About 2,600 guests and 1,000 crew members onboard Diamond Princess have been held in Yokohama since last week after the vessel was caught up in the coronavirus outbreak.
The number of people onboard who have been infected with the virus, which has killed more than 1,300 people in China, has now climbed to 218.
They were due to be confined to their cabins until the quarantine period ends on 19 February, with limited outdoor time under strict supervision but with new TV, on-demand and other entertainment services available.
However, Japanese authorities will now allow guests to disembark and complete their quarantine at a land facility with individual rooms, individual bathrooms and a wider selection of meals.
The most medically vulnerable, such as older people with pre-existing conditions, will be in the first transportation wave.
“Princess Cruises confirmed that all guests on Diamond Princess remain welcome to stay onboard through to the end of the quarantine period,” said a spokesperson from the cruise line.
