Santa Clarita residents and KHTS Radio owners Carl Goldman and Jeri Seratti-Goldman are quarantined on the Diamond Princess which has 135 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

Our Princess Cruise Quarantine 

For those who missed the first part of our story, my wife, Jeri, and I are currently part of 3,766 passengers and crew aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. We have been quarantined in our cabins since last Wednesday due to an outbreak of the coronavirus. Our ship is anchored at an isolated dock in Yokohama, Japan. With 11 more days to go, this was going to be the ultimate test of our 31-year relationship.

Trapped Inside Our Diamond Princess Cruise Cabin – Day 5 (Saturday)

We woke up at 2 a.m. Saturday morning to work with our KHTS staff (it was 9 a.m. Friday in Santa Clarita). We had a lot to coordinate, since most of our KHTS team would not be around for the weekend. We worked throughout the morning, staying on our phones and computers for hours.

At 8 a.m., our captain announced we would soon be leaving Yokohama and heading out to sea to gather more water for desalinization on our ship and to again “empty our bilges.” Our captain uses lots of nautical terms when he communicates with us. I’m finding I navigate Google quite often. The same is true the three times a day we are required to take our temperature.

See Related: Santa Clarita Residents Share First-Hand Account Of Quarantine On Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Due To Coronavirus

Yesterday, Japanese officials delivered thousands of digital thermometers, one for each of us. We were instructed that if our temperature crept above 37.5 degrees Celsius, we were to immediately call the ship’s hospital. I again had to surf Google to find out what that meant in my language of Fahrenheit (99.5 degrees), not that it much mattered because everything else, including the instructions, were in Japanese. 

At ports, we had our temperature taken with a beam aimed at our foreheads. Earlier in the week, when we were first tested in our cabins, Japanese health officials stuck one in my ear. When I was a child, my mother always gently put one in my “tushi” with Vaseline because it was “more accurate.” This time I was fortunate. My wife had lots of experience with these and quickly shoved my thermometer under my tongue.

We learned two more passengers had tested positive for the coronavirus; one was another American. That brought our American total up to 12 and the ship’s total up to 64, (counting the passenger who left our ship in Hong Kong over a week ago). Many of us were referring to him as “ground zero.”

As the sun came up, I looked out at our isolated Yokohama dock. Ambulances were still on stand-by. Many paparazzi were hovering behind police tape and the first of what would become many news helicopters had begun circling the Diamond Princess.

Our first story about our situation was published on the KHTS website and Facebook page. An avalanche of calls, texts, emails and social media comments hit as those who didn’t know about our plight now did. We enjoyed reading comments, which included one who thought it was a little too early for my annual April Fool’s joke. Another was concerned we would infect our staff with the coronavirus. How this might happen through our cell phones remains a mystery to us, particularly because Yokohama is 5,479 miles away from Santa Clarita.

The captain announced that our group of cabins, about 50 on our floor and side of the ship, would be allowed to walk up to the top deck and enjoy the outdoors for one hour. We were one of the last groups. We had to wear face masks that were issued earlier in the week, gloves, hats and a warm jacket. Instructions insisted we stay at least two meters away from each person. I again had to use Google to make the conversion in fear I might walk too close.

We marched down the hall and up five flights of stairs. My adrenaline took off, anticipating the joy of an outdoor stroll after four days of confinement. Although we all looked like we were characters from a very bad horror movie, I could tell most were smiling under their masks, enjoying our 60 minutes of freedom. My wife quickly left me in the dust, as is normal for our walks, and I took my usual slow pace, enjoying our freedom.

The hour went by way too quickly. When we returned to our cabin, Jeri shouted from our bathroom, “You forgot to flush the toilet.” I responded, “Really?”, knowing for certain my wife was the last one in the bathroom before we had raced upstairs. However, I elected to take the hit because I know for certain I am the guilty one 99 percent of the time and we were exactly one week away from Valentine’s Day.

My friend, Alan Cohen, texted me to ask if we will be able to watch the Academy Awards. I told him probably, but like watching the Superbowl (as I described in our earlier story), it will likely be in Japanese.

The captain announced even more movies and television shows were being downloaded. The Princess staff has gone the extra mile to make us as comfortable as possible. As new movies were downloaded onto our TVs, I realized there was an entire genre of movies our Diamond Princess entertainment manager had probably bypassed; “The Andromeda Strain,” “Contagion” and the 1962 classic and one of my favorites, “Ghost Ship” came to mind.

As evening approached, we were still heading out to sea. Japanese officials used a combination of a helicopter and coast guard cutter to deliver additional medications and take back samples from more passengers to the Tokyo labs for testing. The Japanese are using numerous labs to speed up the process.

Our biggest challenge was not knowing what we faced traveling back to the United States. Some reports said we might be quarantined for an additional 14 days. Earlier in the morning, in responding to a text from our CPA, Julie Sturgeon, I teased we were hoping to return by April 15.

