A group of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers was left behind after returning late to their ship in Africa.
Eight guests missed the last tender back to Norwegian Dawn while the ship was visiting the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the line. They were on a tour not organized through Norwegian.
Two guests, Jay and Jill Campbell, told South Carolina’s ABC 15 News their tour went longer than expected. When they returned, the ship was still in port, and the captain declined to let them board despite numerous attempts to reach Norwegian. At one point, they said, the island nation’s coast guard took them to the ship on a boat but told them to return to shore.
“The captain could have made an easy decision to turn one of the tender boats back, pick us up, safely load us, and then go on the way,” Jay Campbell told the outlet.
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“When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port, as per the regular protocol,” the Norwegian spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed for the guests to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call.”
Since then, the passengers have been scrambling to catch up to the cruise. Here’s what to do if you get stranded during a stop and how to minimize the chance of being left behind:
What happens if I don’t get back to my cruise in time?
Cruise lines warn guests they may get stuck if they don’t return to the ship by the stated all-aboard time.
“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily print communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,” the Norwegian spokesperson said.
Cruise ships are on tight schedules while in port, said Joanna Kuther, a New York City-based travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants. “So if they have to leave at a certain time, they have to leave at that time,” she said. “It could be that there’s another (ship) coming in. It could be (that) people aren’t going to be there to be working on the pier.”
The Campbells told ABC 15 News that they traveled through six countries for 15 hours to reach Gambia, where the ship was due to stop on Monday. However, the vessel was unable to dock due to low tides. Norwegian said it made the change “due to adverse weather conditions, as well as tidal restrictions that require specific timing for safe passage.”
“While we share in our guests’ disappointment, this modification was made with great consideration for their safety and that of our crew, which is our top priority,” the spokesperson added.
The cruise line authorized them to rejoin the ship in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday.
Kuther recommended guests who miss their all-aboard time contact the cruise line to let them know and reach out to their travel agent – if they have one – who can help handle the logistics. She said the nearest U.S. embassy may also be able to assist them.
Are travelers responsible for added expenses?
Travelers who do not board their ship in time are generally responsible for getting themselves to the next port of call, according to Kuther.
Travel insurance won’t be much good in that scenario, either.
“Typically travel delay coverage/missed connection coverage is due to a delay of a common carrier such as an airline delay or cancellation for a covered reason which causes you to miss your cruise/tour departure,” Meghan Walch, director of product at InsureMyTrip, said in an email. “An excursion supplier not getting you back to your cruise in time is typically not covered.”
The Norwegian spokesperson said the cruise line is reimbursing the eight guests for their travel expenses from Banjul, Gambia, to Dakar, but Kuther stressed that kind of compensation is “definitely the exception to the rule.”
How to avoid getting stranded
When choosing a shore excursion, Kuther said it’s safest to book through the cruise line or with another vendor that guarantees to get passengers back to the ship on time or to the next port. Travel agents can help guests find those options, or they can ask operators about their policies directly when booking.
Just in case something does go wrong, travelers should bring a credit card or debit card so they have a way to cover any costs they might incur. Kuther typically recommends bringing an ID “because you don’t want to be carrying around your passport,” but if travelers are going on a private excursion without that kind of guarantee, it’s a different story.
“You probably should have your passport with you because you’re going to need it to get on a flight to get to the next port, especially if it’s in a different country,” she said.
At the very least, it’s a good idea for travelers to have a photo of their passport on hand, and share a copy with someone back home who is easily reachable.
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She also recommended they make sure their phone or watch is set to ship time rather than the time of the destination, which may be different (the all-aboard time will be on ship time). “So many people get confused with that,” Kuther said.
To be safe, she suggested guests get back to the ship an hour early if they’re exploring on their own or on a self-booked excursion in case they hit traffic or face other issues.
“It’s one of those things like, it’s not a problem until it’s a problem,” Kuther said. She urged travelers not to expect the ship to wait. “If they can, I’m sure they will, but I would never tell someone, ‘Don’t worry about it.’”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com
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