Reporter Claire Fahy writes in the New York Times about passengers from Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America that were out on an excursion to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (on the island of Hawaii) when the emergency alerts for the tsunami from the earthquake began.
The bus driver turned around to take them back to the ship, but it was too late. They were still 20 minutes away when the ship departed for open waters. (During a tsunami, it is safer for ships to be at sea than in port. In port the vessel might get washed ashore with disastrous consequences).
The passengers left behind ended up sleeping on the gym floor of a local high school, or in their tour buses.
Authorities in Hawaii canceled the tsunami advisory and issued an all-clear on Wednesday morning local time. The Pride of America did return to Hilo, Hawaii, to pick up the passengers who were left behind.