The United States Embassy in Japan was emailing us daily updates. Tonight’s email shared the incredible news we would be free citizens once the Japanese released us. Barring any additional problems on the Diamond Princess, our plane from Tokyo will depart on Feb. 19 with the two of us on board.

For the second time, we watched an incredible movie, “The 100-Foot Journey,” produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg. It was even better watching it again. It should be a part of everyone’s “must-see” list.

As we prepared for bed, the Diamond Princess was still heading away from Yokohama. We probably had not gone far enough yet to “empty our bilges.” 

Trapped Inside Our Diamond Princess Cruise Cabin – Day 6 (Sunday)

We slept in until 6 a.m., a real treat. The Diamond Princess was still out to sea, heading back to our isolated Yokohama harbor. Mount Fuji dramatically served as a distant backdrop as we neared our harbor.

We were one of the lucky ones on-board. Before our cruise, we purchased a mini-suite, which gave us a little more room, including a couch, two televisions and a 12-by-12 balcony. 

The two televisions are mounted only a few yards apart, or 2 ¾ meters. My mastery of metric was becoming just another benefit of our cruise. The TV screens are so close together, either remote controls both televisions. Do I need to share who won the battle of the remotes?

Our toilet is called a Dianjie. It has a heated seat, which is the bomb. On one side sits a control panel with a dozen buttons and several LED lights. I’m afraid to touch any. The same model toilet was in our Tokyo hotel where we stayed when our journey first began. Jeri, who is much more adventurous than I am, hit a button and let out a very loud screech. I didn’t dare ask. She too hasn’t touched a single button since we boarded the Diamond Princess.

The flusher is mounted on the back wall. It has a very large button. This button must be hit at the exact correct angle and with the right force or nothing will happen. Only physics professors or top-ranking WWE wrestlers can possibly have it work on the first try. When it finally does flush, the noise from its vacuum force is much more powerful than the one found on airplanes. Our toilet flushing can be heard at least eight cabins away.

Around 9 a.m., we docked in Yokohama. The media was perched behind the police tape. A total of 24 ambulances remained in place. Numerous news helicopters began circling. About 100 crates sat in even piles, waiting to resupply the Diamond Princess.

We were told the ambulances were for passengers who did not test positive for the coronavirus. We assumed they were leaving our ship for other medical reasons. I suspected a few might have been married couples reaching the peak of their patience for each other. They would now be quarantined individually. We received no confirmation there was any truth to my suspicions.

At 2:30 p.m., our captain announced six more people tested positive for the novel corona virus. That brought our total to 70 victims, counting our Hong Kong “ground zero.” In addition, nine or 10 other passengers were being sent by ambulance to Yokohama hospitals with other medical ailments. They also had to remain quarantined for the remainder of our 14 days at their hospital.

We closed out our night, watching a movie about Harriet Tubman. It is worth seeing and should be added to every “got to see list.”

Trapped Inside Our Diamond Princess Cruise Cabin – Day 7 (Monday)

It’s Monday morning, (Sunday in Santa Clarita time). It’s sunny, 43 degrees. Six ambulances are parked on the dock. A dozen reporters are braving the chill.

Today we were given two early Christmas presents: Princess will refund our cruise and Jeri received six packs of sanitary wipes to clean our room.

The wipes were labeled in Japanese. My friend, Mark Jorgensen, put the following appeal on Facebook, having also received the same stockpile of wipes in his cabin: “Does anyone read Japanese? They just delivered these, and I don’t know whether to clean the counters, cleanse my face, remove my makeup or wipe my butt.”

My wife chose to wipe the glass on our table, instantly leaving major streaks. I stared at the glass. From my angle, the streaks looked as if they too were in Japanese.

For those who don’t know, Princess Cruises’ corporate office is based in Santa Clarita. Approximately 3,000 employees live and work in our valley. Some are friends. This morning, Princess President Jan Swartz sent a letter to each passenger announcing all passengers would receive a full refund, plus a credit for a future cruise and reimbursement for most expenses, including our excursions, hotel in Tokyo, plane fare and any other reasonable expense. I suspect we won’t be reimbursed for any Amazon purchases we made waiting for us in Santa Clarita. 

Their gesture was a class act. Awesomeness from an awesome company in “Awesometown.”

Given our circumstances, the Princess staff and crew have been stellar; the Japanese government as well.  In the early stages of our crisis, Swartz flew to Japan to meet with officials. We soon had an additional 12 Japanese doctors, nurses and support staff on-board our ship to attend to our medical challenges.

Many friends have asked if we will ever cruise again. Absolutely! We love to cruise. It is our favorite way to travel and unwind after working in hyperdrive at home. We already were planning future cruises. That was before learning of our credit. We will forever remain loyal Princess passengers.

