beware of last minute itinerary changes-Norwegian Cruise Line

[jbaldwin393]

Beware of what may happen after you are booked and paid:

Yesterday, 3 days prior to our scheduled departure on an Alaskan cruise, we were informed that one of the three port stops in Alaska would be eliminated. In addition, the ship is returning to the home port of Seattle a day early, and the passengers will spend the last 24 hours of the "Alaskan cruise" docked in the Seattle harbor. This is to accommodate maintenance needs of the Norwegian Jewel. Expressions of concern to Norwegian that eliminating an Alaskan port on an Alaskan cruise, and replacing it with 24 hours in the Seattle harbor was unacceptable and not a remotely equivalent exchange were met with callous indifference, "we have the right to do this", and no effort in remediation. Additionally, this raises the concern that the several hundred passengers embarking on a ship in such dire need of maintenance that it must return to port a day early may not be in a safe situation.

As with many travelers, this is a long-anticipated adventure which is not likely to be repeated, and missing out on a significant portion of the opportunity to explore Alaska is truly disappointing. The lack of a considerate or compassionate response from Norwegian has been even more disheartening. Carefully consider a cruise line's record before booking.

[spookwife]

then perhaps cruising is not for you.

 

ALL mainstream lines have the SAME policy and ALL Mainstream lines have had similar incidents happen to them

 

that being said the Coast Guard would not let them sail if there was ANY doubt as to the safety of the ship.

 

you will be entitled to a refund of the taxes and port fees for the canceled port stop. anything else offered, either on board or at a later date, is not a requirement and would be considered a good will gesture.

 

if you want to explore AK, then your best bet is to do so by land. I hear the train action packages are especially good. Cruises are just 'tastes' of a particular spot.

[chengkp75]

There are some maintenance and repair jobs that cannot be done while the ship is in normal operation. These jobs in no way affect the safety of the passengers, crew, or ship. If your car, which you meticulously maintain, suddenly has a "check engine light" come on and you take it to the garage hoping for a quick fix, but the mechanic says, "nope, gonna take two days", is your car in "dire need of maintenance?"

 

As for singling out NCL, Carnival Liberty did just this a few weeks back in Galveston. They had two bow thrusters fail, which in no way affected the safety of the vessel, since they are used only for docking, and were replaced per local regulations by tugs assisting. The ship returned to port two days early so that they could cut a hole in the hull and renew the two motors.

 

Ships are incredibly complex mechanisms, and many times things break that are unexpected. Even sometimes, there are indications from preventative maintenance that something is about to fail, and the company needs time to repair this before it does fail.

[Langley Cruisers]

The lack of a considerate or compassionate response from Norwegian has been even more disheartening. Carefully consider a cruise line's record before booking.

 

I understand your sadness and frustration. What would you have had them do?

 

Having said that, a cruise line can alter any of its itineraries to suit the needs of the company and yes that sounds harsh, but it's a reality. All lines do this from time to time - you needn't single out NCL.

[6rugrats]

All cruise lines do this, and if you read your cruise contract, you'll see they have the right to. I agree, it's disappointing.

[Langley Cruisers]

According to the multiple threads on the NCL board, passengers were given $100 OBC due to the missed port. You may find it so petty as to call it "no effort" but it is $100 more than NCL is obligated or required to offer.

 

Nice! Very fair, I'd say. Others, not so much, obviously.. ;)

[iheartbda]

Can't add anything to what others have posted and explained. All I will say is it's a good thing they didn't post on the NCL board.;):D

[demcpita]

WOWZA, jbaldwin393, how dare you expect to get what you actually paid for. I bet if you bought a car and at delivery they handed you a check for $100 with a note that said "Sorry there are no wheels, but we have the right to do that" you'd complain too. :D

 

From one who is admittedly far less educated in the world of cruising than those having made 1000's of post, I feel your pain and would also be upset. Hurricane, mechanical breakdown, etc., I would understand, but if they just decided to do routine maintenance, that's just wrong to do to a customer, whether they can or not. If it can be scheduled, do it after the cruise, but if it can't wait, then why is the ship being used.

 

Just my humble 2 cents. Hope it's not to disappointing for you and your group and that you enjoy what's left of the cruise.

[Cuizer2]

Beware of what may happen after you are booked and paid:

Yesterday, 3 days prior to our scheduled departure on an Alaskan cruise, we were informed that one of the three port stops in Alaska would be eliminated. In addition, the ship is returning to the home port of Seattle a day early, and the passengers will spend the last 24 hours of the "Alaskan cruise" docked in the Seattle harbor. This is to accommodate maintenance needs of the Norwegian Jewel. Expressions of concern to Norwegian that eliminating an Alaskan port on an Alaskan cruise, and replacing it with 24 hours in the Seattle harbor was unacceptable and not a remotely equivalent exchange were met with callous indifference, "we have the right to do this", and no effort in remediation. Additionally, this raises the concern that the several hundred passengers embarking on a ship in such dire need of maintenance that it must return to port a day early may not be in a safe situation.

