Cruise Chaos: 600 Passengers Left Behind During Tsunami Scare.

Cruise Chaos: 600 Passengers Left Behind During Tsunami Scare.

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Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America departed Hilo, Hawaii two hours early due to a tsunami warning triggered by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s coast.

Over 600 passengers were still ashore on excursions when the ship left, sparking panic and confusion.

Many received last-minute texts urging them to return, but arrived just in time to watch the ship sail away.

Local volunteers stepped in, escorting stranded guests to safety at Waiakea High School.

Norwegian later returned to pick up the passengers and offered partial refunds and future cruise discounts.

The incident raised questions about emergency communication and cruise protocols during natural disasters.

Watched people sprint to make it back to our cruise today in the Hawaiian islands. Ship left 1.5 hours early due to coast guard orders and left 600+ passengers stranded on the big island. They’re currently at a high school after being turned away from other shelters..Crazy to see pic.twitter.com/xuGzhwFZfZ

— demi freeman (@DemiFreeman5) July 30, 2025