(WHDH) — The cruise of a lifetime turned into a nightmare for a Massachusetts couple as the coronavirus spread overseas.
Ricky and Jackie Kineavy are among the roughly 3,000 people quarantined inside a Diamond Princess cruise ship at a Japanese port after 219 passengers on board were diagnosed with the deadly virus.
“It’s just a terrible situation that just fell on all of us,” Jackie Kineavy said.
The couple and the rest of the passengers have been unable to leave their small rooms for two weeks.
“We’ve got it better than a lot passengers because we have a balcony. We have access to the outside, to the fresh air and the sunshine,” Ricky Kineavy said.
He added that some passengers haven’t seen the sun in days.
The couple is doing everything they can to try to avoid catching the virus.
“Three times a day, we monitor our temperature. We’ve got our protective gear. We each have our own masks hanging at the door if anybody comes,” Ricky Kineavy explained. “The main thing is you want to not get the virus.”
The couple added that they’re trying to stay positive.
“We were so happy we brought a deck of cards,” Jackie Kineavy laughed. “We’re in the middle of a Rummy 5,000 game now.”
The Kineavys say the quarantine is supposed to be lifted Wednesday.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)