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Norwegian's Priority Access

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Make getting your holiday started a welcome breeze. Enjoy priority check-in, boarding, tendering and debarkation. Plus, you'll be able to indulge in complimentary daily breakfast room service, delicious canapés and a $50 spa credit to help you relax on your cruise.

Priority Access What's Included

Streamlined Embarkation

Get aboard easier and settle into your stateroom quicker with priority access through security, check-in and boarding.

Faster Tendering

Start enjoying the local culture sooner by making it ashore faster at ports of call with priority tendering off the ship.

Quicker Debarkation

We’re sad to see you go, but we want to make your farewell as quick and easy as possible with priority debarkation at your home port.

Breakfast in Bed

Wake up to the wide selection of complimentary breakfast favourites from our room service menu every day of your cruise.

Rest & Relax at Mandara Spa

Indulge in a rejuvenating body massage or facial service of 50 minutes or more on port days with a $50 spa credit.

Complimentary Canapés

Enjoy delicious courtesy canapés on the second day of your cruise.

Priority Access FAQs

Learn more about pricing and what's included in Norwegian's Priority Access Programme, such as Priority Check-In and Boarding, Priority Debarkation, Tender Priority, and a $50 Spa Credit (on port days).

Q - What's included in the programme? A - Priority Access Pass package includes the following amenities:

• Priority Check-In and Boarding
• Tender Priority When Applicable (Off the Ship)
• Priority Debarkation (Homeport)
• Daily Complimentary Standard Room Service Breakfast
• $50 Spa Discount per person (Port Days Only)
• Complimentary Canapés (Second Day of Cruise)

Q - How much does it cost? A - Package prices are set by cabin and on the number of days in the sailing:

• 3 to 5 Days - $129 per cabin
• 6 to 9 Days - $199 per cabin
• 10 to 15 Days - $279 per cabin
• 16+ Days - $329 per cabin

Q - Where do I check in on the pier? A - Make your way to the check-in line with the Norwegian’s Priority Access banner.

Q - Will there be any information or instructions printed on my E-Docs? A - Norwegian’s Priority Access icon, as below, will be printed on guest E-Docs so that pier staff can easily identify guests as priority check-in and direct them to the designated line.

Q - How will I get my Priority Tender Tickets for tender ports? A - Priority Tendering Information Letter will be sent to guest staterooms providing time and location to meet for early tender.

Q - How will I receive my Priority debarkation information? A - Priority Luggage Tags will be delivered to guest staterooms. Guests will be asked if they wish to participate in ‘Easy Walk Off’ disembarkation and therefore disembark at their leisure, with their entire luggage without assistance, or choose from a selection of times to meet in a public lounge to be escorted ashore. Guests must be advised to look for their luggage with yellow tags.

Q - How do I order the room service breakfast? A - Complimentary delivery of standard room service breakfast will be provided to guest staterooms. Guest should use the existing room service order form located in the stateroom.

Q - How do I receive and redeem my $50 Spa Discount? A - Guests will receive $50 Spa Discount per person per stateroom (applied to spa treatments of all guests over the age of 18 years old on the reservation). Discount is only eligible for body massage and facial services of 50 minutes or more during port days. The guest letter will explain to make an appointment and sign for the services as normal.

Q - What spa services can I book and when can I have the service done? A - Offer is only valid for body massage and facial services of 50 minutes or more on port days.

Q - Can I use the spa discount towards other onboard services, or does it have a cash value? A - Spa discount cannot be divided between multiple visits.Credit is only eligible for spa treatments scheduled during port days. Discount cannot be combined with other certificates and/or offers. Spa discount has no monetary value and is non-transferable, and may not be used toward on-board service charges, pre-purchased activities or foreign exchange transactions.

Q - Can I request specific/certain Canapes? A - No, as standard Canapes are distributed by day.

Q - Can I cancel programme when I get onboard? A - No, programme is non-refundable once onboard.

How these cruise passengers missed boarding, got stranded in Africa

Both Americans and Australians were left at port after an excursion ran long.

After what seemed like a dream trip, several American travelers were left stranded at port in West Africa mid-cruise while traveling from Cape Town, South Africa, to Barcelona, Spain.

Jay and Jill Campbell told ABC News Myrtle Beach affiliate WPDE that they were in the first week of a three week voyage aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines when they stopped just off the coast of West Africa.

