We had a cruise with NCL to the eastern Mediterranean scheduled for the end of June. We did the NCL-arranged BOGO airfare from Denver to Athens. We got on the Air Canada plane to travel to Toronto for a transfer to a flight to Athens. After sitting on the plane for 45 minutes, they announced that they had mechanical trouble, and we all had to deplane. After waiting for another hour in the gate area, we saw the crew deplane. They had “timed out” and could no longer legally fly.
I immediately called Norwegian. After being on hold for almost an hour, they told me that I would have to work the issue with Air Canada. Our cruise was leaving from Athens the next day. Air Canada said that the only flight they could get us on to Athens was in mid-July. We might be able to arrange another airline, but at our own expense — and we would still not make boarding time in Athens. Norwegian said that due to Covid we could not join mid-cruise. Complicating this was the fact that my wife has a medical oxygen concentrator, and arrangements have to be made with airlines two weeks in advance to bring it onboard.
So there was no way to get to the cruise.
We had bought the platinum travel protection package, so we called Norwegian again and after waiting on hold again for almost an hour, we cancelled the cruise.
NCL reimbursed the shore tours and other prepaid onboard expenses. We filed a formal claim with Aon, NCL’s insurer. After a month, NCL provided us with future cruise credit equal to 90 percent of our cruise fare.
The $1500 for airfare is apparently lost (neither Air Canada nor NCL will reimburse) as well as 10 percent of the cruise fare. So we are out about $2200.
We would love to rebook for November (out of Rome), but even if we schedule for an arrival 2 days before boarding (the maximum that NCL allows when they book airfare), that would not help if a similar situation were to arise — and airlines are cancelling flights all the time these days. We are thinking about booking airfare ourselves on an airline with more presence in Denver than Air Canada, with arrival in Rome at least a week early.
I just have no confidence that we can ever cruise with NCL.
