Family of nine left behind in remote Alaska, charged $9K by Norwegian Cruise Lines

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

The distance between Ketchikan and Victoria is not short, they have to leave on time and move fast in order to make Victoria. Which is why the Bliss and the Encore have short times in ports - the only way they could expand the time in ports would be to eliminate a port or add another day to the trip. NCL does offer longer Alaska cruises, just not on those ships.

Then switch the order of the ports, make Ketchikan the first stop not the last. 

[omahabob]

5 hours ago, Roseflyer said:

why do you say NCL didn’t make mistakes?  It appears the excursion bus was full and didn’t have enough seats.  The family was told to wait for the next bus, which didn’t come.  Not having enough seats on the excursion bus absolutely is an NCL problem since this was a shore excursion booked through NCL.

NCL doesn't operate the bus, and is not responsible for it. That was on the tour operator.

[omahabob]

Lots of mistakes here.

 

The supposed 'terms and conditions' in post #121 above are not NCL's terms and conditions. They're the writings of a travel blogger from Canada, and are not NCL policy. NCL will not ruin an entire cruise for thousands of guests because someone didn't make it back from an excursion. No cruise line will, nor should they.

 

The excursion did make it back to the ship.

 

They are being reimbursed the entire amount of the unused cruise time, plus being given 20% credit for a future cruise. All the expenses they incurred will be covered by Norwegian, even the fine they incurred that Norwegian did not impose.

 

NCL does not operate or control the excursion bus, and they aren't responsible the screw up by the excursion operator.

 

The family said on Good Morning America that NCL was extremely empathetic and helpful, and they're quite happy with the company.

 

I'm continually marveled that so many people fall for sensationalism put out by the news media and others.

[luv2kroooz]

30 minutes ago, omahabob said:

NCL doesn't operate the bus, and is not responsible for it. That was on the tour operator.

As ncl pays out thousands of dollars to the family....lol

[pacificnt2]

I have done Alaska 13 times in the last 10 years, all on NCL.  I have personal experience on the specific excursion done in May 2023 on the Encore.  The Jewell was docked there as well that day.  We lined up at 8:30 a.m. at the Ketchikan port and were given yellow circles with a number on them (guessing shuttle we took) and transported downtown and dropped right across from the lumberjack show building.  We had to line up because we were 15 minutes early.  The show was to be from 10:00am to 11:30am. 

 

We finally got out around 11:50 with all the crowds and were directed by the employees to wait across the street near a visitor center to catch the shuttle back.  When we crossed over to wait, there were already about 100 people standing around and no shuttles.  I asked if this was the pick up point for the shuttle back to Ward Cove, and someone said yes. 

 

We waited for about 10 minutes and then I saw a shuttle (kind that holds 30 people and has handicap ramp) with a NCL logo across the top, turn our way and pulled all the way forward.  The guy got out and said there will be more shuttles coming and to be patient.  As he said that another shuttle and a bus showed up, all saying NCL at the top. 

 

People started pushing their way onto the 1st shuttle but the guy pushed back and took the elderly, handicapped and 1 wheel chair person. The line cleared enough that we moved forward, and for what ever reason, he pointed to us and said I will take you 3 now, and the rest have to board the other shuttles.  I did see people with yellow stickers and those that did not have any stickers.  We ended up sharing a seat in the rear where the wheel chair was, and 1 person sat on the floor.  Upon returning to Ward Cove, it took over an hour to get back on the boat due to the sheer number of guests going back.  The Encore left late that day.

 

My opinion was this excursion lacked any coordination to return to the ship and those folks who took the bus to town and ended up near the show thought they could just take those shuttles back not aware they were for an excursion. Also, due to zero excursion personnel present to guide ticket holders at waiting area, it became a huge mess as everyone was trying to push their way onto these shuttles.

 

I have decided to never ever take an excursion from NCL while at Ward Cove and have since taken a private excursion from there in May of this year. 

[omahabob]

1 minute ago, luv2kroooz said:

As ncl pays out thousands of dollars to the family....lol

Not because they missed the bus. LOL! They were reimbursed for the unused portion of the cruise. They were not given compensation for missing the bus, unless you count the 20% discount they offered as a good will gesture.

[omahabob]

1 minute ago, pacificnt2 said:

...My opinion was this excursion lacked any coordination to return to the ship and those folks who took the bus to town and ended up near the show thought they could just take those shuttles back not aware they were for an excursion. Also, due to zero excursion personnel present to guide ticket holders at waiting area, it became a huge mess as everyone was trying to push their way onto these shuttles...

Therein lies the problem. I have little doubt NCL will drop this tour operator, or demand strict quality control measures in the future. Even though NCL wasn't responsible, it's bad PR, and they definitely don't want that.

[karenna00]

11 minutes ago, omahabob said:

Not because they missed the bus. LOL! They were reimbursed for the unused portion of the cruise. They were not given compensation for missing the bus, unless you count the 20% discount they offered as a good will gesture.

