On January 20, 2020, when Covid-19 was in its initial stages, a Princess Diamond cruise ship carrying 3,711 people (2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew) left Yokohama, Japan. The cruise, which was supposed to be a 16-day tour of Asia, turned into a disaster when the new coronavirus started to spread throughout the ship . The virus infected 712 people and killed 14 passengers (notably, no crew member died). People were quarantined on the ship for weeks, and it wasn’t until March 1 that the last passengers and crew were allowed to leave the ship.
HBO’s The Last Cruise reports this nightmare through first-person videos made by passengers and crew members. The film also “aims at the United States’ initial reaction to Covid-19,” according to Forbes. The documentary premieres on HBOMax on March 30.