Cruise Line Accused of Leaving Tourists 'Stranded' in Tsunami Speaks Out
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"It's crazy, it's chaos, nobody knows what's going on," said one cruise passenger on TikTok after she was left ashore in Hawaii when her cruise ship departed early due to a tsunami warning triggered by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Russia.
On July 29, 2025, the State of Hawaii declared a state of emergency and issued a tsunami warning following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake east of Petropavlovsk, Russia.
In response, Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America cut its visit to Hilo short, pulling away from the port at 4 p.m., two hours earlier than planned, and leaving a number of guests ashore.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) told Newsweek:
"On July 29, 2025, the State of Hawaii declared a state of emergency and issued a tsunami warning following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake east of Petropavlovsk, Russia. As such, in response to local emergency procedures and to prioritize the safety of our guests and crew, Pride of America was required to depart Hilo, Hawaii, immediately. The ship departed at 4 p.m. local time, two hours ahead of its scheduled departure time of 6 p.m.
Before departure, all guests were notified via SMS and advised to seek higher ground and follow instructions from local authorities if they were unable to return to the ship in time for its departure. Guests participating in NCL shore excursions were brought directly to a local high school, a designated safe location in Hilo, where refreshments were provided for their comfort and well-being.
As a precaution and due to the temporary port closure, Pride of America has remained at sea, a safer location in situations such as this.
The tsunami warning has since been lifted, allowing for the affected ports to gradually reopen. Hilo Harbor, however, requires a safety assessment before it can receive clearance from local authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard. This assessment is scheduled to take place in the early morning of July 30, 2025, local Hawaii time, at which point our guests will reboard the ship. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates as they become available."
While the ship waited offshore overnight, those left behind described online their confusion, fear and frustration.
Videos posted to TikTok quickly painted a vivid picture of the panic. One TikTok user, @danifreeman, was on the boat when it departed, but posted footage of passengers walking away from the dock as the ship pulled out, writing in a caption: "POV [point of view]: tsunami in Hawaii and your cruise is leaving without people." In the caption, she added: "Actually insane. We are going to be in the middle of the tsunami in the ocean."
Another user, @mandythecruiseplanner, has shared her firsthand experience of missing the ship, writing in one video caption: "the ship is leaving us."
She later shared a screengrab of the text the cruise line sent, informing passengers the ship would be departing immediately and to seek high ground.
"Another stranded passengers on Pride of America update," Mandy wrote in the video before telling her followers: "Our bus driver had no idea what's happening. People on the ship, we have family on the ship, they're terrified for us. We're terrified for us."
A screengrab from a video a passenger took as the ship leaves the port in Hawaii and people are seen running to get to the vessel.
A screengrab from a video a passenger took as the ship leaves the port in Hawaii and people are seen running to get to the vessel.
@demifreeman/TikTok
In a follow-up video, filmed from the local high school where guests are being housed for the night, Mandy described how they were later taken to safety and provided with supplies. "We're trying to find the joy and the humor in this. We obviously didn't plan to go to Hawaii and live out a tsunami; that was not the plan. I'll tell you what: I sure wouldn't have booked that excursion, that's for sure," she said.
The tsunami warning for Hawaii has since been lifted, and the affected ports are now beginning to reopen. Hilo Harbor remains closed pending a safety assessment by local authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard. Once cleared, stranded guests are expected to rejoin the ship.
Newsweek has reached out to @mandythecruiseplanner and @danifreeman via TikTok for further comment.
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