Very Disappointed - NCL Asia

[khaide612]

The FAQ page says:

 

What time do I board the ship on embarkation day and in ports of call?

 

Boarding Time in Ports of Call:

In all ports of call, it is also the guest's responsibility to be back onboard the ship no later than one (1) hour prior to the ship's scheduled departure time. Please be aware that shipboard time may differ from the port of call and it is the guest's responsibility to follow the shipboard time. In the event a guest misses the ship, it will be the guest's responsibility to pay all expenses incurred to rejoin the ship.

[Doughboy139]

First of all, you're in Ha Long Bay from 8am to 9pm, With a 3 hour drive to and from Hanoi, that would leave you a good 5 hours to tour around Hanoi..

 

Vietnam has very strict visa guidelines, from The information I have seen, The Cruise ship will issue you a visa for each stop in Vietnam good for that day going thru the customs port. There is a cost to your on-board account. The visa is not good for you to stay overnite and catch the ship at the next port..

 

If you really have any questions to this, you should either talk to your PCC or travel agent or call the Vietnamese embassy. But I would go by what NCL is telling you as they are a foreign based cruise line and not a USA cruise line.

[pieshops]

The FAQ page says:

 

What time do I board the ship on embarkation day and in ports of call?

 

Boarding Time in Ports of Call:

In all ports of call, it is also the guest's responsibility to be back onboard the ship no later than one (1) hour prior to the ship's scheduled departure time. Please be aware that shipboard time may differ from the port of call and it is the guest's responsibility to follow the shipboard time. In the event a guest misses the ship, it will be the guest's responsibility to pay all expenses incurred to rejoin the ship.

 

So get this. I called back and spoke with a supervisor, they said that since i did this the correct way and requested they allow this that now if i "accidentally" missed the ship that this would not apply because there is now a record of my request .

 

I said so what you are telling me is I should have just missed the ship and not said anything and they said yes that is what I should have done.

 

i am at a loss for words.

 

I asked them to put the denial in writing to me and they said they would not.

[pieshops]

First of all, you're in Ha Long Bay from 8am to 9pm, With a 3 hour drive to and from Hanoi, that would leave you a good 5 hours to tour around Hanoi..

 

Vietnam has very strict visa guidelines, from The information I have seen, The Cruise ship will issue you a visa for each stop in Vietnam good for that day going thru the customs port. There is a cost to your on-board account. The visa is not good for you to stay overnite and catch the ship at the next port..

 

If you really have any questions to this, you should either talk to your PCC or travel agent or call the Vietnamese embassy. But I would go by what NCL is telling you as they are a foreign based cruise line and not a USA cruise line.

 

Like I said original I did speak with the consular general of Vietnam at their Embassy and they said no problem all I would need to do is apply for a multi entry visa on my own because the ships would not cover me.

 

With a 3 hour each way drive, yes that leaves us 5 hours for touring but doing this privately if any issues and we do miss the ship we are screwed. Additionally like I said the reason for making our way on our own was to visit the village that my wife was born in, her parents were killed in the war and she was adopted at 2 by a Marine.

[macandlucy]

pieshops, just throwing this out there, but do you think NCL might not be aware that you had called the Embassy/Consulate and are informed and prepared to get a visa which permits this special circumstance on your own?

 

Could NCL be saying no because they are aware of this special visa requirement and are not able to take care of that, but UNaware that you are prepared to do it yourself?

[pieshops]

pieshops, just throwing this out there, but do you think NCL might not be aware that you had called the Embassy/Consulate and are informed and prepared to get a visa which permits this special circumstance on your own?

 

Could NCL be saying no because they are aware of this special visa requirement and are not able to take care of that, but UNaware that you are prepared to do it yourself?

 

Nope I told them this, they said it was still a no.

[It's a Ship!!!]

Like I said original I did speak with the consular general of Vietnam at their Embassy and they said no problem all I would need to do is apply for a multi entry visa on my own because the ships would not cover me.

 

With a 3 hour each way drive, yes that leaves us 5 hours for touring but doing this privately if any issues and we do miss the ship we are screwed. Additionally like I said the reason for making our way on our own was to visit the village that my wife was born in, her parents were killed in the war and she was adopted at 2 by a Marine.

Wow, I can't believe they are being so stubborn and unhelpful. Is there a possibility for you to make your way to the village your wife was born in without going all the way to Hanoi? That way you might at least be able to do the main part of what you wanted with less chance of missing the ship (depending on how long it takes to get to the village).

