Norwegian Cruise ship’s stranded Africa passengers may not reboard

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship left a group of passengers behind when they were late back to the ship.

Travellers who made headlines after enduring a cruise ship nightmare have revealed a surprising twist; after racing across Africa to catch the ship, they may not reboard.

A group of eight cruise passengers were left behind on a West African island after they were late to board a Norwegian Cruise Line ship on March 27.

“Eight guests who were on the island on a private tour not organised through us missed the last tender [small boat] back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3pm local time,” read a statement from the cruise line.

Norwegian Dawn was at anchor and the coastguard took the passengers to the boat but they were not allowed to board.

The group gained global attention after racing across the country chasing the the ship as it continued its journey. They travelled 3500km by plane, ferry, and car to Senegal, arriving a night before the ship was due to arrive.

However, one American couple said they’re “considering” not reboarding.

Jill and Jay Campbell from South Carolina, were part of the group and said they’d spent thousands of dollars to help everyone get back to the ship.

Speaking on NBC, Jay Campbell said locals in Sao Tome were “very gracious, very hospitable”, and had helped them but it had still been a tough time.

A group of cruise ship passengers have been left stranded after they missed the all-aboard time during a stop off the coast of Africa.

Passengers Jay and Jill Campbell speak on TODAY about their efforts to get back on the ship. pic.twitter.com/0tn87yiEqD

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 2, 2024

“It’s a very, very difficult process. You’re dealing with multiple languages, different currencies, finding someone that will even take dollars,” he said.

NCL claims it will allow the passengers to reboard the ship but Jill Campbell said they aren’t sure they want to continue their trip.

“We are considering whether or not we are going to board the ship,” she said, adding that the cruise line had forgotten about the ‘basic duty of care’ for passengers.

“They really forgot that they are people working in the hospitality industry and that the safety and the wellbeing of their customers should be the first priority and that should be placed first,” she said.

NCL stated it was communicating with the guests and providing additional information as well as working with local authorities on a solution.

The Campbells were just seven days into their 21-day cruise when the incident occurred. If they decide to stay on shore, they’ll miss the Spain leg of the journey, as it heads to Barcelona, the final destination.

In a statement to the Herald this morning the cruise operator said all eight passengers had successfully reunited with the Dawn in Senegal, and were safely back onboard.

“Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal,” said a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson.

- with additional reporting