NCL Spirit Tender Crash

[Bocadude85]

Let me just start of by saying this is going to be long winded and full of grammatical errors as I am irritated and venting about our experience onboard and with dealing with NCL guest relations.

 

We were aboard the 10/3/22 voyage of the Spirit from Vancouver to Honolulu, while the itinerary and cruise overall were great we did have a minor issue with our room flooding and being unusable for a day, the head of housekeeping was nice and moved us from our balcony cabin to a inside cabin while the issue was resolved. However the big incident happened when we were tendering in Lahaina, Maui. We were on one of the later tenders returning to the ship, so it was my husband and I another couple who sat next to us and a few older couples, the rest of the passengers consisted of crew members. Once we left the dock to head for the ship it quickly became clear that the operator of the tender was either impaired in some way or had zero training on how to operate the tender, we were zig zagging in all directions and were not on the same course as the tender in front of us. Finally another member of the crew assisted the tender operator and we were finally on course for the ship. Once we started to approach the ship we could tell something wasn’t right once again as the operator had put the tender into full throttle, we we’re heading for the side of the ship at full speed, before we knew it we made impact with the side of the Spirit, everyone and everything went flying. We were flung face first into the couple sitting in front of us, those unlucky enough to be sitting in the front of the tender were flung into the sides of the tender, some of these people were injured and required medical assistance. People were screaming in horror and I must say it was somewhat of a horrifying experience and for a brief moment I was scanning the tender for ways out if need be, however another crew member quickly took control of the tender and we managed to dock with the Spirit. Once docked those that needed medical assistance stayed onboard the tender, the crew was silent..no explanation as to what happened or any apology for the incident at all. A day later we were asked to come to guest services to speak about the incident, when we got to the service desk a representative spoke to us and had said rough water was the cause of the accident, we disputed this claim as the water was perfectly calm. We asked to speak with a manager and we’re told she was busy and to come back later. We inquired if we could please get her card so we knew who to ask for once we return. The representative went into the back from a few moments and returned and said it was not possible to get a card so we then asked for her name…the representative once again walked into the back for a few minutes and this time returned with the guest services manager who was clearly irritated that she had to speak with us, she immediately came over to us and said “ you are here to speak about the tender incident, the tender struck rocks and we are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you”. We again pushed back that if the tender had struck rocks the the Spirit itself would have had to hit the same rocks since the ship is what we struck. She maintained that it was a group of rocks that we struck and said there is nothing more so can say or do and said we would have a letter in our room with a case # and to reach out to NCL guest relations once we arrive home for further assistance with the matter. We left the desk and decided to enjoy the last two days of the cruise. Once home I reached out to the guest relations desk with the claim number provided to us and finally got a email back today that more or less read “ we are sorry to heard about the tender incident,  we value you as a guest and hope this isn’t a deterrent to book with us again”. I was very surprised by the wording of the email I got this morning, I was hoping for NCL to take responsibility for the accident and acknowledge that the crew handled the situation terribly but that certainly isn’t what happened. We are sapphire and have been very loyal to NCL but the way this whole experience has been handled is making me think it’s time to try another cruise line. 

[Two Wheels Only]

25 minutes ago, Bocadude85 said:

I was hoping for NCL to take responsibility for the accident and acknowledge that the crew handled the situation terribly but that certainly isn’t what happened.

 

I have a few questions just for clarification.....

 

Were there any serious injuries that you could see? 

 

Are you more upset with the crew members that were on the tender or with the crew members that you spoke to at Guest Services?

 

Do you believe that Guest Services was told one thing by the tender crew (and accepted that as the truth) and didn't believe your version of events?

 

Do you believe that Guest Services tried to sweep everything under the rug or minimize the event by lying to you?

 

What could Guest Services have done to better handle the situation while you were on the ship?

 

What could Guest Relations have done to better handle the situation after you had returned home?

[mjkacmom]

So you are surprised that a company doesn’t apologize and accept blame? I think their legal department would not be happy with that. We’re you injured?

[Bocadude85]

1 minute ago, mjkacmom said:

So you are surprised that a company doesn’t apologize and accept blame? I think their legal department would not be happy with that. Were you injured?

I’m not surprised by it, but when something like this happens I would think that NCL would at the very least have some kind of concern for their passengers. No serious injuries for my husband or I.. just some minor neck  pain for a few days. After posting this I was contacted by a NCL representative wanting me to book another cruise.. I explained to him my frustration and his response to me was to go ahead and book another cruise with him right now and once that’s done he can reach out to the help desk and let them know I am unhappy with the way the situation was handled.. but it would be best for me to have a cruise booked prior to him doing so… this has frustrated me even more. I get NCL is in the business of making money but they are also in the business of customer service and guest relations and this certainly is not the way to go about things. But I’m just one guest out of millions so one lost customer is no biggie to them. 

