Published on Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Diamond Princess quarantine couple have booked FIVE cruises for next year

David Abel, the British man who became an unwitting social media star when he and his wife were quarantined on board Diamond Princess at the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, has booked five cruises for next year.

David and his wife Sally, both in their 70s, told Good Morning Britain the experience hasn't put them off and they believe cruising will be one of the safest forms of travel.

Earlier this year, the couple were among thousands of passengers on a Far East cruise who were quarantined after an outbreak on board the ship, in early February.

He set up a Facebook page for passengers who had to stay in their cabins for 20 days, while the ship was held in port in Japan.

He then became a media sensation after sharing updates from the ship, which were shown around the world.

More than 700 passengers and crew tested positive for coronavirus and six people died.

At one point, David begged the UK government to bring him and the 73 other Brits on board back home after the US ran a charter flight to repatriate its passengers, but the UK delayed its response.

The couple then contracted Covid-19 themselves towards the end of their quarantine and spent three weeks in hospital in Japan before returning home in March.

Since then, David has had a cancer scare and a heart attack, but says he's feeling 'on top of the world' and can't wait to travel again. The couple's first cruise is planned for April, out of Vancouver, combined with a Rocky Mountaineer trip.

He said: "It's not put us off at all. We can't wait to get back to cruising.

"Cruising is going to be one of the safest types of vacation in the future, because of all the precautionary measures they've put in place."

He added the Covid-19 vaccination rollout is key to getting travel up and running again next year.

By Lisa James, Deputy Editor, UK