Norwegian Cruise Line has confirmed that eight passengers were left stranded on the small African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe after missing the boarding deadline of their cruise ship, the Norwegian Dawn. The passengers had to chase the ship to Dakar, Senegal in order to finally rejoin the cruise.
The passengers were supposed to re-embark in Gambia but due to adverse weather conditions and tidal restrictions, the ship could not safely dock. Despite efforts by the São Tomé and Príncipe Coast Guard to ferry the passengers to the ship in tender boats, they were unable to reboard and had to turn back to land.
The passengers traveled through seven countries in 48 hours to catch up with the ship after missing the boarding deadline. They considered not rejoining the cruise due to feeling that Norwegian Cruise Line had not fulfilled their duty of care. However, after six days of being stranded, including Jill Campbell and her husband, finally re-embarked in Senegal on Tuesday.
Norwegian Cruise Line confirmed that they helped facilitate visas for the passengers and would also reimburse them for their trip from Gambia to Senegal. It was a challenging and unexpected journey for them but they were able to overcome obstacles and reunite with their cruise ship.
