Eight passengers were stranded on the African island of São Tomé and Príncipe after missing the all aboard time for their cruise ship, the Norwegian Dawn, which was traveling from South Africa to Spain. The tourists, primarily from the U.S. and Australia, were left behind by the ship and faced struggles with language, currency, and travel arrangements to catch back up with the vessel. The local Coast Guard tried to help the group board the ship, but they were ultimately left stranded on the island for days. The couple, Jay and Jill Campbell, discussed the challenges of navigating through multiple countries in order to rejoin the ship in Senegal after missing the initial attempt in Gambia.
The incident was described as a “very unfortunate situation” by a Norwegian spokesperson, who stated that guests are responsible for returning to the ship on time. After failing to reboard, the passengers’ passports were delivered to local port agents as per protocol, and the cruise line was working with local authorities to facilitate the guests rejoining the ship at the next port of call. Despite making arrangements to rejoin the ship in Banjul and then Dakar, the guests expressed reservations about returning to the cruise given the difficulties they faced and the perceived lack of care from the cruise line.
The group of stranded passengers included an 80-year-old woman, Julia Lenkoff, who had been left on the island due to medical reasons. She was “medically disembarked” to seek treatment and was separated from the other passengers on a day tour. Lenkoff’s daughter expressed gratitude for the efforts of the Campbells in helping her mother contact family in California, who arranged for her return home. Norwegian was in communication with the guests and planned to reimburse their travel costs, acknowledging the series of unfortunate events that transpired outside of their control.
The Campbells highlighted the lack of care and prioritization of hospitality and customer safety by the cruise line, suggesting that policies were followed too rigidly. They expressed concerns over whether they would choose to rejoin the cruise given the ordeals they had experienced. Despite the challenges faced, the Campbells managed to assist Lenkoff in reuniting with her family and ensuring her safe return home. Norwegian noted that they were providing additional support and information to the affected passengers as the situation unfolded.
After facing difficulties in multiple countries in trying to catch up with the cruise, the passengers were still unsure about reboarding the ship in Senegal. Norwegian stated that they would cover the travel costs of the guests from Banjul to Dakar as a gesture of goodwill. While trying to navigate the complex travel arrangements and challenges of rejoining the ship, the guests were supported by local authorities and individuals, indicating a level of cooperation and assistance in dealing with this unexpected situation. The passengers were optimistic about resolving their predicament and hopefully continuing with their dream cruise vacation.
