A Santa Clarita couple is among the 3,700 passengers and crew members quarantined on a cruise ship docked in Japan after the coronavirus broke out onboard.
The trip was supposed to end last week. But then a passenger who left the Diamond Princess in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus. In response, Japanese health officials placed the ship under a two-week quarantine. The quarantine is scheduled to end Feb. 19.
Carl Goldman and Jeri Seratti-Goldman have been documenting their experiences on the Santa Clarita radio station KHTS, which they own.
“What we've learned is the first sign of getting this is a fever, not necessarily a cough or nose trip,” Goldman tells KCRW. “About five days ago, the Japanese health officials gave each of us a monitor. We have to take our temperature three times a day if we get above 99.5, then we've got to be checked.”
Goldman bought the cruise tickets over the Christmas holiday as a gift for his wife, Jeri. He says that they take about two cruises every year as a getaway from their busy schedules. The couple isn’t letting this experience sour their opinions on cruising.
“Princess has gone beyond the call of duty with everything,” Goldman says. “We're now loyal Princess customers for life. We've been planning other cruises.”