LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE

Posted on 04/29/2016 | About Nassau, Bahamas

Aren’t those cruise lines hard hearted? A poor mother rushed back to the ship just a minute late and the ship sailed without her. Video showed her on her knees presumably begging the ship to return and that her children were on board – but it just kept right on going. Bad Norwegian! Well, not so fast, that’s not the whole story.

The unnamed woman who got off the Norwegian Breakaway while it was in port last Thursday in Nassau, and was late returning. So late in fact, that her husband disembarked from the ship to wait for her. He left their children, reportedly a boy aged around nine and a girl aged around 12, in the care of relatives who were also on board. 

The ship waited 

The cruise ship broke with protocol to wait an additional half an hour for the woman, but then, after consultation with the family, finally sailed. 

The woman arrived back as the ship was leaving and dramatic footage recorded by passengers on board shows her racing to the pier, dropping her bags, falling to her knees, throwing her arms in the air as she seemingly begs the the ship to come back for her. 

Norwegian Cruise Line said that when the woman had been late for the cruise ship's departure, “The onboard team located her husband and children on board but the family was not able to reach her, nor did they know when she would be returning. 

“Due to the circumstances, the ship went beyond normal protocol and waited an additional half an hour for the guest. 

“When she had still not returned and following consultation with the family, it was decided that the husband would disembark with their travel documents to wait for his wife while the children would stay with their uncle and his family on the ship for the remainder of the voyage. 

The couple were assisted 

“The company offered travel and lodging assistance to the couple and arrangements were made for them to reunite with the ship upon her return to New York on April 24.” 

Should the ship have returned to port? 

It was suggested by some that the ship was close enough to return – but let’s be serious - this is a 146,600 ton, 1068.3 foot long vessel – it’s not driving your car back to the curb. The Norwegian Breakaway holds about 4,000 passengers. We don’t know how many were on board but however many there were they were already inconvenienced by the woman’s late return.

There are consequences 

Travellers today, regardless of their mode of transportation, can be careless with time and correspondingly - or conveniently - naive when it comes to the consequences. 

In this instance Norwegian were more than generous in first waiting an extra half hour and then taking care of additional travel expenses incurred by the couple. Usually it’s an expensive lesson. 

What is there to say? 

Just this week I encountered a neighbour in the elevator seemingly returning from a trip. I asked if she’d enjoyed herself. She had not been further than the airport. Checked in, went to the gate and then, seeing she had “lots of time,” went back past security to have a cigarette outside. 

“Who knew I’d have to line up and go through security again?” She said, highly aggrieved. 

“And the plane had only just gone, they could easily have brought it back and it’s costing me $100 for another flight tomorrow.” 

Is there anything to say?