The Covid Cruise

The Covid Cruise is the story of how a luxury cruise ship was swept up in the drama of the unfolding coronavirus pandemic. Everything the world experiences now, as we grapple with this deadly new disease, happened early and quickly on the Diamond Princess: rapid infection, asymptomatic transmission, a heavy toll on the elderly, questions of how to test and trace, and dilemmas over whether to quarantine.

The Diamond Princess was a floating petri dish. In February 2020, the ship was home to the most confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of China. This onboard outbreak provided researchers with a crucial early look into the behaviour of the new virus. Early studies from the Diamond Princess provided the world with insights into the diseases severity and asymptomatic transmission two vital pieces of information as strategies were being drafted around the world to battle the pandemic.

Told through the eyes of passengers, crew and infectious disease doctors who were aboard the ship, The Covid Cruise takes viewers inside a coronavirus outbreak in gripping, terrifying and intimate detail. Travel along with a compelling cast of characters as their life-and-death journey takes them from a dream cruise to a quarantine nightmare and a dangerous evacuation home.