Tourists left 'stranded' in Hurricane Irma after Marriott boat refuses to rescue anyone but guests

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Terrified tourists stuck on the Caribbean Island of St Thomas during Hurricane Irma were left 'stranded' when a Marriott rescue ship refused to allow non-hotel guests to board.

As 185mph winds unleashed devastation across the tropical islands, holiday makers were astonished when staff onboard the ship said they could not accommodate those who had not booked a Marriott stay.

Pier lights were then turned off in an attempt to disperse the stranded group.

As darkness fell and killer winds from departing Irma and approaching Hurricane Jose picked up, tourists turned to social media to reveal their disgust at being left on the dock as the rescue boat departed with a reported 200 free seats.

They faced being left on the devastated US Virgin Island, much of which had been cut off from main water supplies, electricity and gas.

Roads became impassable as debris from falling buildings and trees littered the streets and part of the International Airport terminal was torn to the ground.

Tourists were also left desperate for food and water after local shops and hotels sold out of provisions and many hotel rooms were flooded.

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Naomi Ayala was one of around 35 people left behind on St Thomas.

In a video showing the moment the ship departed, Naomi can be heard saying: "They shut the lights off here in order to get us to go.

"This was a decision of Marriott who did not let us get on this boat so we could get on flights home.

"Instead we have to ride out Hurricane Jose when we just went through Hurricane Irma a few days ago.

"We don't have food or water, we are stranded."

Naomi, who was visiting the island with her boyfriend, eventually found safe passage on a private evacuation boat to Puerto Rico.

She later researched the name of the rescue boat, the Ferrie Del Caribe, claiming she discovered it could hold 1,800 passengers.

Royal Caribbean cruise ships were also being drafted to drop off food and supplies and ferry people off the island.

The Majesty of the Seas, which can fit 2,767 guests, brought water, ice and food to the island before taking the stranded tourists to San Juan.

Royal Caribbean also plans to redirect its 3,114-passenger Adventure of the Seas to the hard-hit island of St. Martin.

Another horrified passenger, Cody Howard, said staff on the ship called the CEO to check whether extra passengers could be allowed to board.

Cody, from Texas, then said staff were not given authorisation for the 35 people to board.

He wrote on Facebook: "Marriott has just left us and 35 people on the dock in St.Thomas, but since we didn't have a Marriott reservation, we weren't allowed on the boat.

"They called the CEO and he said they didn't want the liability.

"Most of these people don't have anywhere to go and now we are stranded at the Port, trying to get us back to our hotel.

"They denied humanitarian aid to women, elderly people and children."

Amanda Bentley was also holidaying on the island when she was turned away from the boat.

She said: "The Marriott of St Thomas turned away people to leave the island because they weren't hotel guests.

"They chartered a boat that held plenty of people and only took their guests, refusing to allow anyone else to board.

"They just left them at the pier."

In a statement on their website, Marriott confirmed they had plans in place to rescue their customes.

It said: "We are continuing to closely monitor Hurricane Irma.

"We have established hurricane plans and our hotel teams are well-trained to implement these plans.

"In addition, we are in close contact with local authorities and, as always, will take guidance and direction from them as the situation warrants it.

"Plans are in place to evacuate and close our hotels and offices if local authorities or conditions require such action.

"At this time we have not received any reports of guest or associate injuries. Select number of our hotels in the region have sustained minor to significant damage.

"We are assessing the extent of impact on each hotel and efforts are underway to fully restore operations in those properties more significantly affected by the storm.

"The safety and security of our guests is a top priority."

In direct response to claims a group of people were left "stranded" on the dock in St Thomas, Marriott said there was a "tight window" to pick up passengers and leave for the safety of Puerto Rico.

A spokesman told the Mirror: "On Friday, Marriott was able to secure a ferry to transport about 600 of our guests from St. Thomas to Puerto Rico.

"These were guests who had to stay behind after the airport closed in advance of Hurricane Irma.

"The ferry departed St. Thomas Friday, September 8, with the Marriott guests onboard.

"There were a number of additional people gathered at the dock who were not our guests who also expressed a desire to leave St. Thomas.

"We very much wanted to assist these other travelers to Puerto Rico, however, the Marriott team on the ground was told they had no authorization to board additional passengers.

"With Hurricane Jose on a path to St. Thomas, the ferry had a tight window to pick up passengers and safely depart.

"As a company, Marriott places a priority on the safety and security of our guests, but we also have a long tradition of looking out for the greater community.

"In this case, we weren’t able to help and as grateful as we are that we were able to transport our guests, we are saddened that we were not able to do the same for more people.

"We continue to work with local authorities in St. Thomas to help support the relief efforts there."