The couple and others opted to tour the nearby island of São Tomé and Príncipe on the afternoon of March 27, and when the excursion ran late, they said they brought it to the guides' attention.

"We were like, 'our time is getting short,'" Jay Campbell recalled, at which point he said the guide let them know, "'No problem we can get you back in an hour.'"

Upon their return, the passengers said cruise officials refused to let them aboard the ship, even as the local Coast Guard had ferried the group to the anchored vessel.

"The harbormaster tried to call the ship. The captain refused the call. We sent emails to NCL the customer service emergency number," Jay Campbell said. "They said the only way for us to get in touch with the ship is via email. They're not responding to our emails."

The Campbells say they were left stranded along with four other Americans and two Australians -- of whom one is a paraplegic, one has a heart condition and one is pregnant. Some did not have credit cards or medication that was left on board.

Cruise expert Stewart Chiron, known as The Cruise Guy, told ABC News that "the bottom line was, they were hours late, the ship was ready to go."

MORE: Norwegian Cruise Line passengers claim Antarctica voyage was rerouted mid-trip

"More than likely that the anchor was already up, and the ship was already possibly moving," he said.

He continued, "Any operation at that point to get these passengers back on the ship would have caused tremendous delays, and safety would have been a major concern."

In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Lines said, "On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, while the ship was in São Tomé and Príncipe, an African island nation, eight guests who were on the island on a private tour not organized through us missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time."

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They continued, "While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship's intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel."

The spokesperson added that the passports for the passengers who did not return at the all aboard time "were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port, as per the regular protocol."

"Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed for the guests to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call," they said.

The Campbells said that their eight person group spent 15 hours traveling through six countries in an attempt to rejoin the Norwegian Dawn ship in Banjul, Gambia, on April 1. However, the ship couldn't dock due to low tide, so they are now trying to get to Senegal where the ship is meant to dock on Tuesday.

The Norwegian spokesperson said, "Unfortunately the ship was unable to safely dock in the destination due to adverse weather conditions, as well as tidal restrictions that require specific timing for safe passage. While we share in our guests' disappointment, this modification was made with great consideration for their safety and that of our crew, which is our top priority."

The cruise line contacted the guests "regarding this itinerary adjustment and provided them with authorization to rejoin the ship at Dakar, Senegal on April 2, 2024."

In light of the "series of unfortunate events outside of our control," the spokesperson said Norwegian Cruise Lines "will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal" and are still in communication with the guests to provide additional information as it becomes available.

MORE: Meet the cruise couple who have spent over 450 days at sea so far

In a separate, unrelated situation that took place coincidentally on the same day of the voyage, the spokesperson said, "An 80-year-old woman was medically disembarked after being evaluated by our onboard medical team, who thought it best that she receive further assessment and treatment as needed from a local hospital."

"In instances such as these, as the guest was released from the hospital and in a coherent state, our protocol is to contact the guest directly, as we would not have the authority to share any medical details with anyone else without their expressed consent," the spokesperson added, saying they worked with the port agent to receive updates.

"The guest has since been escorted on a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, and then put in the care of airport staff to continue her journey to the United States, where she has now made a safe return," they said.

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8 passengers got stuck in port after a late return. What to do if you miss your cruise.

A group of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers was left behind after returning late to their ship in Africa.

Eight guests missed the last tender back to Norwegian Dawn while the ship was visiting the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the line. They were on a tour not organized through Norwegian.

Two guests, Jay and Jill Campbell, told South Carolina’s ABC 15 News their tour went longer than expected. When they returned, the ship was still in port, and the captain declined to let them board despite numerous attempts to reach Norwegian. At one point, they said, the island nation’s coast guard took them to the ship on a boat but told them to return to shore.

“The captain could have made an easy decision to turn one of the tender boats back, pick us up, safely load us, and then go on the way," Jay Campbell told the outlet.

'I just felt so helpless': Carnival Sunrise cruise ship faces flooding

“When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port, as per the regular protocol,” the Norwegian spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed for the guests to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call.”

Since then, the passengers have been scrambling to catch up to the cruise. Here’s what to do if you get stranded during a stop and how to minimize the chance of being left behind:

What happens if I don’t get back to my cruise in time?

Cruise lines warn guests they may get stuck if they don’t return to the ship by the stated all-aboard time.

“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily print communication and posted just before exiting the vessel,” the Norwegian spokesperson said.

