You Think Cruise Lines Should Pay Guests if they Decide to Charter? Huh!!!

[sail7seas]

Sometimes we read here how guests booked for various cruises are notified their cruise has been cancelled and the ship has been chartered. Some debate what they think the Cruise Line should pay those booked guests. Of course, None of us like when we hear someone's cruise has been cancelled.

 

BUT how about the approximately thousand people who arrived at SuperBowl yesterday with legitimate tickets they purchased, fought airport and weather conditions, paid for hotels and were refused entry to the Game? Yes, it happened. Apparently they were supposed to be adding those thousand seats to the stadium but they never got done and those people were told at the gate, 'You don't have a Seat'.

 

I haven't heard what "compensation" they got. Have no clue what to think NFL should do for them.

[blueboro]

It seems the seats were added but deemed unsafe by the first marshall.

[the2ofus]

The last I heard, they found seats for all but 400 and those few got $2900 each. Don't know if that's the whole story.

[Krazy Kruizers]

That's what I heard -- bought the tickets for $400 each and got around $2700 - $2900 for each ticket.

 

So they did get compensation.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lots of news stories out there about this but our Fox news last night stated there were 400 seats that yes the Fire Marshall stated were unsafe but they would recieve compsensation 3 times the value they paid for the seat and that the amount they would get was $2900.00

[sail7seas]

That's what I heard -- bought the tickets for $400 each and got around $2700 - $2900 for each ticket.

 

So they did get compensation.

 

 

Wonder what the cost of their hotel, air and food was? Wonder what the 'compensation' they thought they should be paid for the hassle they might have encountered trying to get there despite the snow and ice and airport closings and delays.

 

We have people here who think they should get 'compensated' (I hate that word) when their cruise is cancelled despite the fact it might be 10 months in the future.

 

Did the NFL do well by those people? These people had traveled and presented themselves at the gate with their ticket. they wanted their seat.

 

Do the cruise line treat the cancelled guests well? These people have not traveled to the dock, they have not presented themselves at the ship expecting their cabin and the date of cancellation is usually many months in advance.

[the2ofus]

If the potential cruiser is not self-employed or retired, a charter could cause a major interruption in their life. Many employers require that you schedule your vacation at the beginning of the year for any dates during the year. If your vacation plans go awry you either have to find someone to trade with you or you are out of luck. If you planned your cruise around an important milestone in your life or around a group vacation it also could affect others' plans as well as your own. I'm not saying there should be compensation but we need to understand why such a cancellation upsets people.

[pms4104]

Lots of news stories out there about this but our Fox news last night stated there were 400 seats that yes the Fire Marshall stated were unsafe but they would recieve compsensation 3 times the value they paid for the seat and that the amount they would get was $2900.00

I understood from the news that they would receive 3X the face value of the ticket ... so, if someone paid a super-premium beyond that face value, he actually might be compensated less than what he paid:eek:

[LSEA]

For me, these are totally different things. A canceled cruise months in advance leaves me plenty of options. Many other cruises and many other cruise lines to choose from. A canceled seat at a game that takes place once a year? Bigger let down. Not to mention our favorite team (GO BEARS!) certainly doesn't play in the Super Bowl every year.

 

I would not expect compensation for a canceled cruise (because of a charter) if I was notified well enough in advance. For me that would probably be 2 - 3 months. As long as there was enough time to find an alternative. Sure, I might be extremely disappointed, but I don't expect to get paid for that. If the notification was less than 2 or 3 months I would expect them to at least comp me the difference in air changes or whatever.

 

Finding out my ticket to the Super Bowl was no good hours before game time? $2900 might make me feel a little better. Might.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I really do not think they are even comparable. The cancellation for the seats to the Super Bowl was done the day of the game and the cancellation of a cruise is often done a year in advance although some are done 9 months once in a great while 6 months in advance. Final payment has not been done, in most cases air and hotel has not been purchased other than a bit of dissappointment nothing is really lost. What HAL does by offering another sailing and extra ship board credit is more than they would even have to do, so in my opinion is fair compensation. I have had my cruise canceled because of a charter by HAL several years ago and actually it all worked out fine.:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Many of the Steeler fans aren't back yet -- so there haven't been any interviews with people caught in this -- hopefully there will be something on either the afternoon or evening news about whether they felt the compensation was good or bad.

[Boytjie]

Charters don't happen when people arrive in the departure port, it is most often a year or so in advance.

 

As for the Superbowl: I saw they were given triple the ticket value and were able to watch the game from inside the stadium at certain standing room sections. So they were inside to watch the game - not optimal but they did get some compensation too.

[Boytjie]

I understood from the news that they would receive 3X the face value of the ticket ... so, if someone paid a super-premium beyond that face value, he actually might be compensated less than what he paid:eek:

 

Well, buyer beware ;) The NFL can not be held responsible for any further trading going on after they sell the ticket.

[bellebaby]

The 400 fans who were forced to watch Super Bowl XLV on TV because their tickets were for temporary seating in Cowboys Stadium that never got finished will get in to Super Bowl XLVI for free.

