A retired couple have been left stranded on a cruise ship - and are desperate to get home to the island.

Wes and Kathy Taylor, both 69, from Onchan, fear the Manx government’s travel ban will leave them homeless even if and when they manage to get repatriated to the UK.

’We have been desperately trying to get home every which way but have been thwarted at every opportunity,’ Wes told iomtoday.

Their ship, the Coral Princess, has not been allowed into various ports to enable them to fly home.

The couple, who are retired from banking, are currently heading for Fort Lauderdale in Florida and due to arrive on April 5.

They and the other 370-plus British nationals on board have now been told they will be repatriated over two days once they get to Fort Lauderdale.

But even when they get back to the UK, they won’t be able to get home after the Manx government announced a ban on all passenger arrivals to the island.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle told a press briefing last week: ’We have already indicated this was imminent and we hope all those planning to come home to the island will have done so.’

Wes and Kathy Taylor were horrified to hear that news.

They boarded the cruise ship in Santiago on March 5 and sailed round the Cape Horn and down to the Falklands, stopping in various ports on the way.

Wes said: ’At the start of our holiday, the Covid-19 outbreak had just started to become more widely talked about.

’So after lengthy chats with family and friends we were encouraged to go ahead with our long time planned holiday - obviously not having any idea of the scale, seriousness and escalation this disease would cause.’

Having visited the Falklands, they were informed that Princess Cruises would be halting all cruises and passengers would be disembarked at the nearest port which was to be Buenos Aires.

Following health checks of all passengers, lengthy emails and telephone calls to the travel agent, they spent two days in port waiting to be taken to the airport - only for the Argentine authorities to give the ship 1.5 hours to leave the port.

Those who managed to make the airport but hadn’t got on their plane were returned to the ship.

They sailed on to Rio de Janeiro where they were told they could disembark on proof of onward flights. But after waiting two hours in the port this didn’t happen and the ship’s captain had no choice but to set sail again for Fort Lauderdale.

Wes told iomtodsy: ’Princess Cruises have advised us that all passengers will be repatriated once we get to Fort Lauderdale.

’This is a humanitarian issue with us and progressing to mental health issues very quickly due to the stress and strain. However, when we do arrive at a UK airport we will be left homeless as hotels are no longer taking guests. We are both 69 with underlying health problems. We don’t have friends or family in the UK that can take us in.

’If we can’t return to the Isle of Man, then we will become refugees in the UK and will be unable to leave the airport.’

He said Princess Cruises and its crew have been wonderful in looking after them. The couple have been in communication with the Chief Minister’s office.

But the Chief Minister’s private secretary emailed back to inform them they won’t be given permission to return while the travel ban is in place.

He said: ’Our advice would be to remain in the UK.

’We appreciate how difficult this will be for you, and we do sincerely apologise for the distress this may cause. The decision to close the border will be kept under review.’

The Chief Minister told Tynwald this week that there are 88 Manx residents are overseas, with 17 being in the British Isles, and the Cabinet Office is in contact with the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

He told a press briefing last week: ’We are acutely aware that due to lockdowns around the world, some Manx residents even with their best endeavours have not been able to return in time for the border closures.

’We realise the position this has placed some people in. We will continue to provide advice and support to them as best we can.’

Asked again about the issue at a press briefing on Friday, he said: ’At some stage we will do our utmost to get them back to the island.’

Two other Manx residents are stranded in Goa, India.

Alan Bell and Mike Dean are in lockdown in Palolem beach and concerned about a shortage of food, with the situation becoming volatile.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced yesterday that rescue flights would be chartered to bring home stranded Britons.