Passengers talk about life aboard stricken cruise ship
The Diamond Princess is a United Kingdom vessel owned and operated by Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of the United States company Carnival Corporation. It is mainly used for voyages in Asia during summer in the northern hemisphere.
Huang Huang, a research fellow at the China Tourism Academy, said it is an unwritten rule that cruises operate under a flag of convenience, meaning that a vessel is registered in a country other than its home nation for purposes of lower taxation and more-lenient regulations. Most are registered in Panama or Bermuda.
"The case of the Diamond Princess highlights the pitfalls inherent in the cruise industry," Huang said. "All seems OK until an unexpected event like this occurs ... which is harming the interests of tourists. The problem should be dealt with properly, for the industry's sustainable development."
Some Japanese media reports said the decision to keep the ship at sea was prompted by concerns over the safety of the public and the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics, which are scheduled to start on July 24.
"In an ideal situation, passengers and crew should have left the ship and been quarantined as soon as possible," Huang said, adding that Japan had been reluctant to take such a high risk.
