The eight cruise passengers who were stranded on an African island after their ship left the port without them will be reimbursed for some of the costs they endured while trying to make it back onto the ship, the cruise line said.
Jill and Jay Campbell, of South Carolina, along with four other Americans and two Australians, had to race through seven different countries in 48 hours to reboard the Norwegian Dawn in Senegal on Tuesday.
They had earlier hoped to board the ship at the port in Gambia in West Africa, traveling 15 hours through six countries to reach the port on Sunday, only to find that the ship could not dock due to low tides, according to WPDE.
From there, the group boarded a bus and had to take a ferry across a river, Kurt Gies, the son-in-law of another passenger who was left on the island of São Tomé and Principe after she suffered a stroke, told The Post.
A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line says the passengers will be reimbursed for the costs they endured while trying to race from Gambia to Senegal.
“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,” the cruise line said.
The group finally reboarded the Norwegian Dawn Tuesday morning, but they hadn’t spoken directly with cruise officials, Gies said.
The Dawn is now expected to continue its 21-day African voyage through next Wednesday, when it will dock for the final time in Barcelona, Spain.
The cruise line announced that it would reimburse some of the expenses incurred by the eight cruise passengers who were left behind when their ship sailed without them, leaving them stranded on an African island.
Jill and Jay Campbell of South Carolina, two Australians, and four other Americans had to rush through seven nations in a day to get back on the Norwegian Dawn in Senegal on Tuesday.
The ship could not dock because of low tide, as WPDE reports. They had earlier planned to board the ship at the port in Gambia, West Africa, after traveling for 15 hours through six countries to get to the port on Sunday.
Kurt Gies, a passenger who was left on the island of São Tomé and Principe after her stroke, told The Post that the group had to take a ferry across a river before boarding a bus.
According to a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesman, the travelers will receive compensation for the expenses they incurred while attempting to race from the Gambia to Senegal.
“We will be compensating these eight guests for their airfare from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal, despite the sequence of regrettable incidents beyond our control,” the cruise line stated.
Prior to being abandoned on the island without any of their possessions from the cabin, including cash, medication, and essential travel documents, it had stated that the passengers were “responsible for any necessary travel arrangements to rejoin the ship.”. “.
The Campbells had to spend over $5,000 on food, toiletries, and lodging while they frantically tried to find a way back to the ship while collaborating with the US Embassy in Angola. They told WRAL that they were the only members of the group with a Visa credit card on them.
Although they had not had direct communication with cruise officials, the group eventually boarded the Norwegian Dawn again on Tuesday morning, according to Gies.
It is now anticipated that the Dawn will continue its 21-day journey across Africa through Wednesday of next week, when it will dock in Barcelona, Spain, for the last time.
