Australian couple stranded by Norwegian Cruise Lines describe ‘worst experience of our lives’
An Australian couple stranded on an African island after being abandoned by a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship has spoken out about their ordeal — saying it was “the worst experience of our lives.”
Doug and Violeta Sanders said they had to fend for themselves after a private tour they took during a stop last week on the island of São Tomé ran past the time they needed to return to the Norwegian Dawn and they weren’t allowed to board, Sky News Australia reported.
“It’s been the worst experience of our lives to be abandoned like that in a strange country, can’t speak the language — it’s Portuguese and African,” Violeta told Seven’s “Sunrise,” an Australian morning TV show.
“We have no money, our credit cards aren’t accepted,” she added.
They and the other six passengers were not allowed to get back on the vessel, which sailed off without them.
The stranded passengers were helped by the US Embassy in Angola and boarded a flight to Gambia in hopes of joining the ship in Banjul, but it was unable to dock due to low tide and moved on to Senegal.
A Norwegian Cruise Line rep said the passengers were on a private tour, not one organized by the company.
Keep up with The Post's coverage of the Norwegian Cruise debacle
- Eight Norwegian Cruise passengers, including a pregnant woman and an elderly man with a heart condition, were stranded on an African island without money and vital medications after the vessel left port without them.
- A spokesperson for the cruise line claimed the passengers were left on the island “on their own or with a private tour” and missed the “all-aboard time” by over an hour, according to the company.
- Americans Jill Campbell and her husband, Jay Campbell, said they are unsure whether they even want to resume the 20-day voyage after Norwegian Cruise Lines forgot about its “basic duty of care.”
- The eight passengers raced through seven different countries over a span of 48 hours to make it to Senegal, where the ship docked Tuesday morning,
- Doug and Violeta Sanders, a stranded Australian couple, have spoken out about their ordeal, saying it was “the worst experience of our lives.”
- Julie Lenkoff, 80, suffered a stroke during an excursion on the cruise — and was left “alone” and “helpless” to find her way back to the US, according to her family.
- COLUMN: Cruise ship was right to ditch the late passengers in Africa
Check out The Post’s tips on what to do if you’re left stranded like the Norwegian Cruise passengers
“We work closely with local tour operators to ensure excursions are planned to our schedule to guarantee timely arrivals back to the port. The excursion this group was on was not organized through us but on their own. As such, we are not in communication with their private tour operator,” the spokesperson said.
Attorney James Diamond from TWC Lawyers said it is a “hard and fast rule” that a ship can leave once a final call has been made.
“They pay a lot of money for docking fees, and renting out the space,” he told the program. “They have times that they have to leave, those times are published and unfortunately, I know it’s morally incorrect, but they do have the right to leave.”
Among those stranded were Americans Jill and Jay Campbell.
The passengers raced through seven different countries in 48 hours to make it to Dakar, Senegal, where they finally got back on the ship, according to Sky News.