 

That was revealed this morning by NFL PR guy Brian McCarthy, who’s trying to put the best spin possible on what the NFL is doing for the fans whose $800 tickets weren’t honored.

 

“The 400 fans w/out seats last nite went on field postgame, received free merchandise, food, beverage, $2,400, free SB46 tix,” McCarthy tweeted.

[TTFromSommersTown]

For a number of people, booking Air Fare at the time they book their Cruse, or shortly after, is often the only way they can get a good price for a non stop service. These fares usually carry a cancellation fee and for the Cruise Lines to be fair, I feel that they should refund this charge if they cancel the Cruise with less than 12 months notice. If it is over 12 months, then you normally cannot book a flight anyway.

[Randyk47]

For a number of people, booking Air Fare at the time they book their Cruse, or shortly after, is often the only way they can get a good price for a non stop service. These fares usually carry a cancellation fee and for the Cruise Lines to be fair, I feel that they should refund this charge if they cancel the Cruise with less than 12 months notice. If it is over 12 months, then you normally cannot book a flight anyway.

 

This seems fair. Compensate the cruiser for legitimate, documented expenses and offer some kind of discount for booking another or similar cruise. There's a significant difference between showing up a game only to be told you didn't have a seat and being told your cruise several months in the future has been canceled for whatever reason. The disappointment notwithstanding there is sufficient time in most cruise cancellations to make alternative plans. It's not like you flew all the way to Ft Lauderdale or Rome or wherever to be turned away at the cruise terminal. Timing is the issue to me, the longer the notice the less significant the compensation.

[jhannah]

I agree that the two scenarios are not at all the same. The poor souls who were denied entry ON GAME DAY should have ALL their trip expenses reimbursed. There is no excuse for this to have happened. Just how long have the powers-that-be known the logistical setup requirements for this game??? Making this a last-minute concern is unforgiveable, IMO. So they (allegedly) got merchandise and tickets for next year. That cannot make up for what they spent IN GOOD FAITH that their tickets would be honored. JMO.

 

For a cruise to be chartered, there is disappointment for sure. But there is lots of time to make other arrangements. If I purchase my airfare as soon as I book the cruise, that is MY decision. Buying airfare is ALWAYS a gamble. Cost could go up and seats disappear between then and later on. Or, prices could go down and more convenient flights be added. Ya' pays yer money ... ya' takes yer chances.

[trailercruiser]

I agree that the two scenarios are not at all the same. The poor souls who were denied entry ON GAME DAY should have ALL their trip expenses reimbursed. There is no excuse for this to have happened. Just how long have the powers-that-be known the logistical setup requirements for this game??? Making this a last-minute concern is unforgiveable, IMO. So they (allegedly) got merchandise and tickets for next year. That cannot make up for what they spent IN GOOD FAITH that their tickets would be honored. JMO.

 

For a cruise to be chartered, there is disappointment for sure. But there is lots of time to make other arrangements. If I purchase my airfare as soon as I book the cruise, that is MY decision. Buying airfare is ALWAYS a gamble. Cost could go up and seats disappear between then and later on. Or, prices could go down and more convenient flights be added. Ya' pays yer money ... ya' takes yer chances.

 

First off the seats that were deemed unsafe are horrible seats. These people got 2400 dollars for there 800 dollar tickets, free food and beverage and souveniers, and allowed on the field immediately following the game. They got tickets and lodging to next years super bowl, better tickets than these, that they can easily sell for 5000 a piece next year. The reason the removalble seats were not in place is strictly on the NFL not Dallas, and the ice storm that hit last week was the reason. Maybe the NFL should say "read the superbowl contract" Mother nature made you miss the game to bad. These people were over compensated IMO.;)

[VermeulT]

I think in general the cruise lines are over compensating passengers for all sorts of things. Sure there have been examples this year of people not properly cared for...

 

But what about that NCL cruise where the passengers want Congress to act and do more because they were forced to change ports of call due to equipment. I don't know anyone that cruises that doesn't know that the cruise line has every right to change ports prior to or during a cruise if it deems it necessary for safe & proper operations. These people got free wine, free rum punch, free photos, OBC and a % towards another cruise. The cruise line didn't have to do anything for these people... yet it did.

(and it stumps me to no end that it still wasn't enough for these people).

 

This says to me that the cruise lines are desperate to keep it's customers wanting to come back.

 

 

 

And regarding the Superbowl... a lot of those tickets are purchased by companies and given out to employees, clients, etc... so they'll get the 3x face value back on something they might not have even paid for...

[kazu]

For a number of people, booking Air Fare at the time they book their Cruse, or shortly after, is often the only way they can get a good price for a non stop service. These fares usually carry a cancellation fee and for the Cruise Lines to be fair, I feel that they should refund this charge if they cancel the Cruise with less than 12 months notice. If it is over 12 months, then you normally cannot book a flight anyway.[/quote

 

We are in the same boat. To get decent air fares you have to start early quite often. My air fares are all booked for my November cruise, so yes, if it was cancelled there would be a cost to us. For Europe, Australia, etc. we need to plan, look and book.