You’ll be cruising if you follow these tips.
A travel agent is sharing the key steps passengers should take if they fail to re-board their cruise ship before its designated departure time.
Late last week, 8 Norwegian Cruise passengers, including 6 Americans, were left stranded in Africa after their ship left port without them because their private land tour ran overtime.
It’s commonplace for cruise ships to dock for days or hours at various ports, allowing those on board the chance to disembark and explore local areas.
And while it’s rare for a vessel to sail off again without everyone back on board, Big Apple travel agent Joanna Kuther says it can be a bureaucratic nightmare if you’re left behind.
“It’s one of those things like, it’s not a problem until it’s a problem,” she told USA Today on Tuesday.
If you return to port to find your ship sailing off in the distance, the expert advised immediately contacting the cruise line to let them know.
Kuther added that a stranded passenger should also reach out to their travel agent to help handle logistics, such as booking emergency accommodation or connecting flights.
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
The nearest US embassy may also be able to offer assistance, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to claim expenses on insurance, particularly if land activities were not organized by the cruise company itself.
Kuther says savvy travelers should pick shore excursions organized by the cruise or a vendor they’ve partnered with that guarantees to get passengers back before re-boarding time.
In order to avoid missing departure time, Kuther also dished some practical tips.
She urged passengers to make sure their watch is set to ship time rather than local time, which may be different
“So many people get confused with that,” she declared, adding that travelers should aim to arrive back at the boat with at least an hour to spare.
And if you’re disembarking the ship, Kuther claims there are essentials you need to take in case anything goes awry.
“You probably should have your passport with you because you’re going to need it to get on a flight to get to the next port, especially if it’s in a different country,” Kuther advised.
She added that travelers should take a credit card in case they’re forced to fork out for any unexpected expenses, including emergency accommodation.
And while the 8 passengers left stranded by Norweigan have ripped the cruise line, accusing them of neglecting its “basic duty of care,” Kurther says the vessels are on tight schedules while in port.
“If they have to leave at a certain time, they have to leave at that time,” she declared
