How's your cruise company handle flight disruptions?

[RBob]

Uniworld has us booked on KLM from Minneapolis (MSP) to Vienna (VIE) via Amsterdam (AMS) at the end of this month. The flights are actually operated by Northwest Airlines, and as you know, NWA's mechanics will almost certainly go on strike this Friday. NWA of course says that there will be no disruption of service.

 

I can see three things happening: 1) There really is no disruption of service. 2) They start cancelling flights. 3) Flights are delayed, causing missed connections.

 

Are cruise companies active in tracking situations like this? Do they ever try to do anything ahead of time, or are we essentially on our own, now that we have the cruise documents in hand?

[wrp96]

If you booked your airfare through the cruiseline itself, then they will help you get rerouted. But if you didn't book your airfare through the cruiseline, then you are on your own. Since it sounds like you booked through a TA, I would call your TA and ask them what your options are.

[RBob]

If you booked your airfare through the cruiseline itself, then they will help you get rerouted.

 

Yes, we let the cruise line (Uniworld) do the air booking, and I know they're supposed to get us there one way or another, but I'm curious about how "proactive" they're likely to be when everybody can see something like the NWA mechanics strike looming ahead.

 

Do they preemptively rebook passengers, wait 'til each one calls with a tale of woe, or what?

[wrp96]

They probably won't preemptively rebook passengers on the chance that something would happen. The best advice is the have the day of travel number for your cruise line programmed into your phone, and the second you know that there is a definite problem with your flight start calling that number.