A group of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were left stranded after returning late to a ship in Africa.
Eight passengers missed their last bid to return to Norwegian Dawn while the ship was visiting the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the line said. They were on an unorganized tour through Norwegian.
Two guests, Jay Campbell and Jill Campbell, told ABC15 News in South Carolina that the tour was longer than expected. When they returned, the ship was still in port and despite repeated attempts to contact Norwegian, the captain refused to let them board. At one point, the island nation's coast guard took them to the ship in a boat, but they said they were told to return to shore.
“The captain could have easily made the decision to turn one of the tenders back, pick us up, safely load us, and then leave,” Jay Campbell told the magazine.
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“If a guest did not return to the ship after the full boarding time, following normal procedures, passports were delivered to local port personnel and collected upon return to port,” a Norwegian spokesperson said in an emailed statement. mentioned in. . “Our team has been working closely with local authorities to understand the requirements and required visas for guests to re-board the ship at the next available port of call.”
Since then, passengers have been racing to catch up with Cruise. Here's what to do if you're stuck at a stop and how to minimize your chances of being stranded.
What happens if I can't get back to the cruise in time?
Cruise lines are warning guests that if they do not return to the ship by the allotted boarding time, they may be stranded.
“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring that they return to the ship at the published time, which is widely communicated over the ship's intercom and in daily print, and that guests leave the ship at the It will be posted at the last minute,” a Norwegian spokesperson said. He said.
Joanna Kusar, a New York City-based travel agent and owner of Portside Travel Consultants, said cruise ships operate on tight schedules while in port. “So if you have to leave at a certain time, you have to leave at that time,” she said. “There may be another (ship) in port. There may not be people there to work on the pier.”
The Campbells told ABC 15 News they arrived in Gambia after a 15-hour journey through six countries, and the ship was scheduled to dock on Monday. However, the ship was unable to dock due to low tide. Norwegian said it made the change “due to inclement weather and tidal restrictions that require specific timing for safe navigation.”
“While we share our guests' disappointment, this change was made with the safety of our guests and crew as our top priority,” the spokesperson added.
The cruise line allowed them to rejoin the ship in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday.
Kusar recommended that guests who miss their boarding time contact their cruise line to let them know and, if they have a travel agent, help make arrangements. She said the nearest U.S. embassy may also be able to help.
Will travelers be responsible for any additional costs?
Kusar said travelers who fail to board the ship in time are usually responsible for transportation to the next port of call.
Travel insurance is also not very helpful in this case.
“Travel Delay Coverage/Missed Connection Coverage is typically due to general airline delays that prevent you from making your cruise/tour departure, such as airline delays or cancellations due to covered reasons,” said InsureMyTrip Product Director, Megan Walch said. I said in an email. “Tour operators who are unable to return to the cruise in time are typically not covered by insurance.”
A Norwegian spokesperson said the cruise line would reimburse eight passengers for their journey from Banjul, Gambia, to Dakar, but Kusar stressed that such compensation was “definitely an exception.”
How to avoid getting stuck
Kusar said when choosing shore excursions, it is safest to book through the cruise line or with another provider who guarantees passengers will be returned to the ship on time or to the next port. Ta. Travel agents can help guests find these options or inquire about policies directly with the travel agent at the time of booking.
In case something goes wrong, travelers should bring a credit or debit card to cover any costs that may occur. While Kuther generally recommends bringing an ID with you “because you don't want to carry your passport around,” it's a different story when travelers go on private trips without such guarantees.
“You'll probably need your passport to board the plane to the next port, so it's probably a good idea to have it with you, especially if you're in a different country,” she says.
At a minimum, travelers are advised to have a photo of their passport on hand and share a copy with someone they can contact upon their return.
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She also recommended making sure your phone or watch is set to shipping time and not destination time. Destination time may vary (total ride time will be shipping time). “So many people confuse it with that,” Kusar said.
For safety, she says, if guests are exploring on their own or on a self-booked tour, they should return to the ship an hour early in case they run into traffic or face other issues. I proposed.
“It's one of those things where it's not a problem until it's a problem,” Kusar said. She urged travelers not to expect a ship to be waiting for them. “I would never tell someone, 'Don't worry,' although I'm sure they would do it if they could.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Please contact us at ndiller@usatoday.com.
