I leave Cape Town on March 20 for a three-week trip to Barcelona. Eight passengers, including a woman with four and a pregnant woman, disembarked on March 27 in Sao Tome and Principe. For local excursion, explained Guardian. As their private excursion ran past the allotted time, they hurriedly tried to get back to the ship. Despite the intervention of the local coast guard, it took them to the liner before it left. The captain refused to let them board.
Among the abandoned passengers were South Carolina couple Jill and Jay Campbell. “We have never had such an experience“, Jill Campbell told the channel ABC4 News. “The harbor master tried to call the ship, but the captain refused the call. We emailed their emergency customer service NCL and they said the only way to contact them is to email them.“.
A bumpy ride to reach the ship
According to them, Capt The departure of the ship may have been delayed by a few minutes Allow their boarding. Stranded at the docks, the unfortunate passengers lost their passports, money and other personal effects on board. The passports were then handed back to them by the port authorities. They had to show great resourcefulness to try to reach their ship.
The Campbells, fortunately, received visa cards. Funded the first expenses connected with their misadventure. They had to pay more than 5,000 dollars (about 4,600 euros) to catch the ship. At first, they hoped to be able to board the Norwegian Don again at the next stop, Banjul, Gambia. Unfortunately, unfavorable weather prevented the ship from docking.
They crossed six countries before reaching the boat
Finally in Dakar, Senegal, all eight passengers were able to re-board the Norwegian Dan. After crossing six countries along the shipping route. Jay Campbell told ABC 15 he considered carrying eight people, including a disabled woman, in the van. “We had to take a boat to Senegal and drive four hours“, he added.
Other travelers like Australians Doug and Violetta Saunders also shared their ordeals. “Being abandoned in a foreign country without knowing the language was the worst experience of our lives.Violetta Saunders said on the show Seven sunrise. “We had no cash and our credit cards were not accepted.”
Contract in favor of Captain
A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Lines described the situation as “Very regrettable“Remembering thatIt is the passenger's responsibility to get back on board one hour before the scheduled departure time.. The company also agreed to reimburse eight passengers for travel expenses incurred to board the ship in Dakar.
Anthony Cortado, a lawyer specializing in travel law in Sydney, points out The importance of passengers adhering to a strict cruise schedule. “The terms and conditions make timely return to the vessel an essential condition“Did he declare?”From the consumer's perspective, it's tough, but from the shipper's perspective, are you going to delay the ship by an hour or two because they took a while to get on board? Are you going to inconvenience 1,000 passengers for the happiness of four others?“.
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