This is the moment a tourist couple on a quayside were filmed screaming and begging for a cruise ship captain to wait for them as fellow passengers watched on.

Footage shows two travellers at the port of Bari in south-eastern Italy on August 15 as the MSC Splendida was departing for its nine-day tour of the Mediterranean.

The couple missed the scheduled departure time, and when they arrived at quay 11 the gangway of the 1,100ft ship had already been removed.

The man was heard repeatedly shouting and pleading: 'Is the captain there, please?' He later added: 'Captain, wait for us, please. You can do it if you want to.'

One of the more than 4,000 passengers on board filmed the scene and could be heard chuckling in the background.

The couple (pictured) missed the scheduled departure time and when they arrived at quay 11 the gangway of the 1,100ft ship had already been removed. One of the more than 4,000 passengers on board filmed the scene and could be heard chuckling in the background over the couple's persistence

Footage uploaded to TikTok shows two travellers at the port of Bari in south-eastern Italy on August 15 as the MSC Splendida (pictured) was about to depart

The man was heard repeatedly shouting and pleading: 'Is the captain there, please?' He later added: 'Captain, wait for us, please. You can do it if you want to.' He was caught on camera pacing up and down while the woman stood and looked at the cruise ship

The woman filming said to another passenger: 'What is he saying? What does it mean? Oh maybe he missed the cruise.'

A British guest on board, who said her family had spent £8,000 for the cruise, slammed the ship's crew for abandoning the couple.

She told MailOnline: 'I was on that cruise with my family when it happened. We were at lunch when they made only one announcement for two Italian-sounding names and then nothing further.

'The cruise didn't leave even a minute over time. We felt there was little to no effort to find those people whether they were there or not.'

Ugo Patroni Griffi, president of the Port System Authority of the Southern Adriatic Sea, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica: 'They tried to ask the ship to turn back, or at least to stop operations.

'Obviously it is impossible for cruise ships that have limited times and are also very expensive operations.'

Other reactions to the video included one user saying: 'I understand that the fault lies with the gentleman, unfortunately if you do it once then everyone demands it.

'The cruise has timetables and they must be respected. But, guys, let's put ourselves in their shoes! We would all have been desperate!

The MSC Splendida weighs 137,936 tons. The ship by MSC Cruises has 18 decks on which 4,363 passengers and about 1,370 crew members can stay.

It also has a sprawling theatre, a casino and a dance club. In addition to four swimming pools, a jogging track, a squash court and a gym it also has a spa

Guests can enjoy meals in one of the seven restaurants and drinks in one of the eight bars and lounges on board

'Suitcases, money, paid cruise, and then you stay ashore.'

Most others seemed to agree with him, with another commenting on the 'hilarious' video: 'If they go over by even 10 minutes they have to pay for the mooring for a whole day...

'If you arrive late, take the ship to the next port.'

The MSC Splendida weighs 137,936 tons. The ship owned by MSC Cruises has 18 decks on which 4,363 passengers and about 1,370 crew members can stay.

Its nine-day cruise departed on August 15 and is due to take in the likes of Mykonos, Istanbul and Corfu before returning to Bari.

It also has a sprawling theatre, a casino and a dance club. In addition to four swimming pools, a jogging track, a squash court and a gym it also has a spa.

Guests can enjoy meals in one of the seven restaurants and drinks in one of the eight bars and lounges onboard.

MailOnline has contacted MSC Cruises for comment.