An American couple, Jill and Jay Campbell, along with a group of six other passengers, underwent a grueling journey through seven countries in 48 hours in an attempt to catch up to a cruise ship that had departed without them at a previous port. However, despite their efforts, the couple stated that they might not choose to re-board the vessel.

What was supposed to be a 21-day dream cruise along the African coast turned into an international ordeal for the Campbells and their fellow passengers after they claimed they were abandoned during a tour stop on an African island.

What happened to the cruise ship passengers?

On March 30, six Americans and two Australians embarked on a privately-run excursion on the island of Sao Tome with a scheduled return time of 3 p.m. local time, as recounted by the couple.

However, due to issues with the tour, they were unable to make it back on time. Consequently, their Norwegian Cruise Line ship departed without them.

According to the Campbells, their tour operator informed the cruise captain about their delay in rejoining the ship, but despite this notification, the vessel left port. They also mentioned that despite efforts by the island's coast guard to assist them and others in reaching the cruise ship, they were denied boarding.

Subsequently, the couple had to navigate their way from Sao Tome to Senegal, where the cruise ship was docked by April 2.

"It's one of those situations where 'You can't get there from here,'" remarked Jay Campbell during an appearance on YEPPOST on April 2. "I believe we flew through six countries just to get to Gambia yesterday."

When will the passengers return home?

Jill Campbell stated that the couple traversed through seven countries within a 48-hour timeframe to finally arrive in Senegal.

Reflecting on their harrowing experience, they expressed uncertainty about whether they would opt to board the ship again and resume their cruise.

"After witnessing what transpired, we genuinely feel that while the ship may have adhered to a set of rules or policies, they did so excessively rigidly," remarked Jill Campbell.

"I strongly believe that they overlooked the fact that they are individuals employed in the hospitality sector, and that the safety and welfare of the customers should be their foremost priority, placed above all else," she asserted.

"We hold the belief that there was a fundamental duty of care that they failed to uphold, which deeply concerns us."

What has Norwegian cruises said?

Norwegian Cruise Line responded to NBC News, expressing regret over the Campbells' situation, stating that "guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time" and highlighting that the group had participated in a privately-run tour.

The Campbells expressed gratitude towards the people of Sao Tome as they grappled with the challenge of catching up to the ship.

"It’s a highly complex process," Jay Campbell commented. "You're contending with multiple languages, language barriers, different currencies, currency exchanges, locating individuals who accept dollars, managing with the minimal amount we had, attempting to convert them to local currency, and engaging with an agent to comprehend our destination."