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A group of eight cruise passengers, consisting of six Americans and two Australians, were left stranded in São Tomé after their car broke down during a private day trip, causing them to miss the ship's departure. Despite their efforts to contact the ship, the captain refused to allow them back on board. To make matters worse, the group was left without their belongings, including essential medications for some members.
As they sought a solution, they encountered another passenger, Julia, who had been abandoned after a separate incident and appeared to have suffered a stroke. The group, now nine, relied on the assistance of a local port agent and a US representative on the island to help navigate their predicament.
They managed to book flights to Gambia, the ship's next destination, using a single credit card belonging to Jay and Jill Campbell. Their journey involved a grueling 15-hour flight with multiple layovers in four countries, only to learn that the ship had skipped the Gambia port. Undeterred, they then embarked on a 15-hour drive to Dakar, where the ship was docked. Throughout this ordeal, the cruise line remained largely unresponsive, and the group faced ridicule from fellow cruisers online, who deemed their delay a breach of the cruiser's code.
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