A group of tourists were stranded on an African island after a cruise ship refused to take them back on board

The Campbells, from South Carolina, boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday, March 20, for a 21-day cruise. For eight days, everything went like clockwork. On the ninth day of the cruise, the Campbells decided to join a group of seven fellow passengers and go on a tour of the island of São Tomé and Príncipe, which was organized by the shipping company, writes the Kronen Zeitung website.

But an accident happened during the trip, during which the 80-year-old tour participant suffered a concussion and bruises and had to be treated in the hospital

“We thought that there would probably be a problem with the return. But the tour guide told us: ‘No problem, you’ll be at the port within an hour,'” described Jay Campbell. The passenger contacted the captain to inform him that the nine passengers would be delayed due to the accident, but that they were all on their way to port. When they arrived, the ship was still docked there, but the captain refused to let them board, nbcmontana.com reports.

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The São Tomé and Príncipe Coast Guard loaded everyone and took them to a docked ship. However, the captain refused to let them on the ship and told them to take everyone back to the island.

The port manager tried to save the situation, calling the captain to the ship. “The portmaster tried to call the captain but he refused the call. We contacted the NCL hotline and sent emails. But no one is responding to anything,” Jay Campbell described.

The problem is that apart from Jay and Jill, none of the stranded people have any money or cards that are accepted on the island. Medicines, vaccination certificates, passports were left on board the ocean liner. The group of “castaways” consists of elderly people, including a patient with a heart disease and a pregnant woman. The group consists of seven Americans and two Australians. The Campbells have already spent more than $5,000 on food, toiletries and hotels for all the unfortunate fellow travelers.

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Thanks to the help of the American Embassy in Angola, the group should fly to Gambia on Sunday, where the cruise ship is anchored. They can only access it if the cruise company approves their request. The Campbells said they have yet to hear back.

The media contacted the management of the shipping company, which claims that the tourists themselves are to blame for the delay. “While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for returning to the ship at the scheduled time, which is usually announced via the ship’s intercom and daily communications, and is posted just prior to disembarkation,” a cruise line spokesperson said. Those who stayed would have to make arrangements at their own expense to reach the next port in The Gambia in time.