[mjkacmom]

2 minutes ago, Bocadude85 said:

I’m not surprised by it, but when something like this happens I would think that NCL would at the very least have some kind of concern for their passengers. No serious injuries for my husband or I.. just some minor neck  pain for a few days. After posting this I was contacted by a NCL representative wanting me to book another cruise.. I explained to him my frustration and his response to me was to go ahead and book another cruise with him right now and once that’s done he can reach out to the help desk and let them know I am unhappy with the way the situation was handled.. but it would be best for me to have a cruise booked prior to him doing so… this has frustrated me even more. I get NCL is in the business of making money but they are also in the business of customer service and guest relations and this certainly is not the way to go about things. But I’m just one guest out of millions so one lost customer is no biggie to them. 

I think most would handle it the same way. I’ve seen so many complains about not getting an apology for situations where the employees made mistakes, and it just isn’t going to happen in this litigious society.

[Bocadude85]

18 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I have a few questions just for clarification.....

 

Were there any serious injuries that you could see? 

The most serious injury was a woman whose head made contact with the side of the tender, she had a group of people around her and was unable to stand, most other people were either just scared or had minor bumps or strains.

Are you more upset with the crew members that were on the tender or with the crew members that you spoke to at Guest Services?

The only crew member onboard the tender that I was upset with was the one operating the tender. 

Do you believe that Guest Services was told one thing by the tender crew (and accepted that as the truth) and didn't believe your version of events? 
Absolutely, NCL can’t accept fault for something like this. 

 

Do you believe that Guest Services tried to sweep everything under the rug or minimize the event by lying to you?

They were certainly lying as the version of events kept changing day to day. 

What could Guest Services have done to better handle the situation while you were on the ship?

Show some kind of concern or compassion for the passengers. I would have been satisfied with a I’m so sorry this happened and we will do everything possible to ensure it never happens again.

 

What could Guest Relations have done to better handle the situation after you had returned home?

Guest relations was more concerned with getting me to book another cruise then with the situation itself..while I understand that is their job it didn’t sit well with me.

 

[Laszlo]

Not sure how this would play out but......

 

Federal law requires the operator or owner of a recreational vessel to file a boating accident report with the State reporting authority if the recreational vessel is involved in an accident that results in any of the following:

• A person dies
• A person is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid
• A person disappears from the vessel under circumstances that indicate death or injury
• Damage to vessels and other property totals $2,000 (lower amounts in some states and territories).
• The boat is destroyed.

Report Timelines:

• Within 48 hours if a person, dies within 24 hours, is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid, or disappears from the vessel under circumstances that indicate death or injury. 
• Within 10 days of the occurrence or death if earlier reporting is not required.

The information you provide is used to establish regulations and safety standards, identify
and remedy boat defects, educate recreational boaters, capture statistical data, investigate
accidents, and measure the effectiveness of boating safety programs.

Accident Reporting Forms
Forms may be found on the Coast Guard's Directive and Publications Division Website at http://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-C4IT-CG-6/The-Office-of-Information-Management-CG-61/Forms-Management/CG-Forms/ or entering the form numbers into a web search engine.

CG-3865 Recreational Boating Accident Report

CG-3865-SP Reporte Del Accidente En Barcos De Recreacion

Most states and territories accept this form, although some have their own. 

A listing of contacts for the state's primary boating authority may be found at https://www.nasbla.org/about-nasbla/boating-contacts . Reports are generally sent to the Boat Accident Report Database administrator.

Edited November 3, 2022 by Laszlo

[JGmf]

Sorry this happened to you and the others.

 

I can understand how Guest Services staff, on the ship, would be reluctant to acknowledge, admit, or promise anything as their legal department was/is surely involved. 

 

A month later, though, they surely would figure out how to handle your inquiry with say more compassion and understanding.

 

That said, I don't know what they could do for you to "make it right" for you.  Maybe 50% discount on future cruise or something like that?

[PTC DAWG]

I doubt I would have said anything myself, I would be glad I wasn't injured and made it back to the ship fine.  Tendering has its inherent dangers for sure.  

[craig01020]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

I doubt I would have said anything myself, I would be glad I wasn't injured and made it back to the ship fine.  Tendering has its inherent dangers for sure.  

I might have just kicked the crap out of the idiot "driving" the tender.

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, Bocadude85 said:

Let me just start of by saying this is going to be long winded and full of grammatical errors as I am irritated and venting about our experience onboard and with dealing with NCL guest relations.