[NLH Arizona]

unfortunately the thing of this cruise coincides with the majority of our kids winter break and allows us to do the 14 day cruise and 7 days combined pre and post cruise, no other time of the year that would not happen.

 

Also the other lines dates and itinerary don't work out and additionally we are booked in a suite on NCL and even an inside cabin on another line would cost more then we are paying for a suite

I understand that the other cruise lines won't work, but have you tried calling them and acting like you are interested in a cruise and ask them the say question. It would be interesting to see what they say.

[pieshops]

Wow' date=' I can't believe they are being so stubborn and unhelpful. Is there a possibility for you to make your way to the village your wife was born in without going all the way to Hanoi? That way you might at least be able to do the main part of what you wanted with less chance of missing the ship (depending on how long it takes to get to the village).[/quote']

 

no it is too far of a round trip to get back in time, we had planned on seeing Hanoi then taking an overnight trip to the village and then onto Da Nang.

 

The ridiculous part of it is The NY times wrote an article on my wife and her parents many years ago when the adoption happened, they wrote another when when our first child was born and they are planning on writing a final story about her return to Vietnam as well as Her Fathers first return there since the war.

 

NCl could have been a part of this story, it would have been a great PR most for them showing the reuniting of her with her family on the inaugural cruise by NCL to Asia. Now the story will be written but NCL will be a part of it on the bad end as we will certainly make sure this gets some press. At least we will still get to the orphanage in Da Nang.

[sfaaa]

n

 

NCl could have been a part of this story, it would have been a great PR most for them showing the reuniting of her with her family on the inaugural cruise by NCL to Asia. Now the story will be written but NCL will be a part of it on the bad end as we will certainly make sure this gets some press. At least we will still get to the orphanage in Da Nang.

 

This is your own personal story and has nothing to do with NCL. Why are you dragging NCL into this?

[pieshops]

This is your own personal story and has nothing to do with NCL. Why are you dragging NCL into this?

 

Why not, they are as much a part of the story now as they were before the reversed their original decision to allow us to rejoin the ship in Da Nang.

 

We would probably not have planned this trip if NCL had not started doing this itinerary. We can not afford any of the other cruise lines doing this route and even if we wanted to none of their schedules work with our childrens school, this was perfect in all ways as it is over winter break.

 

Additionally my in-laws are older and can not get around very well and this was actually the only place they were planning on getting off the ship to go back to the village she came from and to visit the orphanage she came from.

 

Like I said NCL had a wonderful PR story, kind silly not to take advantage of it

[Doughboy139]

no it is too far of a round trip to get back in time, we had planned on seeing Hanoi then taking an overnight trip to the village and then onto Da Nang.

 

The ridiculous part of it is The NY times wrote an article on my wife and her parents many years ago when the adoption happened, they wrote another when when our first child was born and they are planning on writing a final story about her return to Vietnam as well as Her Fathers first return there since the war.

 

NCl could have been a part of this story, it would have been a great PR most for them showing the reuniting of her with her family on the inaugural cruise by NCL to Asia. Now the story will be written but NCL will be a part of it on the bad end as we will certainly make sure this gets some press. At least we will still get to the orphanage in Da Nang.

 

Wow, I can't believe how people always wants to blame NCL when things don't go their way....You have to understand, NCL is the one who sets the guidelines and these guidelines were probably told to them by Vietnam, by rules of their visa requirements for Cruise Ships. If NCL makes an exception for this, then others will look for exceptions too and will be mad if not allowed. Traveling to a visa requirement country is different then travelling to a country without visa requirements......I can sympathize with you wanting to visit the town where your wife was born, and what a wonderful story it is, but maybe you should do a weeks land vacation to Vietnam and take in the full site. I someday will visit Vietnam, but I'm going to make it a land vacation.

[chengkp75]

While the Vietnamese State Department may not have a problem with a person doing this (provided the visas are correct), what may be the problem is that Vietnamese customs and immigration may make it exorbitantly expensive for the cruise line. They will have to submit 3 separate passenger manifests (arriving Hanoi), leaving Hanoi (without your party listed) and arriving Da Nang, and then leaving Da Nang (with your party listed again). I have no idea how Vietnamese customs and immigrations handles this, and whether or not there is a tariff to do this, or even if the ship has the legal right to pick up a passenger in a Vietnamese port (which is what you would be doing in essence, ending one cruise in Hanoi and starting another in Da Nang).

 

This is probably something that NCL agents in the US are not familiar with, but possibly they contacted Star cruises about laws over there, and found out it isn't allowed.

