Latest news with #TiffanyOliver
Daily Mail
31-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Cruise passengers' Hawaii dream trip turns into night of hell sleeping on hard gym floor
Hundreds of cruise passengers were left sleeping on a hard, gymnasium floor after the ship suddenly sailed away without them amid a tsunami warning. Six hundred people were left behind when Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America pulled away from Hilo Harbor two hours ahead of schedule on Tuesday. The ship left early following an emergency alert triggered by a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake. Many passengers were on ship excursions when they received emergency alerts for a tsunami and were unable to make it back to the boat in time. Tiffany Oliver was among those who didn't make it back and was forced to spend the night on the floor of Waiakea High School. 'We were stranded by Norwegian Cruise Line. Our tour bus arrived five minutes before the time they stated they were leaving and they pulled off anyway,' Oliver said. She added that they had, 'no clothes, no food, no nothing'. 'Norwegian, you left us stranded and then you have no plan for our survival,' Oliver said. 'You could care less about your guests.' Passenger Tiffany Oliver was among those forced to sleep on the ground after Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America left without her Another passenger described her fury at being left behind at the high school, branding the experience 'unbelievable'. 'I understand there are 9 buses of 45+ people stuck and no one who came out 5 minutes ago into the high school gym where they took us to address the passengers knows what the heck is going on,' Sharyn Stewart Dickersen wrote. 'He [NCL representative] claims they have people working to find hotel rooms, etc. All the NCL reps are completely worthless!' Another traveler known as Mandy described how her family was split up after the ship departed leaving her on land. 'They're terrified for us - we're terrified for us,' she said. Footage from Hawaii News Now showed families, including young children, stranded at the port, watching as the massive cruise ship pulled away just before 4pm local time. Other passengers who were on board as the ship departed captured video footage of the passengers desperately attempting to get on board. Many of the abandoned passengers had paid between $1,435 and over $4,000 for the week-long cruise around the Hawaiian islands, which doesn't include flights, shore excursions or additional fees. Norwegian Cruise Line later confirmed that the ship had departed early, 'to prioritize the safety of our guests and crew' after the state of Hawaii declared a state of emergency and issued a tsunami warning. '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,' the statement continued. '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.' Those who had been on official NCL shore excursions were shuttled to a nearby high school gym, where they slept on the floor overnight. Another passenger who was stranded, Eric Anderson, told KHON2 that the local Hawaiian people were extremely hospitable and all came together to take care of the passengers. 'It really is a testament to that Aloha spirit,' he told the outlet. As of Wednesday, the tsunami warning had been downgraded and no major damage was reported. The ship returned to dock to pick up the stranded passengers. Many posted an emotional update on TikTok, confirming she made it back safely into her cabin where she can't wait to shower and sleep.
New York Times
30-07-2025
- New York Times
Cruise Ships Sailed to Safety Amid Tsunami Warnings, Leaving Some Passengers Behind
Tsunami waves generated by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia on Tuesday did less damage than had been feared. But some cruise passengers were distressed to learn they had been left behind when when all ships were ordered out of port by local authorities. Tiffany Oliver and her 18-year-old daughter were part of a group from Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America that was taking part in an excursion to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the island of Hawaii when the emergency alerts began. At 2:46 p.m., as the women rode a bus toward the park, Ms. Oliver got an alert on her phone, informing her that the National Weather Service had issued a tsunami warning and instructing her to move to higher ground. 'You are in danger,' the alert read. But the bus continued, undeterred, toward its destination. When it arrived at Volcanoes National Park, Ms. Oliver said the bus driver told them to get off and enjoy themselves. But as soon as they disembarked, park employees came running toward them, urging them to go back to the ship. During a tsunami, it is safer for ships to be at sea than in port, where they might get washed ashore with disastrous consequences. The bus driver turned around and began the roughly 45-minute drive back to the Port of Hilo as passengers frantically called the Norwegian customer service line and asked for the ship to be held until they got back. Polynesian Adventure Activities, the excursion's organizer, did not respond to a request for comment. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
