Diamond Princess crew will be given two months’ paid leave once the coronavirus crisis onboard the ship is over.
All the 1,000-plus staff onboard have received a letter from Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz thanking them for their hard work.
"We are deeply grateful and incredibly proud of all of you," she wrote, adding that the cruise line had decided that the best way to support them was to offer two months paid time off. "You deserve and will need a break," she said.
Swartz said staff will receive their salary and any average gratuities they may normally receive during their leave.
Crew who choose not to take the full leave will still receive the extra pay, she said.
Also, the cruise line will clear all ‘reasonable’ charges to their onboard accounts for the current, ill-fated voyage.
"We will also handle your flights to return home and your job will be protected to return for another contract," she added.
It is understood that at least 15 crew members, including one officer, are among the 218 people to have contracted coronavirus onboard.