 

We were aboard the 10/3/22 voyage of the Spirit from Vancouver to Honolulu, while the itinerary and cruise overall were great we did have a minor issue with our room flooding and being unusable for a day, the head of housekeeping was nice and moved us from our balcony cabin to a inside cabin while the issue was resolved. However the big incident happened when we were tendering in Lahaina, Maui. We were on one of the later tenders returning to the ship, so it was my husband and I another couple who sat next to us and a few older couples, the rest of the passengers consisted of crew members. Once we left the dock to head for the ship it quickly became clear that the operator of the tender was either impaired in some way or had zero training on how to operate the tender, we were zig zagging in all directions and were not on the same course as the tender in front of us. Finally another member of the crew assisted the tender operator and we were finally on course for the ship. Once we started to approach the ship we could tell something wasn’t right once again as the operator had put the tender into full throttle, we we’re heading for the side of the ship at full speed, before we knew it we made impact with the side of the Spirit, everyone and everything went flying. We were flung face first into the couple sitting in front of us, those unlucky enough to be sitting in the front of the tender were flung into the sides of the tender, some of these people were injured and required medical assistance. People were screaming in horror and I must say it was somewhat of a horrifying experience and for a brief moment I was scanning the tender for ways out if need be, however another crew member quickly took control of the tender and we managed to dock with the Spirit. Once docked those that needed medical assistance stayed onboard the tender, the crew was silent..no explanation as to what happened or any apology for the incident at all. A day later we were asked to come to guest services to speak about the incident, when we got to the service desk a representative spoke to us and had said rough water was the cause of the accident, we disputed this claim as the water was perfectly calm. We asked to speak with a manager and we’re told she was busy and to come back later. We inquired if we could please get her card so we knew who to ask for once we return. The representative went into the back from a few moments and returned and said it was not possible to get a card so we then asked for her name…the representative once again walked into the back for a few minutes and this time returned with the guest services manager who was clearly irritated that she had to speak with us, she immediately came over to us and said “ you are here to speak about the tender incident, the tender struck rocks and we are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you”. We again pushed back that if the tender had struck rocks the the Spirit itself would have had to hit the same rocks since the ship is what we struck. She maintained that it was a group of rocks that we struck and said there is nothing more so can say or do and said we would have a letter in our room with a case # and to reach out to NCL guest relations once we arrive home for further assistance with the matter. We left the desk and decided to enjoy the last two days of the cruise. Once home I reached out to the guest relations desk with the claim number provided to us and finally got a email back today that more or less read “ we are sorry to heard about the tender incident,  we value you as a guest and hope this isn’t a deterrent to book with us again”. I was very surprised by the wording of the email I got this morning, I was hoping for NCL to take responsibility for the accident and acknowledge that the crew handled the situation terribly but that certainly isn’t what happened. We are sapphire and have been very loyal to NCL but the way this whole experience has been handled is making me think it’s time to try another cruise line. 

 

For future passengers in similar situations 

First, do not sign anything that releases the cruise line from responsibility for the accident. 

Second, organize a meeting with the General Manager, no one less - don't bother with the clerks at the desk. 

Third, file a formal report with the ship's safety officer 

Fourth, get medically assessed at the ship's expense, regardless if you feel "o.k."

 

We were on a Royal shoreex in St. Thomas when our open air safari bus taxi was weaving through traffic, side swiped an on-coming car and swerved head on into a rock wall. The ship wanted to make our injuries (bumps and bruises from being thrown into the bench seat in front of us) our fault for not sitting properly in the "bus". 

[Laszlo]

I'm curious if this was a tender from the ship or a third party at the port? Any video of what happened?

[ChiefMateJRK]

28 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

I'm curious if this was a tender from the ship or a third party at the port?

This.

[Oakman58]

Having retired from working in the transportation industry for 35 years I will give this advice to anyone who is involved in an accident no matter how trivial or major, always, always, claim you are injured.

[Bocadude85]

22 hours ago, Laszlo said:

I'm curious if this was a tender from the ship or a third party at the port? Any video of what happened?

It was a tender from the ship, the chief officer came down a few days after the accident and spoke to the passengers that were involved and he informed us that the tender was inspected and being repaired. Unfortunately no video..really wish I had filmed.

[Laszlo]

36 minutes ago, Bocadude85 said:

It was a tender from the ship, the chief officer came down a few days after the accident and spoke to the passengers that were involved and he informed us that the tender was inspected and being repaired. Unfortunately no video..really wish I had filmed.

I'm assuming nothing was filed with the CG, same nobody had a camera going

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 11/3/2022 at 10:57 AM, Bocadude85 said:

Once we started to approach the ship we could tell something wasn’t right once again as the operator had put the tender into full throttle, we we’re heading for the side of the ship at full speed, before we knew it we made impact with the side of the Spirit, everyone and everything went flying.

I'm curious how the propulsion works on a tender.  Is it possible that the operator had put it into full throttle in "reverse" to try NOT to hit the side of the ship?  Picture reverse thrusters on an airliner.

 

You didn't really mean "full speed," did you?  That would very likely have resulted in much worse consequences.