An Australian couple left stranded on an African island after being stranded on a Norwegian cruise ship have spoken out about their ordeal, saying it was the “worst experience of my life”.
Doug and Violeta Sanders left on their own after their private tour during a stop in Sao Tome last week ran past the time they needed to return to Norwegian Dawn and they were not allowed to board the ship. He said he had to do something. Sky News Australia reported.
“It’s the worst experience of my life to be left like this in a strange country where I don’t even speak the language and only speak Portuguese and African languages,” Violeta told Seven’s Sunrise.
“We have no money and no credit cards,” she added.
They and six other passengers were not allowed to return to the ship, and the ship sailed away without them.
The stranded passengers received assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Angola and boarded a plane to Gambia, hoping to rendezvous with a ship in Banjul, but were unable to dock due to low tide and were transferred to Senegal.
A Norwegian Cruise Line representative said the passengers were on a private tour, not one organized by the company.
“We work closely with local travel companies to ensure tours are planned on time and arrive at port in a timely manner. “We are therefore not in contact with their private tour operator,” the spokesperson said.
James Diamond, a lawyer for TWC Layers, said it was a “hard and fast rule” that the vessel could set sail once a final decision was made.
“They’re paying a lot of money in docking fees and renting out space,” he said on the show. “There is a time when they have to quit, and that time is public, and unfortunately we know it’s morally wrong, but they have the right to quit.”
Among those stranded were Americans Jill and Jay Campbell.
According to Sky News, the passengers traveled through seven countries for 48 hours before finally returning to the ship in Dakar, Senegal.
