na Tan/IG, @quarantinedond1/Twitter, @daxa_tw/Twitter