A South Carolina couple was stranded on an island off the coast of Africa after their cruise line denied them re-entry to the ship.
Jill and Jay Campbell boarded the Norwegian Dawn in Cape Town, South Africa, to begin their cruise across the continent. Last Wednesday they embarked on a private tour of Sao Tome and Principe, a small island off West Africa.
According to the couple, the tour operator notified the captain that they would be late to rejoin the group.
When the São Tomé coast guard took the group back to port, the ship was still anchored, but the captain had ordered them to be taken back to the island.
The Campbells were eventually stranded in the coastal capital of Sao Tome with seven other passengers, five of whom are also Americans, and were forced to watch the ship set sail.
Jill and Jay Campbell were stranded on Sao Tome and Principe, an island off West Africa, after their cruise line sailed without them.
The Campbells (left) are among a group of nine passengers who were denied re-entry to the ship and were left behind.
The group is made up of seven Americans and two Australians, including four elderly passengers. One person has heart disease, another is a paraplegic and a Delaware woman is pregnant.
The group includes seven Americans and two Australians, four of whom are elderly. One passenger has heart disease, another is a paraplegic and a Delaware woman is pregnant.
“The harbor master tried to call the ship, but the captain rejected the call,” Jay Campbell said. WRAL.
“We sent emails to Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL’s customer service emergency number, and they said, well, the only way to contact the ship is to send them emails, and they don’t respond to our emails. ‘
Among the castaways was an 80-year-old woman who suffered a concussion and lost some of her vision after a tour on a different cruise line.
The couple, now 5,960 miles from home, said the woman was abandoned at a local hospital with no money or belongings, and that the cruise line never notified her emergency contact.
A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson explained that the group was denied re-entry after missing the 3 pm local time ‘all aboard’ hour.
A woman tries to board the boat but the officers stop her.
“I really believe that sometimes we are put in certain places for a reason, and I think we were put in this place because of the 80-year-old woman who was left alone,” Jay Campbell said. “God forbid what would have happened to that lady if we weren’t here.”
The South Carolina couple has shelled out more than $5,000 to supply the group with food, toiletries and hotel rooms since they are the only ones with a debit card.
By the time they were stranded, they had been on a 21-night cruise continuing toward Barcelona for just over a week.
Throughout this troubling experience, Jay Campbell says his wife has been a “saint.”
“I don’t know where the entire group would be without his strength, guidance and compassion for others,” she said. “I feel honored and blessed to have the smartest woman in the world by my side.”
With the help of the US Embassy in Angola, the group is expected to fly to Gambia on Sunday. However, they will only be able to rejoin the cruise if Norwegian approves their request.
“We are trying to get written permission from the cruise line to reboard,” Jill Campbell explained.
Despite numerous attempts to contact the cruise line, stranded travelers have received no response.
In a statement to media, a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said guests missed the latest return-to-ship offering on March 27 and did not adhere to the “all aboard” schedule of 3 p.m. local.
Jay Campbell praised his wife for her “strength, guidance and compassion for others” during the harrowing experience.
Group of stranded vacationers pose for a selfie amid their troubles in Africa
The South Carolina couple has spent more than $5,000 on hotels, food and toiletries for the group. They are expected to take a flight to Gambia on Sunday.
The group has attempted to contact Norwegian Cruise Line, without success.
“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the posted time, which is widely communicated via the ship’s intercom, in daily communication, and is posted just prior to leaving the ship.” , reads the statement.
He explained that guests are responsible for travel costs necessary to return to the ship at the next available port of call.
“When guests did not return to the ship at the scheduled time, their passports were handed over to local port agents to be retrieved upon their return to port,” the statement continued.
“Our team has been working closely with local authorities to understand the requirements and visas needed if guests were to return to the ship at the next available port of call.”
DailyMail.com has contacted the cruise company for comment, along with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.