Harsh reason why Australians were left stranded in Africa after cruise ship left without them

A cruise ship company has blamed eight tourists – including two Australians – for getting left stranded on an island off the west coast of Africa because they were running late. 

The group, which includes a pregnant woman, a paraplegic and a person with a heart condition, were abandoned by the Norwegian Dawn ship on the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe after returning late from private day tour.

The passengers’ passports were left with local officials and the group had no bank cards, money, medication or personal items because all were on the ship.

The ship is now more than 3,000km away off the coast between Gambia and Senegal, according to a vessel tracking website. 

Making matters worse, the passengers spent 15 hours travelling to Gambia on Sunday to find the cruise liner was unable to dock because of an exceptionally low tide.

Instead, the group will attempt to meet the ship further north in Senegal where they hope the captain will grant them permission to re-board. 

In a statement last night, US-based Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) said it was a ‘very unfortunate incident’ but that the guests had failed to meet the ‘all aboard’ time of 3pm on March 27. 

‘Guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,’ NCL said. 

‘When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port.’

Couple on-board speak out 

Jill and Jay Campbell from South Carolina, US, boarded the Norwegian Dawn in Cape Town to begin their cruise around the continent. 

They went on a private tour of São Tome last Wednesday. The Campbells, who were with the Australian couple, said the tour operator notified the captain that they were going to be late re-joining the group.

When the São Tome coast guard ferried the tour group back to the port, the ship was still anchored – but the captain had ordered them to be taken back to the island.

The tour group were ultimately stranded in the main port of São Tome and forced to watch as the ship sailed off with the rest of the abandoned passengers. 

‘The Harbor Master tried to call the ship, the captain refused the call,’ Mr Campbell told WRAL.

‘We sent emails to Norwegian Cruise Line, the NCL customer service emergency number, and they said, well, the only way for us to get in touch with the ship is to send them e-mails, and they’re not responding to our emails.’

Among the castaways is an 80-year-old woman who suffered a concussion and lost part of her vision following a different cruise line tour.

The elderly woman has flown to Lisbon to get a connecting flight to the US after the Campbells put an air tag on her and notified her family.  

The Campbells, who are now more than 9,500km away from home, said the woman was left at a local hospital without any money or belongings, and her emergency contact was never notified by the cruise line.

‘I truly believe sometimes we’re put in certain places for a reason, and I believe we were put in this place for the 80-year-old woman that was left alone,’ Mr Campbell said. ‘God forbid what would have happened to that lady if we were not here.’ 

The South Carolina couple have shelled out more than $7,500 to supply the group with food, toiletries and hotel rooms, as they are the only ones with a debit card.

At the time they were stranded, they were just over a week into a 21-night cruise continuing onward to Barcelona.

Throughout the troubling ordeal, Mr Campbell says his wife has been a ‘saint.’ 

‘I don’t know where the whole group would be without her strength, guidance and compassion for others,’ he said. ‘I’m honoured and blessed that I have the smartest woman in the world next to me.’

With assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Angola, the group travelled 3,000km to Gambia on Sunday but the ship was unable to dock due to a low tide. 

They will now travel to Senegal, the next African nation north, which requires the group hiring a van and crossing a body of water on a ferry. 

Despite numerous attempts to reach the cruise line, the stranded travellers say they have received no response.

A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line disputed this, saying it was ‘in communication with guests’ and providing them with ‘additional information’.

‘On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, while the ship was in Sao Tome and Principe, an African island nation, eight guests who were on the island on their own or with a private tour missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3pm local time,’ NCL said in a statement. 

‘While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.

Norwegian explained that guests are responsible for any necessary travel costs to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. 

‘When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port,’ the statement continued.

‘Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed if the guests were to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call.

‘We are in communication with the guests and providing additional information as it becomes available.’ 

DailyMail.com has reached out to the cruise firm for comment, along with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.