NCL Air Transportation Problem

[GiveMeABreaj]

My sister, brother, sister-in-law and myself are going on the NCL Viva in March. We are flying from Philadelphia to Puerto Rico. My sister and myself are both disabled senior citizens (mobility and visually impaired). We have airfare included through NCL. Going there is fine, we are all scheduled on the same flight but coming home we are on different flights, non-direct, leaving Puerto Rico and arriving back in Philadelphia at different times. Our travel agent says NCL refuses to change us all to the same flight. Is there anything that can be done?

[FOPMan]

Are you all part of the same reservation/staying in the same cabin on the cruise ship? If so, NCL normally books all people on the same reservation together. At the basic level, which I think you picked, NCL picks the flight times, the routes, and the airlines. They have other options that give you more choices, at higher cost.

 

If you do NOT have the same cruise reservation number, you should call NCL's air department at 1-866-625-1163.

[GiveMeABreaj]

Unfortunately we did not know this when we booked. Two other people decided to come along to help us out with the travel part but now the nurse is not booked on the same flight as us and we're on our own again. No mention of this when we/they booked however.

[FOPMan]

You might ask NCL, but I think they require all special flight arrangements be made 110 days in advance of travel.

 

I'd look at potentially buying a separate. return ticket and not using what you got through NCL. I think airlines like Frontier have very inexpensive nonstop flights between Philadelphia and Puerto Rico.

 

 

 

 

[FOPMan]

If your mobility difficulties are addressed by using a wheelchair or a scooter and you CANNOT climb the stairs of a bus, you really need to let NCL know so they can have an accessible vehicle for you.

 

Did you book an accessible cabin(s)? The cruise staff cannot provide wheelchair pushers on a regular basis during your cruise. They can help with initial boarding, on the gangway to get off and on the ship in various ports, and disembarking.

[GiveMeABreaj]

Thanks for your reply but I do not require any of that and have made arrangements for what I actually do need. My biggest requirement is help while travelling to/from the ship and I thought that had been taken are of by making arrangements to travel with someone qualified to help (an RN) but NCL refuses to put us on the same flight. I have agreed to wheelchairs at the airport coming home but I'm not sure we'll need them. We will however need other assistance. NCL's disability department seems to think a wheelchair is the answer to everything. 

[FOPMan]

Wheelchair assistance is commonly provided at most airports and is a usual, if not ideal, method of assisting those who need help traversing distances or navigating an airport.

 

Airport and airline staff do not provide personal or medical services unless there is an emergency.  Airline staff can help with things like seatbelts, stowing bags, and providing the airline's normal food and beverage service.

 

Philadelphia airport is pretty good, from an accessibility perspective. I have flown in and out of there many times. I am unsure about Puerto Rico I haven't flown tonor from there once.

[GiveMeABreaj]

Thank you. I understand what to expect and am not anticipating the airline staff to do anything much for me; I have requested wheelchairs at the airport just in case we need them.

 

My problem is that we have an RN accompanying us on this trip to help us but NCL refuses to put them on the same flight home as us. We are leaving Puerto Rico and flying to Miami, then changing planes and flying home to Philadelphia. Meanwhile the RN is scheduled to leave Puerto Rico after us, fly to another city in the Northeast and then onto the Philadelphia airport where we will be waiting to meet up and drive home (around midnight). My problem is that NCL refuses to let us travel with the person who is coming along to help us. 

[FOPMan]

I'd attempt to cancel the flight with them and book separately. One way, nonstop flights are available in March between Jan Juan and Philadelphia for about $100 pp base on Frontier, using code DEALS. Even if NCL wouldn't refund airfare, it may still be worth it to you to avoid having to change planes (you shouldn't have to clear customs/immigration and your bags should automatically be transferred in Miami, but the American Airlines terminal in Miami is pretty big and a pain to deal with.

[realaud]

On 1/2/2024 at 10:34 AM, GiveMeABreaj said:

My sister, brother, sister-in-law and myself are going on the NCL Viva in March. We are flying from Philadelphia to Puerto Rico. My sister and myself are both disabled senior citizens (mobility and visually impaired). We have airfare included through NCL. Going there is fine, we are all scheduled on the same flight but coming home we are on different flights, non-direct, leaving Puerto Rico and arriving back in Philadelphia at different times. Our travel agent says NCL refuses to change us all to the same flight. Is there anything that can be done?

Usually after booking the cruise, if parties have different booking numbers, you should link the reservations before the air reservations are made. Linked reservations are booked together, as long as everyone is booked/linked orior to 75 days before sailing. They don't book the air until 75 days out. 

 

Your only option now is to try to get them to change the reservations by explaining the necessity of having the assistance. They may be willing to do it for a hefty change fee.

[FOPMan]

6 minutes ago, realaud said:

Usually after booking the cruise, if parties have different booking numbers, you should link the reservations before the air reservations are made. Linked reservations are booked together, as long as everyone is booked/linked orior to 75 days before sailing. They don't book the air until 75 days out. 

 

Your only option now is to try to get them to change the reservations by explaining the necessity of having the assistance. They may be willing to do it for a hefty change fee.

 According to the NCL website, custom air arrangements need to be made through NCL 110 days prior to sailing. See https://www.ncl.com/air-service-standards

[realaud]

2 hours ago, FOPMan said:

 According to the NCL website, custom air arrangements need to be made through NCL 110 days prior to sailing. See https://www.ncl.com/air-service-standards

Im not talking custom, I'm talking about theit standard air arrangements. The price of the airfare gets added to your cruise fare and the book your flights 75 days out. If several parties make arrangements to cruise and are on different bookings, you can have the reservations linked, and they will fly everyone together. I sm assuming here the took the FAS fare, which you can't utilize on custom arrangements. They won't give a refund if the OP decides to make alternate arrangements, so they will have to pay full price for new flights AND eat what they already paid. If NCK is eilling to make the chage, that will also cost them, but probably not as much as doing it on their own.

 

I have found NCL's air dept to be the least cooperative/sympathetic of any of the cruise lines...and they are downright nasty about it.

[FOPMan]

The OP may very well be within 75 days of their cruise. My guess is they've had tickets issued, which would mean a need to change (or cancel) the ticket, rather than "just" a reservation. Which means additional costs, if an option, at all.

 

As I posted earlier, best option to get all travelers together at this point is(was) to purchase new tickets on Frontier, side-stepping a change in planes in Miami as part of the purchase.