8 Passengers Abandoned By Cruise Ship On A Remote African Island

In a shocking incident, eight cruise ship passengers, including a pregnant woman, a paraplegic, and an older man with heart disease, were stranded on the island of São Tomé off Gabon’s coast, Africa, when their Norwegian Cruise Line vessel departed without them.

According to reports from the New York Post and CNN affiliate WPDE, the group was left behind when the captain allegedly refused to let the passengers reboard the ship.

The incident occurred on March 27 when the passengers, who were late returning to the ship, missed the last tender back to the ship.

According to Norwegian Cruise Line, it was the passengers’ responsibility to ensure they boarded the ship at 3 p.m. local time.

The captain allegedly refused to let the stranded passengers return to the ship, depriving them of their belongings, money, and essential medications despite their repeated attempts to explain the situation and request help from the island’s Coast Guard to board a vessel to get back to the ship.

Among the stranded travellers, a South Carolina couple, Jill and Jay Campbell, spoke with different media sites about their terrible situation. They said that the reason for their delay was a problem with their island trip.

The tour operator attempted to notify the ship’s captain of their delayed arrival, but they were not allowed to board again. The Campbells and the other passengers needed access to their cabin possessions, including essential travel documents.

In response to inquiries, Norwegian Cruise Line reaffirmed its policy requiring passengers to cover their transportation expenses to board the ship again at the next available port of call.

According to the company, it has been closely collaborating with the local authorities to understand the prerequisites for the passengers to rejoin the ship at the next port of call.

The passengers were stuck when the cruise ship could not dock because of low tide. They had intended to travel to Gambia, West Africa, to meet the ship at the port.

The group encountered logistical difficulties, such as a broken ferry, while travelling across many nations to return to their cruise ship.

Despite the obstacles, they were still committed to getting to Senegal, where the ship was supposed to arrive on Tuesday.

Jay Campbell described their plans to use vans and small boats, among other modes of transportation, to cross the ferry and go to Senegal in four hours. He also highlighted the difficulties they experienced, mainly because one of their passengers was paralyzed.

The stranded passengers express their challenges and the urgency of their situation as they continue to find ways to return to their cruise ship.

Reference: NDTV

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Source: Maritime Shipping News