Local Couple Trapped on Quarantined Cruise Ship Off Japan Shares Experience

From the other side of the world, Jeri Goldman strikes a cheery tone.

But the past few days can't possibly have been easy for the Santa Clarita resident.

"I've perfected washing clothes in the bathtub," Goldman says.

She and her husband, Carl, have been confined to their small cabin aboard the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" for several days now.

They are among thousands of passengers and crew members anchored just off the coast of Yokohama, Japan.

The deadly coronavirus is what caused the cruise ship's quarantine, and the Goldmans, along with everyone else on board, cannot leave the vessel until two weeks have passed.

That's when Japanese health officials can confirm that none of them have been infected.

"We do not have the virus," Jeri says. "They test us three times a day."

As the Goldmans have exhaustively reported on their daily blog, dozens of passengers have tested positive and are receiving medical care after being removed from the ship.

But the rest of the folks on board cannot leave until the possibility of more infection has passed, scheduled for Feb. 19 according to Japanese authorities.

That means the small radio station they own in Santa Clarita has to function without them.

Jeri says her staff here has been doing an excellent job, so far, and she and Carl have been focusing on the positive things, as best they can.

"They let us go up on the balcony and walk for an hour -- which we were very, very grateful for," Jeri says.

But, understandably, they're looking forward to the return trip home.

If you want to see what they've been posting, you can follow along on their Facebook page or check out their radio station's website.