Cruise passengers forced to sleep on gym floor after tsunami warning

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.'

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.