Imagine being docked at an exotic island and your cruise ship sailing away without you. This is what happened to eight passengers from the US and Australia on the cruise ship Norwegian Dawn.
Jill and Jay Campbell from South Carolina were among this unfortunate group. On March 27, he and seven other travelers went on a private excursion to an island in the central African island state of Sao Tome.
After their shore excursion, the group had a nightmare: a breakdown delayed their return to port so much that they arrived just after the last call to all passengers.
“We still saw the ship,” Jay Campbell recalled in an interview with US television station WRAL. But the captain refused to send another tender boat.
Among the stranded are four pensioners, including a paraplegic and a heart patient. Another American woman is pregnant. All attempts to contact the ship have so far failed.
Fortunately, Jill and Jay Campbell had a credit card with them. This allowed $5,000 to be spent on hotel rooms and basic necessities. With the help of the US Embassy in Angola, the team organized a trip to The Gambia by plane and cars.
After 15 hours, the next setback occurred: due to low water levels, the ship could not dock in the Gambia. The team then took a van and a boat to Senegal to try again.
This time with success: American media now reports that all passengers were able to board the “Norway Dawn” again. The Campbells' tour began in South Africa on March 19. After 21 days “Norway Dawn” should reach the port of Barcelona.
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