As with many travelers, this is a long-anticipated adventure which is not likely to be repeated, and missing out on a significant portion of the opportunity to explore Alaska is truly disappointing. The lack of a considerate or compassionate response from Norwegian has been even more disheartening. Carefully consider a cruise line's record before booking.

 

What would you have them do? Cancel the cruise completely and provide a full refund? Then you would not see Alaska at all. Perhaps they could overnight in one of the Alaskan ports, but not all ports have what is required to perform maintenance on a large ship. Also, the port space they would take up may have already been allocated to another ship, making overnighting impossible.

 

As already mentioned, NCL's policy is not any different than the other cruise lines. The cruise contract was available for your reading before you made final payment. Did you read it? If you had, you would know what everyone else who has posted on this thread already knows.

 

Mechanical things sometimes break and need fixing. Sometimes these things happen without notice. The amount of danger posed by mechanical issues can vary from nil (one of many printers stopped working) to inconvenient (I once had a cabin door refuse to open - a carpenter had to be called to fix it) to great (all the engines fail leaving the ship drifting).

 

The printer might be necessary and it might need to be replaced ASAP, but it poses no danger to the operation of the ship. I realize that if the ship need to be docked to fix it, the issue likely is not a printer. However, a thruster saves the ship from having to pay for a tug boat. It could be something involved with the ship's ability to make fresh water. Then the ship has to buy the water, but it can still operate safely. You don't know what is wrong, so you are in no position to judge if the problem affects the safe operation of the ship.

 

The bottom line here is, something happened. I'm sorry it happened to you, however, sometimes bad things happen to good people. I'm sure NCL did not make the decision to change its itinerary on a whim. Try to make the best of it. But don't let it ruin your vacation, or instead of losing a day, you will have lost the entire week.

[Cuizer2]

WOWZA, jbaldwin393, how dare you expect to get what you actually paid for. I bet if you bought a car and at delivery they handed you a check for $100 with a note that said "Sorry there are no wheels, but we have the right to do that" you'd complain too. :D

 

From one who is admittedly far less educated in the world of cruising than those having made 1000's of post, I feel your pain and would also be upset. Hurricane, mechanical breakdown, etc., I would understand, but if they just decided to do routine maintenance, that's just wrong to do to a customer, whether they can or not. If it can be scheduled, do it after the cruise, but if it can't wait, then why is the ship being used.

 

Just my humble 2 cents. Hope it's not to disappointing for you and your group and that you enjoy what's left of the cruise.

 

You have a right to expect to receive what you paid for. But given that there is some problem that requires the ship be in port to fix, what would you suggest that NCL do? It is easy to complain, not so easy to come up with a solution. Sometimes mechanical things break without notice. How would you handle this differently?

[njhorseman]

WOWZA, jbaldwin393, how dare you expect to get what you actually paid for. I bet if you bought a car and at delivery they handed you a check for $100 with a note that said "Sorry there are no wheels, but we have the right to do that" you'd complain too. :D

 

From one who is admittedly far less educated in the world of cruising than those having made 1000's of post, I feel your pain and would also be upset. Hurricane, mechanical breakdown, etc., I would understand, but if they just decided to do routine maintenance, that's just wrong to do to a customer, whether they can or not. If it can be scheduled, do it after the cruise, but if it can't wait, then why is the ship being used.

 

Just my humble 2 cents. Hope it's not to disappointing for you and your group and that you enjoy what's left of the cruise.

 

I can assure you it's not routine maintenance. Cruise lines don't change cruise schedules in the midst of a cruise for routine maintenance. Obviously they need more time to make repairs than they would have on a normal turnaround day, so they're coming back a day early.

 

I understand why passengers might be upset at this turn of events, but try using some logic and common sense. Do you think cruise lines want to anger their customers by doing something that they know will upset them?

[chengkp75]

WOWZA, jbaldwin393, how dare you expect to get what you actually paid for. I bet if you bought a car and at delivery they handed you a check for $100 with a note that said "Sorry there are no wheels, but we have the right to do that" you'd complain too. :D

 

From one who is admittedly far less educated in the world of cruising than those having made 1000's of post, I feel your pain and would also be upset. Hurricane, mechanical breakdown, etc., I would understand, but if they just decided to do routine maintenance, that's just wrong to do to a customer, whether they can or not. If it can be scheduled, do it after the cruise, but if it can't wait, then why is the ship being used.

 

Just my humble 2 cents. Hope it's not to disappointing for you and your group and that you enjoy what's left of the cruise.

