When ships were still sailing, the 38-year-old worked in the retail department selling high-end watches for Coral Gables-based vendor Heinemann Americas aboard Carnival Corp.’s Sky Princess, which dropped off its last passengers in Fort Lauderdale on March 14. At first, the company sent home colleagues whose contracts had already expired. But Sungaralingum, whose contract didn’t expire until June, remained on board rather than return to his home in Mauritius.

On March 25, crew were moved from their regular quarters to individual passenger cabins. Sungaralingum said he received his last paycheck on April 12. On April 25, he was transferred to the Island Princess ship at Great Isaac Cay in the Bahamas. In the interim, at least one fellow crew member tested positive for COVID-19, according to a captain’s announcement obtained by the Herald.

Under gray skies persons walk the upper deck of the Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas, a Sovereign-class 880 ft cruise ship docked at the Port of Miami on Thursday, May 14, 2020. Carl Juste cjuste@miamiherald.com

On May 1, the ship left the Bahamas for a global repatriation journey with 1,402 on board. The voyage will end in the Philippines in June.

Sungaralingum heard from colleagues aboard other ships that Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, was not allowing citizens to return home. The country has more than 300 cases of COVID-19, and 10 deaths. But Sungaralingum was hopeful that by the time the ship reached that part of the world in late May, his country would allow him and eight other Mauritians on the ship to disembark.

On May 6, Island Princess anchored offshore Fortaleza, Brazil, for refueling. Later that day, the long cross-Atlantic journey began.