 

The threat to disembark your belongings makes me feel that there is some kind of stiff monetary fine to the ship for this.

 

This kind of thing has become rarer even in the Caribbean over the last couple of years, due to changes in CBP procedures with screening passengers using the manifest throughout the cruise and how submitting a new manifest due to voluntary early disembarkation affects the CBP clearing process at final disembarkation.

 

Just a note to the previous poster who mentioned that they knew someone who got off in Livorno and back on in Rome, while that may be fine in the EU, they could not do the opposite, say get off in a non-Italian port, get on in Rome, get off in Livorno, and then rejoin in either another Italian or foreign port, since coastwise transport of passengers within an EU country is restricted to EU member flag ships, not Panamanian or Bahamian.

[pieshops]

Wow, I can't believe how people always wants to blame NCL when things don't go their way....You have to understand, NCL is the one who sets the guidelines and these guidelines were probably told to them by Vietnam, by rules of their visa requirements for Cruise Ships. If NCL makes an exception for this, then others will look for exceptions too and will be mad if not allowed. Traveling to a visa requirement country is different then travelling to a country without visa requirements......I can sympathize with you wanting to visit the town where your wife was born, and what a wonderful story it is, but maybe you should do a weeks land vacation to Vietnam and take in the full site. I someday will visit Vietnam, but I'm going to make it a land vacation.

 

I am not sure if everyone is reading all my comments but I will repeat it.

 

The Government of Vietnam has no problem with me doing this, I even have a letter from the Embassy saying so.

 

NCL is the one telling me no, when I ask for a reason, they say it is their policy, when I show them the letter from the government of Vietnam, that told me that does not matter it is their decision. THAT IS WHY I AM BLAMING NCL, THEY TOLD ME IT IS THEIR DECISION EVEN AFTER THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OK.

 

As I said previously a land vacation is not possible, it will be hard enough to get my inlays off the ship at the one port, this was the only port they planned on getting off and for this reason only.

[Karysa]

I really don't know the area but some places in the world are safer than others after dark. Could that be the issue here? Perhaps NCL would make themselves vulnerable to a law suit if something were to happen to you if they knew it was unsafe to leave a tourist there at night. Just a thought.

[pieshops]

While the Vietnamese State Department may not have a problem with a person doing this (provided the visas are correct), what may be the problem is that Vietnamese customs and immigration may make it exorbitantly expensive for the cruise line. They will have to submit 3 separate passenger manifests (arriving Hanoi), leaving Hanoi (without your party listed) and arriving Da Nang, and then leaving Da Nang (with your party listed again). I have no idea how Vietnamese customs and immigrations handles this, and whether or not there is a tariff to do this, or even if the ship has the legal right to pick up a passenger in a Vietnamese port (which is what you would be doing in essence, ending one cruise in Hanoi and starting another in Da Nang).

 

This is probably something that NCL agents in the US are not familiar with, but possibly they contacted Star cruises about laws over there, and found out it isn't allowed.

 

The threat to disembark your belongings makes me feel that there is some kind of stiff monetary fine to the ship for this.

 

This kind of thing has become rarer even in the Caribbean over the last couple of years, due to changes in CBP procedures with screening passengers using the manifest throughout the cruise and how submitting a new manifest due to voluntary early disembarkation affects the CBP clearing process at final disembarkation.

 

Just a note to the previous poster who mentioned that they knew someone who got off in Livorno and back on in Rome, while that may be fine in the EU, they could not do the opposite, say get off in a non-Italian port, get on in Rome, get off in Livorno, and then rejoin in either another Italian or foreign port, since coastwise transport of passengers within an EU country is restricted to EU member flag ships, not Panamanian or Bahamian.

 

I could understand if this was the case but I have been told by many people on the Asia board that they have done this on a few different cruise lines as recently as last month with absolutely no issues. They told me the only thing I would have to do on my own is get a multiple entry visa as the ships do not provide this type.

[macandlucy]

I am not sure if everyone is reading all my comments but I will repeat it.

 

The Government of Vietnam has no problem with me doing this, I even have a letter from the Embassy saying so.

 

NCL is the one telling me no, when I ask for a reason, they say it is their policy, when I show them the letter from the government of Vietnam, that told me that does not matter it is their decision. THAT IS WHY I AM BLAMING NCL, THEY TOLD ME IT IS THEIR DECISION EVEN AFTER THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OK.

 

As I said previously a land vacation is not possible, it will be hard enough to get my inlays off the ship at the one port, this was the only port they planned on getting off and for this reason only.

