They were supposed to end their trip in Papeete, Tahiti and then fly home to 琉璃神社.

But they鈥檝e been stuck in MS Maasdam, which has docked in Honolulu, Hawaii since March 19.

Al Janusas and his wife Heidi Adhofer said the cruise started off on March 1 in Auckland, New Zealand. But as the COVID-19 outbreak worsened, the ship鈥檚 passengers were gradually told they were barred from nearly half of the ports they were scheduled to visit.

Janusas said on March 12, they were told the ship was going directly to Hilo, Hawaii instead of Tahiti. They were in the Cook Islands at the time, and some passengers with confirmed flights home were allowed to disembark and fly home.

But Janusas and Adhofer stayed in the ship.

鈥淭he only flights departing were routed through Auckland, which was 3,000 kilometres in the opposite direction required by Canadians,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he ship started steaming towards Hilo, Hawaii on March 13. All the remaining passengers eventually managed to change their travel arrangements. On Mar. 16, Holland America announced we were again changing our destination to go non-stop to Honolulu. All the travel arrangements were modified again.鈥�

And since then, they鈥檝e been docked at Honolulu, unable to get out of the ship. Janusas said no one on board is symptomatic or sick, but the ship鈥檚 staff have raised cleaning and hygiene levels on board.

He added the ship has been refuelled and replenished, but still they weren鈥檛 allowed to disembark, with a heavy policy presence on the ship jetty and the U.S. Coast Guard patrolling the harbour.

鈥淲e and other Canadians on board are trying to comply with our government鈥檚 directive to return home as soon as possible, but we鈥檙e being barred from leaving despite no infections n board,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here are passengers here from all across Canada, including many from B.C. and a few from the Okanagan鈥� our fate remains in limbo.鈥�

Janusas said they鈥檒l keep trying their best to get back to 琉璃神社, but he hopes the Canadian government can help them disembark and finally get home.

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