Cruise ships are on tight schedules while in port, said Joanna Kuther, a New York City-based travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants. “So if they have to leave at a certain time, they have to leave at that time,” she said. “It could be that there's another (ship) coming in. It could be (that) people aren't going to be there to be working on the pier.”

The Campbells told ABC 15 News that they traveled through six countries for 15 hours to reach Gambia, where the ship was due to stop on Monday. However, the vessel was unable to dock due to low tides. Norwegian said it made the change “due to adverse weather conditions, as well as tidal restrictions that require specific timing for safe passage.”

“While we share in our guests’ disappointment, this modification was made with great consideration for their safety and that of our crew, which is our top priority,” the spokesperson added.

The cruise line authorized them to rejoin the ship in Dakar, Senegal, on Tuesday.

Kuther recommended guests who miss their all-aboard time contact the cruise line to let them know and reach out to their travel agent – if they have one – who can help handle the logistics. She said the nearest U.S. embassy may also be able to assist them.

Are travelers responsible for added expenses?

Travelers who do not board their ship in time are generally responsible for getting themselves to the next port of call, according to Kuther.

Travel insurance won't be much good in that scenario, either.

"Typically travel delay coverage/missed connection coverage is due to a delay of a common carrier such as an airline delay or cancellation for a covered reason which causes you to miss your cruise/tour departure," Meghan Walch, director of product at InsureMyTrip, said in an email. "An excursion supplier not getting you back to your cruise in time is typically not covered."

The Norwegian spokesperson said the cruise line is reimbursing the eight guests for their travel expenses from Banjul, Gambia, to Dakar, but Kuther stressed that kind of compensation is “definitely the exception to the rule.”

How to avoid getting stranded

When choosing a shore excursion, Kuther said it’s safest to book through the cruise line or with another vendor that guarantees to get passengers back to the ship on time or to the next port. Travel agents can help guests find those options, or they can ask operators about their policies directly when booking.

Just in case something does go wrong, travelers should bring a credit card or debit card so they have a way to cover any costs they might incur. Kuther typically recommends bringing an ID “because you don’t want to be carrying around your passport,” but if travelers are going on a private excursion without that kind of guarantee, it’s a different story.

“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,” she said.

At the very least, it’s a good idea for travelers to have a photo of their passport on hand, and share a copy with someone back home who is easily reachable.

Story continues below.

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She also recommended they make sure their phone or watch is set to ship time rather than the time of the destination, which may be different (the all-aboard time will be on ship time). “So many people get confused with that,” Kuther said.

To be safe, she suggested guests get back to the ship an hour early if they’re exploring on their own or on a self-booked excursion in case they hit traffic or face other issues.

“It's one of those things like, it's not a problem until it's a problem,” Kuther said. She urged travelers not to expect the ship to wait. “If they can, I'm sure they will, but I would never tell someone, ‘Don’t worry about it.’”

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected]

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Cruise ship was right to ditch the late passengers in africa, travel writer says.

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Eight people have accused Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) of abandoning them on a tiny island in Africa after a private tour ran late and the group missed the embarkation cut-off time.

Four of the group are elderly and another is pregnant, and though the ship was still at anchor, they were denied boarding.

The ship, the Norwegian Dawn, set sail without them — and it was right to do so.

Once, I was late to check in for a flight. I jumped out of the taxi, sprinted to the counter (which is no mean feat when you’re hauling luggage) and arrived at the desk sweating bullets, prepared to get on my knees and grovel if it meant I’d be allowed through.

I began to tell my sob story to the lady at the desk, heart hammering and lungs gasping for air, when she politely interrupted and shook her head.

In the nicest way possible, she said this: “Stiff bickies.” (OK, yes, I’ve paraphrased.)

Sure, the plane was still at the airport, no more than a few hundred meters from where I was standing. However, the luggage had already been loaded, the manifest had already been finalized, and the other passengers were already boarding.

There was no way they were going to let me board, nor should they have.

You see, I had been on a whale-watching tour about two-and-a-half hours south of the airport — hey, it was my last day, I wanted to make it count.

I planned it to perfection, except for one detail: We spotted a playful pod right at the very end, so the captain offered to give us some bonus time to enjoy the view.

With one eye on the magnificent mammals and the other on my watch, I held on to a flicker of hope that I might make it.

I jumped on the bus back to town, flagged down a cab and asked the driver to hurry. I launched out of the car like a 100m sprinter launches out of starting blocks and ran into the terminal.

Alas, my proverbial ship had sailed.

