Eight Passengers were on Sao Tome by a Norwegian Cruise Company.
They'd been on a private tour of the island, not arranged through the Cruise Company (which makes them a fat profit) and so when they missed their embarking deadline they weren't allowed back on, despite the ship still being at anchor.
There's a working theory that the company is making a point about passengers NOT booking tours through private companies, but if this is the case this is one hell of a way of doing so!
Apparently only one couple had their bank cards or any money with them and some people didn't have their meds either, but still they had to make their own arrangements to get to Senegal to rejoin the ship, the costs of this were paid for by the Cruise company, apparently.
One advantage of this is that there was another woman who had had a stroke and the Cruise Company dumped her off (or 'medically disembarked' her in their terminology) at a hospital in Sao Tome without informing here next of kin, but one of the other abandoned people let the stroke-victims relatives know.
Apparently she had to make her own way back home, organised by the family, the Cruise Company just gave up on her...
Liability, not care!
The cruise ship managed to get passports to the abandoned people, presumably this was done by boat, and so presumably there are methods of boarding mid-water, so they could have just let them back on....? It couldn't be that difficult?
But probably risk and health and safety was the reason for not doing this - but this isn't health and safety for the benefit of the passengers, it's covering the company's arse - if anything happens to them boarding in an unusual manner the company I guess is liable, if anything happens to them when they're on Sao Tome, like dying because of lack of meds still on the ship, the company isn't liable.
This is one of the many reasons I would never go on a cruise or similar land based package holiday.
There is this veneer of care, but right beneath is the true motive of just outrageous cost-cutting and profit-making.
Read the small print in your cruise-deal and it is going to VERY clear that if you're late back from a private tour then it's your fault and you will be left behind.
Similarly with falling ill and having to return home or requiring medical treatment, you'll sign something to say if this happens, the ship won't wait for you and you're on your own.
I think it's a little different with people who go missing suspected of falling overboard, here the ship has a duty to return to the last place they were seen, but it's unclear how long they are expected to search for the person, it'll be minimal no doubt.
So I guess if yer going on a cruise, you have to include these multiple risk factors in your cost benefit calculations.
On the plus side is whatever benefits you'll think you'll get from a cruise (for me this is NONE), on the negative side there's the risk of being abandoned should anything bad happen to you.
So keep in mind, if you go on a cruise, the companies don't really give a toss about you!
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