 

Not to mention the fact that they said had you just "been late returning" from your excursion (accidentally on purpose) you could have met them at the next port. But since you pre-advised, there would now be a record, and because of that you'd be denied.

 

It seems odd -- like there's a miscommunication at some level or something.

 

Maybe give it a little time and try again--could be some procedural things still left to be figured out on NCL's end.

 

I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

[pieshops]

Not to mention the fact that they said had you just "been late returning" from your excursion (accidentally on purpose) you could have met them at the next port. But since you pre-advised, there would now be a record, and because of that you'd be denied.

 

It seems odd -- like there's a miscommunication at some level or something.

 

Maybe give it a little time and try again--could be some procedural things still left to be figured out on NCL's end.

 

I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

thanks, thats my point.

 

I plan on trying again in a few months and see what happens.

 

We are going no matter what so maybe a little time will help.

[Doughboy139]

I am not sure if everyone is reading all my comments but I will repeat it.

 

The Government of Vietnam has no problem with me doing this, I even have a letter from the Embassy saying so.

 

NCL is the one telling me no, when I ask for a reason, they say it is their policy, when I show them the letter from the government of Vietnam, that told me that does not matter it is their decision. THAT IS WHY I AM BLAMING NCL, THEY TOLD ME IT IS THEIR DECISION EVEN AFTER THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OK.

 

As I said previously a land vacation is not possible, it will be hard enough to get my inlays off the ship at the one port, this was the only port they planned on getting off and for this reason only.

 

don't go blaming NCL for their decision. Cruise lines set their procedures and policies and we are expected to abide by it...Just because the government of Vietnam says they have no problem with it doesn't mean NCL has to make an exception for you or anybody else.....As I said before, if they make an exception for you then they will have to make the same exception for 2200 other passengers on this cruise....,.

[pieshops]

don't go blaming NCL for their decision. Cruise lines set their procedures and policies and we are expected to abide by it...Just because the government of Vietnam says they have no problem with it doesn't mean NCL has to make an exception for you or anybody else.....As I said before, if they make an exception for you then they will have to make the same exception for 2200 other passengers on this cruise....,.

 

your right, why should I blame NCL for THEIR decision

 

Also if t was their policy I would abide by that and have no issues, but first of all I was originally told ok, secondly when they changed their mind I was told by NCL I would need to write a letter to get permission from NCL which I did. They denied my request. If there were not exceptions made they would have just told me the policy had changed and the answer is now no. What ask me to write a letter if exceptions were not made?

Edited January 22, 2016 by pieshops

[Doughboy139]

your right, why should I blame NCL for THEIR decision

 

Also if t was their policy I would abide by that and have no issues, but first of all I was originally told ok, secondly when they changed their mind I was told by NCL I would need to write a letter to get permission from NCL which I did. They denied my request. If there were not exceptions made they would have just told me the policy had changed and the answer is now no. What ask me to write a letter if exceptions were not made?

 

Yes, Originally you were told yes but upon further review a mistake was made and the decision was then no.....NCL probably had you do a formal letter requesting this so that they have it on file just in case you come back while on the cruise telling them that you were informed that it was OK........As we say in the EMS business if it isn't documented then it wasn't done.

[pieshops]

Yes, Originally you were told yes but upon further review a mistake was made and the decision was then no.....NCL probably had you do a formal letter requesting this so that they have it on file just in case you come back while on the cruise telling them that you were informed that it was OK........As we say in the EMS business if it isn't documented then it wasn't done.

 

Now I know how the other side lives. It is usually me defending NCL to everyone. Wow I must have been really annoying

[NLH Arizona]

Now I know how the other side lives. It is usually me defending NCL to everyone. Wow I must have been really annoying

Please let us know how things work out. Good luck.

[Jane Don]

I think they want you to cancel. If I am not mistaken, you got this cruise as a substitute after the major redeployment was announced. I think they can sell your room for twice (or more) what you paid so they are being uncooperative.

 

Now this is just me and some say I am nuts, but I would do the trip I wanted. I would do it and show up at the next port and dare them to deny me boarding. You are in compliance with their T&C's and there is no reason for them to allow this for others and not you. Have a plan B in place (lots of money accessible) in case they do deny you boarding and tour on your own. Then call a lawyer when you get home. They will let you board though - most probably.

 

I wouldn't worry about them knowing you asked because do you really think they will have their s**t together enough to pull that off?

[pspercy]

Get NYT to call and say they're starting on the story etc.................