FREDERICTON -- Two Maritimers who were among the hundreds quarantined on a cruise ship in Japan because of COVID-19 are back home in New Brunswick.
Patricia and David Strang landed in Fredericton on Friday afternoon and say they feel physically fine, but are emotional about their ordeal.
"So relieved to be home," said Patricia. "It was a little much; it's really hard on the head to be in quarantine for 30 days."
The couple left their Fredericton home on Jan. 14 headed to Japan, ready for an adventure.
They stepped onto the Diamond Princess cruise ship on Jan. 20 -- not knowing it would be their home for an entire month after COVID-19 spread through the ship.
The adventure turned into waiting out the quarantine, confined to their rooms, and ordered to stay as far away as possible from other people.
"I was worried most of the time because I was scared to death that I might get the virus and it really, really kept me uptight most of the time that I was on there," said Patricia. "You know, I mean we tried to enjoy the few things that we could when we were in our room, because we had a balcony, thank heavens."
David Strang says watching the situation around them was a little unsettling.
"You'd look out and see 40 ambulances parked on the dock, you know, they were shuffling people off left right and centre," he said.
Of the 3,700 passengers and crew members on board the Diamond Princess, more than 700 became infected with COVID-19.
The Strangs tested negative for the virus and were allowed to leave on Feb. 20.
But once on Canadian soil, they had to stay in Cornwall, Ont., for 14 days.
The first thing they planned to do now that they're back was get groceries.
And then, they're just going to relax, and maybe enjoy the freedom of being able to go for a walk further than their cabin.
They've enjoyed 35 years of marriage together and say they're used to it just being the two of them.
"It was an experienced I'd never want to have again," Patricia said.
