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“Cupid’s avocado” for dinner, heart-shaped messages for the crew, but also painful separation: for those trapped on board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship, Friday is no ordinary Valentine’s Day.<\/p>\n
Wearing a red dress and a red hair tie, the ship’s entertainment manager Natalie posted a Valentine’s Day video on Twitter to try to keep spirits up.<\/p>\n
“I just wanted to check in with everybody and say that we are all hanging in there, doing fine and keeping together as a big family,” she said, admitting with a smile: “This hasn’t been my regular attire for the last week or so.”<\/p>\n
Passenger Matt Smith, 57, was marking Valentine’s Day on board with his wife of 21 years, Katherine Codekas, also 57 — and admitted this was not their first-choice location for the special day.<\/p>\n
“After 21 years of marriage, we don’t make a big deal of it, but I usually get Katherine a card at least,” he told AFP from the ship.<\/p>\n
“I think she was a little disappointed with our setting,” he added. “Facebook reminded me this morning that three years ago we were in Las Vegas. Way to rub it in!”<\/p>\n
Passengers on board were being offered a “Valentine’s Day” breakfast, Smith said.<\/p>\n
“We were reminded what day it was by the delivery of what the crew member said was a ‘special’ breakfast,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Not sure why hard-boiled eggs, sausage, and sauteed mushrooms are special.”<\/p>\n
The dinner menu, on the other hand, promises several special treats in honour of the day.<\/p>\n
“Cupid’s Avocado and Shrimp salad” to start, followed by “Shrimp Valentine Japanese style with rice and vegetables.”<\/p>\n
The main course is the French classic Coq au Vin with mashed potato and vegetables, and a “Valentine’s Day surprise dessert of the day” is promised.<\/p>\n
“Coq au Vin, yes please,” tweeted Yardley Wong, who has been posting her efforts to keep her young son entertained on the quarantined vessel.<\/p>\n
“A special meal for Valentine’s Day, a reserved bottle of red,” she added, with her usual hashtag #hanginthereDiamondPrincess and a picture of a bottle of wine.<\/p>\n
She also posted a drawing by her six-year-old son for Valentine’s Day, with the caption “Stay strong, we are with you Diamond Princess.”<\/p>\n
– ‘Then she was gone’ –<\/p>\n
American passenger Jackie joked that she had big plans for Valentine’s Day on the cruise, which has proved far from the gala holiday everyone planned.<\/p>\n
“We’re going to have a formal night on Valentine’s Day in our cabin. Take some pics, have some laughs,” she tweeted.<\/p>\n
Another passenger cut out paper hearts and left them on her door for the crew to read, with messages including: “Thank you for all your hard work” and “Thank you for taking care of us.”<\/p>\n
More than 200 people on board the ship have been diagnosed with the newly named COVID-19 and taken to local hospitals. Those remaining on board will be in quarantine until at least February 19.<\/p>\n
While passengers are battling isolation, fear and boredom, some members of the crew have voiced concerns about their conditions, including eating together and sleeping two to a cabin.<\/p>\n
But the coronavirus has also ripped some couples apart for Valentine’s Day, including at least one on their honeymoon.<\/p>\n
Kent Frasure was forced to say goodbye to his partner Rebecca, who has contracted the virus and is now in isolation in hospital.<\/p>\n
“We said ‘goodbye, see each other later’ and gave each other a hug. We didn’t have a goodbye kiss because we didn’t really know what was going on,” Kent told CNBC.<\/p>\n
“Then I watched her walk down the hallway, turn the corner and then she was gone.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n