6 American, 2 Australian cruise ship passengers stranded on African island after Norwegian Cruise refused to let them board

Six American cruise ship passengers, including a pregnant woman and an elderly man with a heart condition, along with two Australians, find themselves stranded on an African island without money and vital medications after the Norwegian Cruise Line ship departed without them.

Jill and Jay Campbell, hailing from South Carolina, revealed that the group is marooned on São Tomé, a Central African island, following an incident where the ship's captain allegedly denied them reentry, despite assistance from the local coast guard, as reported by Fox News.

According to a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Lines speaking to KNSB, the passengers missed the "all-aboard time" and were subsequently left behind on the island either on their own or with a private tour.

The Campbells admitted there was an issue during their island tour and their guide failed to return them to the ship on time on Friday. However, they emphasized that the ship was still anchored at the port upon their arrival, and the island’s coast guard facilitated their transfer via boat to the ship for reboarding.