When the Diamond Princess cruise ship set sail from the port of Yokohama, Japan, on Jan. 20, 2020, the World Health Organization had just started reporting on coronavirus cases in China. By the time the last crew members were allowed to disembark, on March 1, 2020, more than 700 people on board had been infected, and 14 passengers had died.
“The Last Cruise,” a new HBO documentary, takes viewers aboard the Diamond Princess, as we watch footage shot on cell phones by passengers and crew members. Only 40 minutes long, the film is a concise, harrowing exploration of the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, captured in real time by those on board the ship that became the site of the first major outbreak of the virus outside of China.
Among the 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members were Kent and Rebecca Frasure, of Forest Grove. In early February 2020, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported on the couple, and how they were part of the group stranded aboard the Diamond Princess, as a coronavirus outbreak grew.
“The Last Cruise” begins with passengers enjoying themselves aboard the huge ship. The Diamond Princess sails on, with exercise classes, entertainment, elaborate buffets and more.
As the film continues, the passengers and crew learn that a Hong Kong resident who traveled on the ship from Yokohama to Hong Kong has tested positive for the coronavirus. “The situation is under control,” the captain says via loudspeaker. Nothing to worry about.
But the Diamond Princess winds up heading back to Japan and docks outside of Tokyo. Japanese officials begin testing people aboard. The captain announces that 10 people have tested positive, so everyone must remain in quarantine on board, for at least 14 days.
A scene from "The Last Cruise," a documentary about a coronavirus outbreak aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. (Photo: HBO)
As testing continues, Rebecca Frasure is among those who tests positive. She’s transferred to a hospital, while Kent Frasure, who tests negative, remains on the ship.
As Kent Frasure told The Oregonian/OregonLive in February 2020, he wished that those in charge had communicated more clearly and instituted more preventative measures after making the initial announcement about the passenger who had been infected.
“There were no additional precautions really taken,” Kent Frasure said then. “It was just like status quo, normal day to day activities.”
“The Last Cruise,” produced and directed by Hannah Olson, features footage filmed by those who were on the ship, along with follow-up interviews. The film makes clear how frustrated some passengers stuck on board were, and the sense of powerlessness felt by crew members, as they recall the long hours, pressure to keep working, and fear of speaking up, even if they had coronavirus symptoms.
Dede Samsul Fuad, a dishwasher, and Maruja Daya, a pastry chef, are among those who were interviewed after the quarantine. They share how concerned they were by the rising number of cases, and the feeling that management cared more for the affluent passengers than for the crew.
Employees on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, as seen in the documentary, "The Last Cruise." (HBO)
In footage filmed at the time, as case counts kept increasing, Kent Frasure expresses his worry that not enough people are being tested, and that there may be many more infections among people on board than anybody realizes.
As the film says, the explosive growth of positive tests among those on the ship helped reveal to U.S. government scientists that COVID-19 was airborne, and could spread through carriers who were infected, but had no symptoms. But months would pass before health authorities recommended face coverings be worn, and that asymptomatic people be tested, a delay that undoubtedly cost lives.
“The Last Cruise” makes a powerful case that the Diamond Princess was a metaphor of sorts, an example of how little was understood about the coronavirus in its early days, and of the tragic consequences such ignorance can bring.
More of our coverage:
Coronavirus outbreak strands Forest Grove couple on quarantined cruise ship
Oregon woman infected with coronavirus on cruise ship
Forest Grove man’s cruise ship coronavirus quarantine ends; his wife remains hospitalized
Returning home after coronavirus: Oregon woman diagnosed in Japan urges calm
“The Last Cruise” premieres at 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 30 on HBO; it will be available to stream on HBO Max.
-- Kristi Turnquist
kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist
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