A 77-year-old British grandmother has described her terrifying ordeal after being abandoned on a remote Indonesian island by a luxury cruise line, left with nothing but the clothes on her back and no way to get home.
Suzanne Rees, from Cornwall, was travelling aboard the Coral Adventurer when she suffered a fall during an excursion. What followed was a nightmare scenario that saw her deemed 'unfit to travel' and unceremoniously left behind in the port of Maumere.
The Fateful Fall That Changed Everything
Mrs Rees, an experienced traveller, was enjoying her dream cruise through Indonesia's exotic islands when disaster struck. During a shore excursion, she lost her footing and fell, suffering cuts and bruising that required hospital treatment.
"I was patched up and thought I'd be able to continue my journey," she recalled. "But the cruise staff had other ideas."
Abandoned Without Warning
In a move that shocked both Mrs Rees and fellow passengers, Coral Expeditions staff removed her luggage from the ship and informed her she could no longer travel with them. She was left at the port with no Indonesian currency, no working phone, and crucially - no passport, which remained locked in the ship's safe.
"They just dumped me there," Mrs Rees told the Mail. "I had nothing - no money, no passport, no way to contact anyone. I've never felt so vulnerable in my life."
A Desperate Struggle to Get Home
What followed was a bureaucratic nightmare. Stranded in a foreign country without documentation, Mrs Rees faced immense challenges:
- Spent her first night in basic accommodation arranged by port agents
- Had to borrow money from fellow passengers for essentials
- Endured a gruelling 30-hour journey home via Bali and Singapore
- Faced additional costs of nearly £1,500 for new flights and expenses
Cruise Company Under Fire
Coral Expeditions has defended its actions, stating that passenger safety is their "highest priority" and that Mrs Rees was "provided with support and assistance." However, this version of events is strongly contested by the abandoned grandmother and witnesses.
The incident raises serious questions about cruise industry protocols for dealing with unwell passengers in remote locations, and the duty of care owed to elderly travellers.
Mrs Rees's story serves as a stark warning to cruise enthusiasts about the potential vulnerabilities of ocean travel, particularly for solo senior travellers in distant corners of the world.