Was it a bummer? Absolutely. But imagine delaying the other 158 or so passengers scheduled to depart on the Boeing 737, asking the crew to extend their shifts, or holding the plane and disrupting airport traffic … all so little old me could drop off my bags, scurry through security, and find my gate.

Imagine the awkwardness if I stepped onto that plane. What do you say? “Sorry, guys, my bad, lol.”

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

That doesn’t even scratch the surface of a cruise ship’s operations. Norwegian Dawn can accommodate 3,372 people — 2,340 passengers and 1,032 crew — and this group of eight expected it to wait?

A ship’s departure time isn’t exactly a mystery.

I sailed on Norwegian Dawn in February and the departure time was published in NCL’s Freestyle Daily newsletter the night before and announced over the loudspeaker multiple times in the morning.

It was also posted on signs at the doors where guests disembark.

The golden rule is clear: Make sure you’re back on time, or the ship may sail without you.

So what do you do if you’re left behind?

Generally there are two options: Either catch up with the ship at a later port or head home.

If you’re lucky, you’ll have brought your essentials with you — your passport, phone, credit card and medication — because all of your belongings will stay on board until the end.

Please don’t get me wrong, of course I’m sympathetic to the distress of those who were left in a foreign country without the safety of the ship.

It would be scary and stressful to figure out next steps, especially for the members of the group with higher needs, and disappointing to miss out on their vacation.

However, the unfortunate reality is that ships can’t always wait.

Private tours are a whole separate issue, because while the ship will wait for official tours — those which have been organized by the cruise ship operator — to return, all bets are off for passengers taking their shore excursions into their own hands.

Unofficial tours can be slightly cheaper than those on the ship’s itinerary, with slightly more availability, so they can be attractive. However, while operators will do their best to stick to scheduled times, all bets are off once you board that bus and leave the port.

Think of it like booking multiple legs of a trip with different airlines. They’re not in the same network, they don’t owe each other anything, and they can’t guarantee that you’ll make your connection. Say the bus breaks down. Maybe someone wanders off and takes ages to return.

Perhaps the group lingers over a delicious lunch. Someone might need to stop at an ATM or a bathroom. You could get stuck in traffic. Or maybe your tour will be like mine and you’ll see something incredible that simply makes you want to pause.

And so, eight passengers were left in São Tomé and Príncipe , Africa’s second-smallest country.

“While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time,” NCL said in a statement, adding that it is communicating with the guests about their next steps. It’s harsh but fair, especially since the other 3,364 (or so) people on board got it right.

Kirrily Schwarz recently sailed on Norwegian Dawn as a guest of Norwegian Cruise Line.

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Norwegian Cruise says stranded American passengers were over hour late to ship, given passports: report

Jay and jill campbell, a south carolina couple part of the stranded group, said the cruise line 'followed the rules too rigidly,' according to a report.

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Norwegian Cruise passengers, who were stranded on an African island , missed the boarding time by more than an hour, which is why they were left behind, according to reports.

Eight passengers, including six Americans and two Australians, were on a private tour of São Tomé and missed the 3 p.m. all-aboard call on Friday, the cruise line said. 

A cruise line spokesperson originally told Sky News the group was late by more than an hour, which was confirmed by the New York Post. 

"When they missed the all-aboard time of 3 p.m. by more than an hour, their passports were left with the local port agent for retrieval when they returned to the port from their private tour (not organized by us), per the protocol," a cruise line spokesperson told the Post. 

AMERICANS STRANDED BY NORWEGIAN CRUISE SAVE ELDERLY PASSENGER, FAMILY SAYS: SHIP ‘LEFT HER TO DIE’

A Norwegian Cruise Line ship is pictured. Passengers on a recent trip to Africa said the cruise line stranded them there. (Getty Images)

When passengers on excursions or private tours are late, it's the cruise line's right to sail away to stay on time. 

Two members of the group – Jay and Jill Campbell, a South Carolina couple – said in news interviews that their tour guide ran late and did not get them back to the ship on time Friday.

The boat was still in sight of the island, and the Coast Guard ferried the group to the ship, but the captain denied them entry. 

AMERICANS STRANDED BY NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE, LEFT WITHOUT MONEY, VITAL MEDS

"Guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel," a spokesperson for the cruise line said.

Jill said the cruise line "followed the rules too rigidly" during a Tuesday morning interview on The Today Show . 

