Q&A: How coronavirus is impacting cruises and passengers

The new coronavirus is wreaking havoc on cruises in Asia, where some passengers are stranded aboard ships and others can't leave China.

Japan's health ministry has confirmed 135 cases of the virus aboard Carnival Corp.'s Diamond Princess, which is docked in Yokohama, Japan. The ship's 3,700 passengers and crew are expected to remain under quarantine until at least Feb. 19.

Meanwhile, Holland America's Westerdam — which says it has no confirmed cases of the virus — is floating in the Gulf of Thailand with nowhere to dock. The ship's 2,257 passengers and crew had expected to disembark in Thailand on Thursday, but on Tuesday Thai authorities announced that the ship wasn't welcome. Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines have also refused to let the ship dock because it made a stop in Hong Kong less than two weeks ago.

Here are some questions and answers about the virus's impact on the cruise industry and passengers:

HOW MANY CRUISE SHIPS ARE IN ASIA RIGHT NOW?

The Cruise Lines International Association — which represents around 90% of global cruise capacity — says around 10 of its 272 member ships are currently in Asia. Only the Diamond Princess has confirmed cases of coronavirus, the association said. Six of the 10 ships have cancelled their itineraries for the time being, including Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas and MSC's Splendida.

HAVE ANY SHIPS BEEN ALLOWED TO LET PASSENGERS OFF?

Yes. On Sunday, Dream Cruises said passengers on its World Dream were cleared to disembark in Hong Kong after screenings found no positive tests for the virus. The ship had arrived in Hong Kong four days earlier. In Italy, more than 6,600 passengers and crew were allowed to disembark from Carnival's Costa Smeralda on Jan. 31 after a Chinese passenger was found to have the flu and...