9/1 Breakaway Terminating in New Orleans

[Heronymous]

The 8/25 sailing of the Breakaway will be terminating the cruise in New Orleans instead of Miami due to the hurricane. I'm curious what happens after they dump us there. Their update on the website said they would be assisting passengers with travel arrangements, but from what I've seen already that just means they'll let passengers use their phones and computers for free. Has anyone ever experienced this with NCL first-hand before and can enlighten us with what to expect?

 

Thanks

[DaCruiseBug]

I think they're obligated to get you back to Miami. The problem is that there aren't that many open seats on airlines to accommodate 5,000+ people between the Sun & Breakaway. They have in the past chartered flights but it usually takes more than 1 day if it's 1 ship (look at what happened with San Juan) so with 2 ships there and the potential of other cruise lines doing the same thing...could be a disaster.

 

I'm sure the Breakaway can make it to New Orleans by Tuesday morning. If I were you i'd shell out a couple hundred bucks and just buy plane tickets home for your family for Tuesday afternoon. You'll avoid all the chaos that is likely going to occur.

[esm54687]

This is directed at no one in particular but reading all the threads concerning Dorian..... It truly amazes me that incidents happen that cause misdirection and delays of an itinerary but people still travel without trip insurance and then look to the cruise lines / airlines to solve everything....... especially travelling in hurricane season. 

 

The immediate travel logistics will be crazy but at least with trip insurance the financial impact is minimized 

[Son of a son of a ...]

OP - you and 100s of your shipmates will be dumped.  I don’t know if your car is at the port or your home is a flight away.  Yes, this is the time to be rude and get the F out of New Orleans.  Do not choose the path of meekness like many suggest on CC (“oh, just roll with it”).  Ya’ll need to punch out your way out because NCL will not fight for you once your arse is off the ship.

[DaCruiseBug]

4 minutes ago, Son of a son of a ... said:

OP - you and 100s of your shipmates will be dumped.  I don’t know if your car is at the port or your home is a flight away.  Yes, this is the time to be rude and get the F out of New Orleans.  Do not choose the path of meekness like many suggest on CC (“oh, just roll with it”).  Ya’ll need to punch out your way out because NCL will not fight for you once your arse is off the ship.

 

Yup...do what you need to do to avoid chaos. Non-stop New Orleans to LGA or JFK on Delta & JetBlue for $348. A bit pricey but better than waiting 2 days not knowing what's gonna happen and spending money on lodging, transportation, food etc.

[Heronymous]

I do have trip insurance, and not via NCL but with a third party. I'll give them a ring.

[Glide_Path]

2 minutes ago, Heronymous said:

I do have trip insurance, and not via NCL but with a third party. I'll give them a ring.

I think what others are saying is that.... make plans to get home first.   Pay the money, keep the receipts, keep all the NCL notices, document everything.  Book your car, bus, shuttle , flights, whatever... before it's sold out.  Deal with the reimbursement issue later, especially if you have trip insurance.

[Cruising89143]

I would be proactive and get transportation booked ASAP. Not surprised at this move. 

[vacation1996]

United  has non stop  from  New  Orleans

to EWR for $170 us plus $40 per bag ....Sept 4th just in case they change there mind again.

Hotels haven't caught on yet of the diversion  still some left and reasonable .

 

Good luck with your insurance and safe travels

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by vacation1996
add info

[BirdTravels]

Consider 4500 passengers on BA. 2500 on Sun. How many 175 seat 737s does it take to get them out of MSY?  

 

It took days of charters when the Jade stranded passengers in San Juan late last year. Now you have 3x in a small end point airport. 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by BirdTravels

[Tinyturtle22]

Just my “opinion” but the statement

 

 We have been in close communication with government and local port authorities”  

 

Says to me that NCL is no longer calling the shots. This isn’t a broken down ship. This is now an evacuation. 

[BirdTravels]

There is also the PVSA which prevents them from doing what the are doing without fines. 

[DaCruiseBug]

21 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Consider 4500 passengers on BA. 2500 on Sun. How many 175 seat 737s does it take to get them out of MSY?  

 

It took days of charters when the Jade stranded passengers in San Juan late last year. Now you have 3x in a small end point airport. 