 

If the contract of sale for the car said that they could deliver it without some parts, then you wouldn't have any right to complain either. The cruise contract and the terms and conditions spell out the "seller's" and the "buyer's" responsibilities and limitations, just like the contract of sale for the car. If you don't read it, understand it, and believe it, then it is simply a case of "buyer beware".

[navybankerteacher]

This sort of thing can happen on any ship, sailing for any line. What makes this one worthy of comment is that it is on NCL - which has an aggressive business plan regarding customer service. Why would people aware of NCL's nickel and diming expect the sort of significantly more generous compensation other lines offer in similar circumstances (as reported on related NCL thread by several posters)?

[John Bull]

I think most of us do feel for the OP .

 

Hmmm. Wouldn't know it, Sparks, from the tone of some of the posters on here.

 

Those folk are right, of course, the OP doesn't have a leg to stand on. But those folks know the ropes, probably went through something similar years ago. Don't they remember their own disappointment the first time something like that happened ?

 

And it's no good folk rabbiting on about reading the contract. :rolleyes:

Firstly contracts aren't sacrosanct, on your side of the Pond or mine. Lose two ports or more and, depending very much on the reason, we're heading toward a "major change", giving passengers some redress such as the right to cancel for a full refund. Been there, done that, and won. And Cheng, in the UK at least, your example of a car sold without certain parts probably wouldn't be "fit for purpose" so a court would come down on the side of the buyer.

Secondly nobody, repeat nobody, reads all the terms & conditions of every contract they get involved in - that'd take 25 hours a day. In the main we find these things out the hard way.

 

A little more understanding & compassion when responding costs nothing, folks.;)

 

JB :)

[DougH]

If it can be scheduled, do it after the cruise, but if it can't wait, then why is the ship being used.

 

So how do they do it "after the cruise" when the next one is scheduled to leave the day you get off? The ship is scheduled months/years in advance and if something is broken they have to fix it.

 

Sorry it happened to you but missing a port happens all the time for many reasons.

[myfuzzy]

Beware of what may happen after you are booked and paid:

Yesterday, 3 days prior to our scheduled departure on an Alaskan cruise, we were informed that one of the three port stops in Alaska would be eliminated. In addition, the ship is returning to the home port of Seattle a day early, and the passengers will spend the last 24 hours of the "Alaskan cruise" docked in the Seattle harbor. This is to accommodate maintenance needs of the Norwegian Jewel. Expressions of concern to Norwegian that eliminating an Alaskan port on an Alaskan cruise, and replacing it with 24 hours in the Seattle harbor was unacceptable and not a remotely equivalent exchange were met with callous indifference, "we have the right to do this", and no effort in remediation. Additionally, this raises the concern that the several hundred passengers embarking on a ship in such dire need of maintenance that it must return to port a day early may not be in a safe situation.

As with many travelers, this is a long-anticipated adventure which is not likely to be repeated, and missing out on a significant portion of the opportunity to explore Alaska is truly disappointing. The lack of a considerate or compassionate response from Norwegian has been even more disheartening. Carefully consider a cruise line's record before booking.

 

 

Actually your first sentence paraphrases the words in the cruise contract.. If for any reason, safety or otherwise, they have the right to deviate from the itinerary, WITHOUT any compensation. I would consider myself lucky to be safe than in harms way. BTW, did you hear that the Caribbean Princess lost propulsion 25 miles off the coast of Ireland yesterday, bypassing Dublin. Hmmm, I wonder how they got compensated.

[demcpita]

JB, you da man! Ditto and happy cruising.

[1025cruise]

I don't think anyone was saying that they wouldn't be disappointed, but, unfortunately, it happens. The cruise contract allows it. While it would be nice for the cruise line to provide more compensation, there is nothing compelling them to do so.

 

How would you feel if you were cruising to the Caribbean and due to a hurricane hitting, you got diverted to the Bahamas? I know I'd be upset, but I'd rather be safe.

[Cuizer2]

Hmmm. Wouldn't know it, Sparks, from the tone of some of the posters on here.

 

Those folk are right, of course, the OP doesn't have a leg to stand on. But those folks know the ropes, probably went through something similar years ago. Don't they remember their own disappointment the first time something like that happened ?

 

And it's no good folk rabbiting on about reading the contract. :rolleyes:

Firstly contracts aren't sacrosanct, on your side of the Pond or mine. Lose two ports or more and, depending very much on the reason, we're heading toward a "major change", giving passengers some redress such as the right to cancel for a full refund. Been there, done that, and won. And Cheng, in the UK at least, your example of a car sold without certain parts probably wouldn't be "fit for purpose" so a court would come down on the side of the buyer.

Secondly nobody, repeat nobody, reads all the terms & conditions of every contract they get involved in - that'd take 25 hours a day. In the main we find these things out the hard way.

