Eight passengers on a cruise ship have been marooned on an island, including a pregnant woman. Now, they have to catch up with the ship

Eight cruise ship passengers who were marooned on one of the islands of the African state of São Tomé and Príncipe after returning to the ship too late have been struggling for days to catch up with the Norwegian Dawn as it moves along the west coast of the African continent, writes CNN. Among the passengers are several elderly people, a paraplegic person and a pregnant woman.

The eight passengers arrived late back to the ship on March 27 after walking around the island on their own or taking a private tour, and missed the last boat that could take them back to the ship, Norwegian said in a statement. Cruise Line (NCL).

“While this is a very unfortunate situation, visitors are responsible for ensuring that they return to the ship at the appointed time, which is communicated to everyone via the ship’s intercom, in daily communications and posted just prior to disembarking,” the company said. .

NCL said the passports of the passengers have been handed over to the port authorities for collection by the passengers, who are responsible for the cost they have to pay to reach the next port where the vessel docks.

A group of eight passengers spent 15 hours traveling through six countries in Africa to try to catch up with the vessel in Gambia, according to an American couple from South Carolina, Jill and Jay Campbell, who are part of the group.

The vessel was unable to approach the shore, however, due to the low water level and spent another day at sea. The group is now trying to reach Senegal, the cruise ship’s next scheduled stop.

The Campbells said one of the passengers had been without heart medication for five days and had become ill.

Jay Campbell explained that the organizers of the tour they took on the island assured them that they would get back on the ship. The tour operator notified the ship’s captain that the passengers were on their way but would be delayed.

Although the ship was still in port when they returned, the captain would not let them back on board. Port authorities tried to contact the captain, but he rejected the call.

The only way for passengers to contact the ship’s crew is by email, but they have not responded, according to Campbell.

Because they did not have credit cards accepted in São Tomé and Príncipe, passengers spent thousands of dollars on their Visa cards for accommodation and other essentials.

One of the passengers had a medical emergency and remained hospitalized in an island hospital. Her daughter in California is now trying to help her mother return to America.

The website CruiseMapper.com reports that the cruise ship Norwegian Dawn arrived in the port of Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday.

Editor: Raul Nețoiu

Download the Digi24 app and find out the most important news of the day