"I really feel that they forgot they are people working in the hospitality industry and that really the safety and well-being of their customers should be their first priority," Jill said, and the crew had a "basic duty of care that they had forgotten about."

Jill and Jay Campbell, from South Carolina, were among the eight passengers left behind by Norwegian Cruise Line after they missed the all-aboard call. (Jill and Jay Campbell)

The Norwegian Cruise Line secured the group's passports, as part of protocol, according to their statement, but didn't grab vital medicines, money or other belongings, according to the Campbells. 

Among the group is a paraplegic, a man who has a heart condition and a pregnant Delaware woman and her husband.

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"When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port," the company said. 

After chasing the ship through several countries, the eight stranded passengers finally caught up and boarded the ship by Wednesday morning, Norwegian Cruise Line told Fox News Digital. 

The company has been criticized by passengers who said they were recently stranded on an African island. (Reuters/Gary Cameron)

Fox News Digital reached out to the Campbells, and Norwegian Cruise Line said they're working on getting answers to followup questions, including an unrelated incident where an elderly woman had to disembark for medical reasons. 

Julie Lenkoff, 80, suffered a stroke and potentially a heart attack during the trip, and the cruise line said they thought it was in her best interest to send her to a local clinic on São Tomé. 

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But her family said the cruise line never called Lenkoff's emergency contacts, and left her behind. 

That's when the Campbells learned she was on the same island and took care of her.

"They're heroes," Lenkoff's son-in-law, Kurt Gies, told Fox News Digital about the Campbells. "They saved our mother."

Julie Lenkoff smiling before a medical emergency forced her off a Norwegian Cruise on an African island, where she was left behind. (Facebook)

The South Carolina couple helped Lenkoff reach her family in the U.S., and she was eventually flown to the states on a 30-hour flight from São Tomé to Lisbon, Portugal, to Toronto to Stanford Hospital in California "that no one was sure she would even survive."

She's since been admitted to Stanford Hospital, where she's been under constant care, Gies said. 

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Norwegian Cruise Line said in statements to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the unrelated incidents were both "very unfortunate situations."

Chris Eberhart is a crime and US news reporter for Fox News Digital. Email tips to [email protected] or on Twitter @ChrisEberhart48.

The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.

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Americans stranded by Norwegian Cruise save elderly passenger, family says: Ship 'left her to die'

N orwegian Cruise Line forced an 80-year-old woman, who suffered a stroke and possible heart attack, to "medically disembark" on an African island and "left her to die," her family said.

That was on Wednesday, March 27, and the cruise line never called Julie Lenkoff's emergency contacts and had one conversation with the family between Wednesday and Monday without providing any answers, her family said. 

Coincidentally, two days later, on March 29, six Americans and two Australian passengers were stranded on the same African island of São Tomé by Norwegian Cruise Line after their tour guide-led excursion ran late, and the ship's captain wouldn't let them board.

Jay and Jill Campbell, a South Carolina couple, were among the group of eight left behind. "They're heroes," Lenkoff's son-in-law, Kurt Gies, told Fox News Digital. "They saved our mother."

AMERICANS STRANDED BY NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE, LEFT WITHOUT MONEY, VITAL MEDS: REPORT

Authorities on the island told the group that another American was left behind without money or ID, according to Gies. 

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

That's when the Campbells found out Lenkoff was in some medical facility, and took it upon themselves to pay medical bills, food, a hotel and connect her with her family, Gies said. 

"It was like our mother didn't exist," said Gies, calling the cruise line's lone statement issued over the weekend "false propaganda that Norwegian Cruise Line is pushing."

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"The bottom line is Julie Lenkoff was not part of the group of people who were late getting back to the ship," he said. "They consistently lumped her into the rest of the group as being late to the ship all while not taking any responsibility for her care.

"All they did is send her to a local clinic who completely misdiagnosed her condition, releasing her to fend for herself."

"They didn't need to help her. They're scared to death, trying to get back to the ship, and they could've easily walked away," Gies said. "Instead, they took on a complete stranger and made sure she was safe."

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While the Campbells and the six other passengers, including a pregnant Delaware couple, sorted through their own debacle about how to catch up with the ship, they worked with Gies and his wife to get Lenkoff back to the U.S. 

The best of all bad options, Gies said, was a 30-hour flight from São Tomé to Lisbon, Portugal, to Toronto to Stanford Hospital in California "that no one was sure she would even survive."