At night when we are home in Santa Clarita, or when we’re traveling, we always leave the volume on our cellphones turned up to the highest level. As owners of a radio station and 24/7 local news outlet, we are always on alert. By our third night in Japan, we had given up and muted our phones. We received too many calls in the middle of the night confirming medical appointments, political surveys and friends from New York who have no concept that any other time zone other than eastern time even exists.

On the first day of our cruise, we asked our cabin attendant to unlock the barrier between our balconies. Our close friends, Mark and Jerri Jorgensen, owners of Desert Solace in St. George, Utah had an adjacent cabin. We visit each other throughout the day and cap off each evening watching a movie together. 

As I’m writing this late Monday morning, the four of us are watching the Academy Awards — in English, to our delight. Mark and Jerri are as upbeat as the two of us. However, as Mark walked into our cabin chewing on a chocolate chip cookie served with breakfast, Jerri screamed at him, saying, “That was mine.” It was the first sign of any of us beginning to crack. Princess has been delivering more food at each of our three meals than any of us could possibly finish. 

The cookie reminded me of an incident on our cruise prior to the outbreak. The four of us were enjoying lunch. A slim elderly Japanese lady had taken about a dozen cookies from the buffet. When she thought no one was watching, she dumped the cookies into a large bag. We watched as she filled up her plate eight or nine times, slipping her cookies into her bag. She must have stealthily taken about 100 cookies. We speculated on her intentions, determining it must be an Asian version of hoarding. I now realize she was clairvoyant, even though by now they must be rock hard.

Many friends have been asking us what we miss the most during our quarantine. For me, it’s a fully charged toothbrush; for Jeri, it’s having clean sheets and a vacuum. My wife has a different brand vacuum stockpiled in nearly every room of our house. As a young bachelor, I bought my first condo in Van Nuys in 1978 in the middle of the Jimmy Carter presidency. I don’t think I purchased a vacuum well into Ronald Reagan’s first term. I have no recollection if I ever washed my bed linens.

Jeri enjoys exercising. Each morning she places a towel on our cabin’s unvacuumed carpet and exercises. For weights, she uses two filled 1-liter water bottles. Back home I enjoy our Peloton exercise bicycle. I walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day and climb at least 20 flights of stairs, more on weekends. Here in our isolated cabin, I make sure I pace at least 3,000 steps (10 steps per length of room) and hit the flush button (most of the time unsuccessfully) on our toilet at least a dozen times. 

In the early afternoon, two dozen ambulances, military trucks and other emergency vehicles drove up to our ship. We were informed 65 other people tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total to 135. Yikes. It took hours to remove these victims to Yokohama hospitals. I took my temperature again and breathed a sigh of relief.

Read All Of Carl’s Journals Here: Carl Goldman Coronavirus Journals

Part 1: Santa Clarita Residents Share First-Hand Account Of Quarantine On Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Due To Coronavirus

Part 3: Santa Clarita Residents Share First-Hand Experience Of Coronavirus Quarantine On Diamond Princess

Part 4: Trapped In The Coronavirus Quarantine Aboard The Diamond Princess: Part Four

Part 5: Santa Clarita Residents Share Emotions As They Prepare To Leave Coronavirus Quarantine Cruise: Part Five

Part 6: Santa Clarita Residents To Return To United States After Coronavirus Quarantine On Diamond Princess: Part Six

Part 7: Santa Clarita Resident Diagnosed With Coronavirus Sets Record Straight: Part 7

Part 8: Santa Clarita Resident Battles Coronavirus After Diamond Princess Cruise: Part 8

Part 9: Santa Clarita Resident Continues To Recover From Coronavirus Diagnosis: Part 9

Part 10: Living With Coronavirus: Santa Clarita Resident Continues To Share Story — Part 10

Part 11: A Birthday In Quarantine: Santa Clarita Resident Continues Chronicling Coronavirus Recovery – Part 11

Part 12: Coronavirus Quarantine Continues As Santa Clarita Resident Recovers From COVID-19: Part 12

Part 13: Coronavirus Patient From Santa Clarita Continues To Clear Misconceptions About COVID-19: Part 13

Part 14: Third Member Of The ‘Four Amigos’ Tests Positive For Coronavirus: Part 14

Part 15: Santa Clarita COVID-19 Patient Continues Recovery In Nebraska After Contracting Coronavirus: Part 15

Part 16: Carl Continues To Test Positive For Coronavirus, Jeri Still Negative: Part 16

Part 17: Carl Still Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Jeri Prepares To Return Home: Part 17

Part 18: Jeri Cleared From Quarantine, Carl Continues Coronavirus Recovery: Part 18

Part 19: Jeri Back Home, Carl Continues Coronavirus COVID-19 Recovery In Nebraska: Part 19

Part 20: Coronavirus COVID-19 Patient Carl Goldman Continues Path To Recovery: Part 20

Read All Of Carl’s Journals Here: Carl Goldman Coronavirus Journals

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.