AN AMERICAN couple had a cruise stopover in Andalucia they won’t forget in a hurry, as their ship left without them after they returned late from an inland bus trip.
Richard and Claudene Gordon were travelling on the Norwegian Viva when they disembarked with other passengers at Motril, having sailed there from Gibraltar.
The elderly couple from Salt Lake City, Utah, made a decision to travel 48 kilometres independently to check out the sights of Granada.
Unfortunately their bus return was delayed due to a storm and they arrived back late at Motril to watch their cruiser sail away.
The Gordons believed they were in with a chance of boarding because the Viva had sailed away later than scheduled at previous stopovers.
They had also phoned a family they had become close with on the cruise to pass on details of their delay to the ship’s crew, but the vessel left at the appointed time.
Their experience came just a few weeks after another ship from the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet didn’t pick up eight passengers during a West Africa stopover after they arrived late at the terminal.
Norwegian Cruise Line policy is very clear that their ships only wait for passengers who go onto dry land to go on excursions organised by them.
The Gordons were reportedly unable to locate a Norwegian Cruise Line representative in Motril, but the company did make several attempts to reach them at phone numbers they had provided.
Under their own steam, they manage to hook up with the ship in Palma de Mallorca after trying initially to get a flight to Ibiza to link up with it there.
The cruise firm did however pay for their taxi from a Mallorca hotel to the port.