A cruise that goes wrong: eight passengers, Americans and Australians, found themselves alone in Sao Tome and Principe, without money and without belongings. Their boat, the “Norwegian Dawn” did not wait for them.
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The first chapter of this series takes us to Sao Tome and Principe, a tiny archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea where the Norwegian Dawn docks on March 27, for a stopover. The ship still has two weeks of travel before reaching Barcelona, its port of arrival.
After the hour, it’s no longer time
That day, eight passengers took a small private excursion to discover the island, famous for its heavenly beaches, its tropical forest and its volcanic rock. But the circuit is falling behind schedule. Lots of delays… When the group finally reaches the dock, the ship has started to set sail: the captain refuses to let them board. They go out of their way, alert the port captain who tries to contact the boat, without success, then the company’s emergency service – who asks them to send an email…
A few minutes later the massive silhouette of the cruise ship moves away, eight people remain stranded. Six Americans and two Australians including octogenarians, a paraplegic in a wheelchair, a man suffering from heart problems and a pregnant woman.
No money, no clothes, no medicine
Of the eight, only one American couple has a Visa card with them that allows them to pay internationally. All of them obviously have nothing other than the clothes they are wearing and their medicines have remained on board. But – relief – their passports are returned to them. It’s the protocol. When they did not arrive, the company handed over their identity documents to local authorities.
Chapter two: chasing a boat. Passengers take a ferry, sleep at a hotel then rent a minibus to reach Gambia where their boat must stop a few days later. This time they arrive on time but no luck… The weather conditions are not favorable, the ship cannot dock.
Seven days of racing to find their boat
It was finally in Dakar that they found him seven days later, after crossing six countries, experiencing a few adventures and spending $5,000 on the credit card of Jill and Jay, a South Carolina couple who take things with great care. philosophy. Accustomed to cruises, this is their third trip since the start of the year with the Norwegian Cruise Line. They recount their adventures on American television channels which delight in this unusual Beijing-Express-style soap opera.
Chapter three, the Norwegian company, which describes the situation as “very regrettable”, finally agrees to reimburse the costs incurred by the passengers. But there is no question of paying them any compensation. She reminds that it is their responsibility to be back on board at least one hour before the scheduled departure time, there are no exceptions. End of the story next Wednesday in Barcelona… Not sure if they have yet recovered from their emotions.