Race Against Time: Stranded Cruise Passengers in Africa Rush to Reunite with Their Ship
In São Tomé and Príncipe, eight cruise passengers find themselves left behind and now face a frantic race to catch up with their Norwegian Cruise Line ship on its journey along Africa's coastline. The clock is ticking as they strive to rejoin their fellow travelers on board.
Eight cruise passengers were left behind in São Tomé and Príncipe, an African island nation. They have been trying hard for days to catch up with their Norwegian Cruise Line ship as it travels up the western coast of Africa. According to a statement from Norwegian Cruise Line, the passengers were late getting back to the ship on March 27.
Eight guests who were on the island either alone or with a private tour missed the last tender back to the vessel, resulting in them not meeting the all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time, as mentioned in the statement.
The statement also emphasized that although this was an unfortunate situation, guests have the responsibility to make sure they return to the ship at the scheduled time. This information is widely communicated through the ship's intercom, daily announcements, and is also posted before disembarking the vessel.
Norwegian Cruise Line has informed that passengers' passports were given to local port agents for collection by the guests. The cruise line also mentioned that guests are responsible for covering the expenses to reach the next available port of call to meet the ship. Additionally, the cruise line stated that they are actively collaborating with local authorities and keeping the stranded passengers informed.
Jill and Jay Campbell, a couple from South Carolina who are currently stranded, shared their experience with CNN affiliate WPDE. According to the Campbells, a group of eight stranded passengers went through a journey spanning 15 hours and six countries in an attempt to reunite with their ship in Gambia on Sunday.
The ship was unable to dock due to low tides, so it had to spend an extra day at sea. The Campbells mentioned to WPDE that their next destination would be Senegal, where the ship is expected to arrive on Tuesday.
According to the Campbells, some members of the group are elderly, one is a paraplegic, and a woman is pregnant. They also shared that one member has been sick because he ran out of his heart medication five days ago.
CNN has contacted Norwegian Cruise Line for additional details but did not immediately receive a response.
A missed all-aboard time
The group's hurried rush began on March 27 after a tour on São Tomé and Príncipe went longer than expected.
Jay Campbell shared, "We realized our time was running out, but the tour organizers reassured us, saying they could bring us back within an hour." Campbell explained to WPDE that the tour operator informed the captain about the delay, but despite the ship still being in port upon their return, the captain refused to let them board.
Campbell shared with WPDE that the harbor master attempted to contact the ship, but the captain declined to respond. NCL was contacted through emails and their customer service emergency number, only to be informed that the ship could only be reached through email communication as they were not responding to other forms of contact.
The Campbells expressed to WPDE that they were stranded without their necessary medications. Additionally, most passengers did not have credit cards that were usable in São Tomé and Príncipe, leading the Campbells to use their Visa card to cover the expenses for accommodations and essential items for the group.
The Campbells shared that another passenger from a separate tour had a medical emergency while in São Tomé, which led to her being hospitalized and stranded. Fortunately, the Campbells were able to contact the passenger's daughter in California to assist in arranging her return to North America.
The couple embarked on their journey aboard the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship on March 20. According to the website CruiseMapper.com, the ship is currently on its way to Dakar, Senegal as of Monday.
CNN’s Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.
Editor's P/S:
The situation faced by these eight cruise passengers is both unfortunate and frustrating. While it is understandable that the passengers may have been delayed by their tour and that the captain has a responsibility to sail on schedule, it is also concerning that the captain was unwilling to accommodate the passengers' situation, especially considering that some of them had medical conditions. The cruise line's response to the situation also seems inadequate, as they have not responded to CNN's request for comment and have not provided much support to the stranded passengers.
The incident highlights the importance of passengers being aware of their departure time and making sure to return to the ship on time. However, it also raises questions about the cruise line's responsibility to its passengers and whether they could have done more to prevent this situation or to assist the passengers once they were stranded. Hopefully, the passengers will be able to reunite with their ship soon and that the cruise line will take steps to improve its procedures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. come across as insensitive given the circumstances. The incident underscores the need for cruise lines to have clear protocols and contingency plans in place for situations like this, particularly when passengers experience unforeseen delays.
