TOKYO, Japan — Bill and Colette Smedley hoped to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary with a romantic cruise.
Instead, they celebrated it in quarantine due to growing worry over the coronavirus.
"I'm on a Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama port outside of Tokyo in quarantine," said Bill Smedley in a Facebook post. He and his wife are from Dillsburg, York County.
Smedley said the couple said their trip began January 6, and they were supposed to be home February 3rd.
But on February 5, he said, they were put into a quarantine in their room -- one that is expected to last through February 19.
"I'm trying not to think about it, you know," Smedley said. "There's nothing I can do, you know. We're here. If you get angry and upset about it it's not going to do any good. So, you have to make the best of the situation you're dealt."
The couple said they have been getting three meals a day delivered to their room. They are given limited time outside. They were also given thermometers to self-monitor their temperature.
They commend the ship's crew and captain for keeping them informed on the ongoing situation. Smedley said multiple passengers on the ship have tested positive for coronavirus.
"It's stressful being here," he said. "It's stressful being away from home. It's stressful being in the center, the epicenter of a worldwide possible medical catastrophe here."
Smedley wrote on Facebook that Princess Cruise lines told the couple in a letter that all fees will be "fully refunded."
Additionally, a cruise credit for the amount paid for this cruise will be applied to a future cruise, he said.
As for the couple's wedding anniversary, Smedley said, "I think we'll remember this one. This is our 33rd anniversary so I'm glad we like each other because it could be miserable if we didn't."