Eight passengers of a Norwegian Cruise, including a pregnant woman and an elderly man with a heart condition, found themselves stranded on the island of São Tomé in Central Africa. Jill, Jay Campbell from South Carolina, and four other Americans and two Australians could not reboard their ship. However, the cruise line stated that these passengers missed the boarding time after being on an excursion.
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According to the New York Post, the Campbells shared that an issue occurred during their island tour, which led to their late return to the port. Despite assurances from their tour guide and an attempt to inform the ship’s captain of their delay, they were denied reentry onto the ship. The captain allegedly chose not to deploy a tender boat to fetch the group, even though the ship had no immediate port calls scheduled after their departure. Stranded without access to their cabin belongings, including essential medication, money, and travel documents, the group faced significant hardships. Fortunately, the Campbells had a Visa card and incurred over $5,000 in expenses to cover food, toiletries, and accommodation for everyone involved.
In efforts to rejoin the cruise, the stranded passengers planned to travel to Gambia, West Africa, aiming to meet the ship at its next port call. This endeavor required a 15-hour trip through six countries, which ultimately proved futile due to the ship’s inability to dock because of low tides. The group then set their sights on reaching Senegal, where the cruise was scheduled to dock next, despite facing logistical challenges, including unreliable ferry services and the need for additional transportation arrangements.
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“We have to cross the ferry to get into Senegal. We just learned from the gentleman that the ferry hadn’t been working, but he said, ‘No problem, if the ferry is not working, we will get another little boat and then pick up a car on the other side. And then once we get on the other side of Senegal, it’s another four hour drive,” Jay explained.
In a subsequent statement, Norwegian Cruise Lines mentioned that it had been in touch with the stranded guests and was coordinating with local authorities to facilitate their return to the ship. The company emphasized the passengers’ responsibility for any travel costs incurred in catching up with the cruise.