Passengers from at least two cruise ships were left behind in Hawaii on Tuesday when a tsunami warning forced the ships to depart port early.
Norwegian Cruise Line said its Pride of America left Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii two hours ahead of schedule after the state of Hawaii declared a state of emergency and issued a tsunami warning following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of eastern 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,” NCL said.
The guests who stayed on land overnight reboarded yesterday prior to a 1 p.m. departure, a spokesperson confirmed.
The company has still not said exactly how many passengers had been left on land.
Guests who were on NCL shore excursions at the time the ship left were brought to a high school for shelter and provided with refreshments, the spokesperson said. According to a report in the New York Times that quoted a guest on the Pride of America, passengers were taken to Waiakea High School and slept on the tour buses or the gym floor.
Passengers received text notifications
NCL said it texted all guests before the Pride of America left Hilo early at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, advising them to seek higher ground if they couldn't make it back to the ship.
Meanwhile, the Oceania Regatta also had to leave port early in Kailua-Kona, also on the Big Island, while 10 guests were still ashore, Oceania Cruises confirmed.
"Our ship and shoreside teams are in contact with these guests plus all relevant local authorities and are working to get them back onboard at the earliest possible opportunity," a cruise line spokesperson said.
The tsunami warning went into effect after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck near a Russian peninsula. It was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, according to the Associated Press, and triggered tsunami warnings from Alaska to South America.
Authorities in Hawaii downgraded the tsunami warning to an advisory on Wednesday. An advisory indicates that there is still the potential for harbors and beaches to experience flooding, strong currents and dangerous waves, the AP reported.
The Pride of America will stop at Nawiliwili Thursday, on schedule with the
original itinerary, the company spokesperson said.
This report was updated to indicate that passengers left onshore had re-embarked the Pride of America.