 

 

 

New Orleans on a yearly basis handles about 60% more passengers then San Juan. Not sure i'd call it a "small end point airport". Also, San Juan is more complicated because it's an island and not every airplane can fly over water as well as the fact that it's almost twice as far from Miami as New Orleans.

[jonnychoc]

The Sun is also terminating on the 3rd in New Orleans as well.  Just adds to the volume and chaos.

 

Anyone know if the ports are open now to get cars out?  I'm not on the cruise but want to get a friends car out and back to them while they try to get home.

 

Thoughts?

[DaCruiseBug]

2 minutes ago, jonnychoc said:

The Sun is also terminating on the 3rd in New Orleans as well.  Just adds to the volume and chaos.

 

Anyone know if the ports are open now to get cars out?  I'm not on the cruise but want to get a friends car out and back to them while they try to get home.

 

Thoughts?

 

Call and find out -  305-347-4800

[Tinyturtle22]

19 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

There is also the PVSA which prevents them from doing what the are doing without fines. 

Lol. You better call up DHS and warn them they are breaking their own rules by ordering the ships into port.

 

 

[esm54687]

17 minutes ago, Tinyturtle22 said:

Lol. You better call up DHS and warn them they are breaking their own rules by ordering the ships into port.

 

 

Is it DHS ordering ships into port or cruise lines looking for solutions? 

[AshleyDillo]

2 hours ago, Heronymous said:

The 8/25 sailing of the Breakaway will be terminating the cruise in New Orleans instead of Miami due to the hurricane. I'm curious what happens after they dump us there. Their update on the website said they would be assisting passengers with travel arrangements, but from what I've seen already that just means they'll let passengers use their phones and computers for free. Has anyone ever experienced this with NCL first-hand before and can enlighten us with what to expect?

 

Thanks

I think the passengers on the Sun are being compensated $300 for flight changes.

[K_e_short]

2 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

 

Yup...do what you need to do to avoid chaos. Non-stop New Orleans to LGA or JFK on Delta & JetBlue for $348. A bit pricey but better than waiting 2 days not knowing what's gonna happen and spending money on lodging, transportation, food etc.

 

If you think $348 is pricey don't ever try to fly out of a Canadian airport to anywhere within Canada or the U.S.

 

That's a deal.

[put me on a ship]

7 hours ago, jonnychoc said:

The Sun is also terminating on the 3rd in New Orleans as well.  Just adds to the volume and chaos.

 

Anyone know if the ports are open now to get cars out?  I'm not on the cruise but want to get a friends car out and back to them while they try to get home.

 

Thoughts?

Mandatory  evacuations begin today at 8 am. I'm not sure you will be able to go over the causeway. 

[david_sobe]

The Ft Lauderdale and Palm Beach airport are closing at noon today.  But if you are arriving on Wednesday, the airports will hopefully be open by then.  However, with all the cancelled flights, it may be a challenge to get back to south Florida.

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

8 hours ago, Tinyturtle22 said:

Just my “opinion” but the statement

 

 We have been in close communication with government and local port authorities”  

 

Says to me that NCL is no longer calling the shots. This isn’t a broken down ship. This is now an evacuation. 

very true. My heart goes out to those affected by the storm; not just the 5000 passengers but everyone on land as well.. 

[luvcruzing]

6 hours ago, K_e_short said:

 

If you think $348 is pricey don't ever try to fly out of a Canadian airport to anywhere within Canada or the U.S.

 

That's a deal.

Or from Detroit to Miami.

[SouthLyonCruiser]

9 hours ago, Heronymous said:

I do have trip insurance, and not via NCL but with a third party. I'll give them a ring.

A great move on your part. Cruise line insurance is what is called "secondary insurance". That means that you have to file claims with your credit card and homeowners insurance before they will pay. That is why it seems so cheap compared to outside coverage. 

[SouthLyonCruiser]

7 hours ago, K_e_short said:

 

If you think $348 is pricey don't ever try to fly out of a Canadian airport to anywhere within Canada or the U.S.

 

That's a deal.

Canadian taxes and fees are high. We like cruising Alaska but always depart from Seattle because the air fare seems to be about $200 cheaper.