A Holland America Line (HAL) ship has been barred from docking in Japanese ports as a precaution amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Westerdam had been due to call to Ishigaki Island, Naha, Okinawa, Nagasaki and Fukuoka, before arriving in in Yokohama on February 15, where the next cruise was set to start.
The next cruise has been cancelled and the line is working on alternative plans for the current sailing.
No passengers or crew have been diagnosed with the virus and the ship is not in quarantine.
The ship is on a 14-day Taiwan and Japan cruise that departed Hong Kong on February 1 with 1,455 passengers and 802 crew on board. The numbers include 687 passengers continuing on from the previous cruise.
At least 41 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed on Diamond Princess, a vessel belonging to HAL’s sister brand Princess Cruises, both part of Carnival Corporation.
The new cases on Diamond Princess have brought the number of confirmed cases in with the virus in Japan to 86, the second highest figure after China.
A HAL spokesperson said: “Holland America Line has been notified that the Japanese government will not permit Westerdam to call in Japanese ports.
“The ship is not in quarantine and there are no known cases of coronavirus on board at this time.
“We are quickly working to develop alternate plans and are keeping guests updated on board as information becomes available.
“We are closely monitoring the evolving situation with respect to coronavirus that originated in mainland China and our medical experts are co-ordinating closely with global health authorities to implement enhanced screening, prevention and control measures for our ships globally.”