 

A little more understanding & compassion when responding costs nothing, folks.;)

 

JB :)

 

The consumer protection laws are much stronger in England than they are in the US, which is likely the reason you pay more for your cruise than we do in the US.

 

I feel sorry for the OP and understand that the OP is disappointed. But the OP only came here to complaint. I would have more respect if the OP had several posts in the roll call section and simply pointed out the facts rather than make it look this NCL would do this on a whim any time NCL pleases.

[sparks1093]

Hmmm. Wouldn't know it, Sparks, from the tone of some of the posters on here.

 

Those folk are right, of course, the OP doesn't have a leg to stand on. But those folks know the ropes, probably went through something similar years ago. Don't they remember their own disappointment the first time something like that happened ?

 

And it's no good folk rabbiting on about reading the contract. :rolleyes:

Firstly contracts aren't sacrosanct, on your side of the Pond or mine. Lose two ports or more and, depending very much on the reason, we're heading toward a "major change", giving passengers some redress such as the right to cancel for a full refund. Been there, done that, and won. And Cheng, in the UK at least, your example of a car sold without certain parts probably wouldn't be "fit for purpose" so a court would come down on the side of the buyer.

Secondly nobody, repeat nobody, reads all the terms & conditions of every contract they get involved in - that'd take 25 hours a day. In the main we find these things out the hard way.

 

A little more understanding & compassion when responding costs nothing, folks.;)

 

JB :)

 

Of course the individual facts are always going to determine what happens next. And yes, compassion and understanding when responding could be a little more prevalent on all of the forums:). I was glad to read that NCL has made it's compensation offer more robust.

[jm485]

Those folks pointing to the cruise contract as "proof" that NCL had no obligation to do anything for these passengers might want to read the contract more closely, since it might be useful info for them someday. There are different obligations when a cruise is impacted by mechanical issues vs. issues like weather. Seems to be along the lines of airlines having to do more for passengers when flights are delayed by maintenance or crew issues vs. ATC or weather.

 

Glad NCL finally did the right thing and offered a refund for the missed day.

[helen haywood]

There is another thread on this issue on the Norwegian boards. This specific cruise. Apparently a passenger got a local news station involved and NCL has changed their compensation amount and the passengers are now satisfied. (Well, as much as can be missing a port, etc.)

[Eleteace]

Heya!

 

Yep this annoying but one of the perils of cruising. I've had ports cancelled for so many reasons that I actually wrote a blog post about it :')

 

It may be of interest to you https://cruisingisntjustforoldpeople.co.uk/2016/09/20/cruise-itineraries-expect-the-unexpected-4-reasons-why-your-route-might-change/

 

Cheers :)

[Aquahound]

WOWZA, jbaldwin393, how dare you expect to get what you actually paid for. I bet if you bought a car and at delivery they handed you a check for $100 with a note that said "Sorry there are no wheels, but we have the right to do that" you'd complain too. :D

 

From one who is admittedly far less educated in the world of cruising than those having made 1000's of post, I feel your pain and would also be upset. Hurricane, mechanical breakdown, etc., I would understand, but if they just decided to do routine maintenance, that's just wrong to do to a customer, whether they can or not. If it can be scheduled, do it after the cruise, but if it can't wait, then why is the ship being used.

 

Just my humble 2 cents. Hope it's not to disappointing for you and your group and that you enjoy what's left of the cruise.

 

I totally agree with you. Regardless of how often this happens, it still does not change the frustration the OP must feel. It would be nice if people could show an ounce of sympathy rather than quoting contracts, etc. :rolleyes:

[Arzeena]

Beware of what may happen after you are booked and paid:

Yesterday, 3 days prior to our scheduled departure on an Alaskan cruise, we were informed that one of the three port stops in Alaska would be eliminated. In addition, the ship is returning to the home port of Seattle a day early, and the passengers will spend the last 24 hours of the "Alaskan cruise" docked in the Seattle harbor. This is to accommodate maintenance needs of the Norwegian Jewel. Expressions of concern to Norwegian that eliminating an Alaskan port on an Alaskan cruise, and replacing it with 24 hours in the Seattle harbor was unacceptable and not a remotely equivalent exchange were met with callous indifference, "we have the right to do this", and no effort in remediation. Additionally, this raises the concern that the several hundred passengers embarking on a ship in such dire need of maintenance that it must return to port a day early may not be in a safe situation.

As with many travelers, this is a long-anticipated adventure which is not likely to be repeated, and missing out on a significant portion of the opportunity to explore Alaska is truly disappointing. The lack of a considerate or compassionate response from Norwegian has been even more disheartening. Carefully consider a cruise line's record before booking.

 

That is a bummer. But if it makes you feel better, let me say that it happens with all cruise lines for various reasons. You signed the contract that covers itinerary changes. I am hoping you read that? Hope you give NCL another try. Good Luck.

Edited September 26, 2016 by Arzeena