But Lenkoff, described by her family as "the toughest, most independent woman," made it home and was admitted into the hospital, where she was still in doctors' care Monday night while Gies spoke to Fox News Digital.

He said she's doing better, but she couldn't see while she was in Africa and had trouble with her right side. 

Lenkoff, a visitor to 120 countries who can speak 10 languages, resorted to French while she was in the medical facility on the African island, and they couldn't understand her and didn't even know she was an American, Gies said. 

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She was treated and released about 24 hours later, according to Gies, who said that's when she was "luckily" cared for by the Campbells and the rest of the stranded group of eight.

"SHE IS BACK AND SAFE!!!! Having an EKG right now," Lenkoff's daughter, Lana Lenkoff Wilken-Gies, wrote on Facebook shortly after 2 a.m. Monday. "She is definitely much more like her old self! Getting better everyday! Thank you for all of your prayers!"

Lana and Kurt's "relaxing" Easter trip to enjoy the California sun was interrupted by the cruise debacle and days of radio silence. 

Even the company's original weekend statement to news outlets about the stranded eight made no mention of Lenkoff's situation. 

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"They (Norwegian Cruise Line) originally said, ‘Sorry. There’s nothing we can do,' and that was it," Gies said when they first made contact with the cruise line. 

"They had no answers to what happened, why her emergency contacts weren't called, who's taking care of her, where she is."

The only ones who cared were the Campbells, said Gies, who called them "heroes."

"This whole situation, we saw the two sides of humanity. Jill and Jay saved our mom when they didn't have to. But a mega-corporation with all the funds to help our mom and bring her home did nothing. They couldn't even give us answers."

Lenkoff had a goal of seeing 130 countries, and saved up for this $20,000 trip before COVID shut down travel.  

"She was so excited about this," he said. "She lives to travel, but this is it. It was her last trip."

Gies and his wife were furious when Norwegian Cruise Line did not acknowledge Lenkoff for days.

Norwegian Cruise Line released a statement over the weekend that said they left the Campbells, a pregnant Delaware woman and her husband, and four other passengers because they returned late from their excursion. 

Even though the ship was still on the island and the island's Coast Guard brought the passengers to the ship, it's technically Norwegian Cruise Line's right to deny them entry to keep the three-week trip on time.

But that statement, included below, never mentioned the 80-year-old woman with a medical emergency that the cruise left behind.

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Fox News Digital received statements early Tuesday morning, 24 hours after asking questions about both situations. 

"During the same sailing, on March 27, 2024, a separate and completely unrelated unfortunate event occurred regarding a guest who was evaluated by our onboard medical team and later thought it best for her to be disembarked to receive further assessment and treatment as needed from a local hospital," the cruise line said in an email. 

An unnamed, 80-year-old woman "was medically disembarked after being evaluated by our onboard medical team, who thought it best that she receive further assessment and treatment as needed from a local hospital."

"Following her disembarkation from the ship, our Care Team was immediately activated to provide support to the guest," the cruise line said in its statement. 

"We attempted to call the guest several times, and as we were unable to reach her, we worked directly with our port agent in São Tomé and Príncipe, an African island nation, to receive updates about the guest. 

"In instances such as these, as the guest was released from the hospital and in a coherent state, our protocol is to contact the guest directly, as we would not have the authority to share any medical details with anyone else without their expressed consent.

"The guest has since been escorted on a flight to Lisbon, Portugal, and then put in the care of airport staff to continue her journey to the United States, where she has now made a safe return."

Lana thanked everyone for their caring posts about her mom. 

"Thank you all for your posts. (Regarding my previous post about my mom)," Lana wrote. "São Tomé is very primitive and doesn’t have hospitals that could treat her properly. She was on a group tour sponsored by the cruise line of a museum and collapsed and was unconscious. 

"How or who was contacted to get her to the limited medical clinic we do not know. We just know that she was left by Norwegian Cruise Line without as much as calling her emergency contacts, or leaving her with her wallet, credit cards, or travel insurance papers at the clinic or maybe a note for her to read when she came to."

When she finally regained consciousness, Lana said she didn't remember anything that happened but was helped by "good Samaritans" that they later learned were Jay and Jill Campbell. 

The two couples have been in communication with each other over the last few days. 

"While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.

"Guests are responsible for any necessary travel costs to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port.

"Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed if the guests were to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. We are in communication with the guests and providing additional information as it becomes available."

Original article source: Americans stranded by Norwegian Cruise save elderly passenger, family says: Ship 'left her to die'