 

It was an NCL excursion. The excursion left the family. NCL is absolutely reimbursing them because they were left behind. If NCL was not ultimately responsible, they would not be reimbursing anything nor would they be giving any future cruise credits. This is a very important distinction. If you are on a private tour and you miss the ship, you will not be getting reimbursed for the unused portion of your cruise. 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

19 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

As ncl pays out thousands of dollars to the family....lol

$10 grand or whatever the total is a drop in the bucket compared to the bad press if they hadn’t. 

[karenna00]

On 7/17/2024 at 7:20 PM, julig22 said:

The lumberjack show often ends within minutes of all-aboard (been there, done that). So even if they had chosen to try to find a cab, there might not be one immediately available.

But what they should have done is call the port number listed on the FreeStyle daily to let the ship know the situation - and get instructions from there.  The ship would have probably sent a bus for them - or told them to get a cab, the ship would wait.

But the bigger question would be how they were the only ones apparently left behind? I've been on that tour and yes, there are people trying to take the tour bus instead of the NCL shuttle (which is probably no longer running by that time). But everyone should have tickets and/or stickers - and the tour operator should be checking.

They did call the port agent who sent a van. They arrived as the ship was pulling out. 

The tour operator was apparently not checking tickets. Just letting people on and doing head counts. 

[luv2kroooz]

2 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

$10 grand or whatever the total is a drop in the bucket compared to the bad press if they hadn’t. 

Really? NCL is no stranger to bad press. So why this time? More importantly, it sets a precedent for future cruisers.

[Roseflyer]

15 minutes ago, omahabob said:

Therein lies the problem. I have little doubt NCL will drop this tour operator, or demand strict quality control measures in the future. Even though NCL wasn't responsible, it's bad PR, and they definitely don't want that.

Unfortunately there is little choice in Ketchikan.  It’s hard to find quality summertime employees to support seasonal work in Alaska. This isn’t Cozumel with the infrastructure to support 4 to 5 cruise ships.  It’s a small city in Alaska with a population of 8,000-12,000 depending on time of year.  

[Distinctive-Destinations]

1 minute ago, luv2kroooz said:

Really? NCL is no stranger to bad press. So why this time? More importantly, it sets a precedent for future cruisers.

Maybe they want to clean up their image? I’m guessing whatever the reason though, you’ll complain about it.

[luv2kroooz]

13 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

Maybe they want to clean up their image? I’m guessing whatever the reason though, you’ll complain about it.

Good guess, but its wrong. No skin in the game here. NCL got this right in my opinion.

Edited July 20 by luv2kroooz

[luv2kroooz]

27 minutes ago, omahabob said:

Not because they missed the bus. LOL! They were reimbursed for the unused portion of the cruise. They were not given compensation for missing the bus, unless you count the 20% discount they offered as a good will gesture.

What an illogical comment.

[julig22]

10 minutes ago, karenna00 said:

They did call the port agent who sent a van. They arrived as the ship was pulling out. 

The tour operator was apparently not checking tickets. Just letting people on and doing head counts. 

Also the reports (citing the NCL response) say that NCL called the port agent to assist with making arrangements for flights, transportation, hotels, etc.  And that NCL tried to call the family. Totally not clear who called who and when.

[omahabob]

25 minutes ago, karenna00 said:

 

It was an NCL excursion. The excursion left the family. NCL is absolutely reimbursing them because they were left behind. If NCL was not ultimately responsible, they would not be reimbursing anything nor would they be giving any future cruise credits. This is a very important distinction. If you are on a private tour and you miss the ship, you will not be getting reimbursed for the unused portion of your cruise. 

I was responding to a statement NCL was paying out thousands because they were left behind, suggesting compensation. They were not compensated. They were reimbursed. That is a very important distinction. And it's an NCL contracted excursion, not an NCL operated excursion. NCL is not liable for mistakes made by the operator, and are not required to compensate for that. The reimbursement was per standard procedure. That's what makes this nothing but a sensationalist news story. This is not an uncommon occurrence, and standard procedures were followed. It amazes me how many people fall for sensationalist news stories.

[omahabob]

17 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

What an illogical comment.

You find facts illogical? Fascinating. Might want to check the interview with the family. That is exactly what happened.

[Panhandle Couple]

17 minutes ago, Roseflyer said:

Unfortunately there is little choice in Ketchikan.  It’s hard to find quality summertime employees to support seasonal work in Alaska. This isn’t Cozumel with the infrastructure to support 4 to 5 cruise ships.  It’s a small city in Alaska with a population of 8,000-12,000 depending on time of year.  

Bingo!

Talk to the drivers.  The one we had in 2022 was a retired school bus driver from Idaho? who works there for the summer.  She lived in a "dorm" (her description) with 40 or 50 other drivers and associated workers.  They come up in April-May, and leave in Sept.  Some are not yet retired people associated with various jobs from schools in the NW.  They help out in the peak June-Aug season.

 

Our first AK cruise in 2016, we had mid-20's tour "guides" who were English and Art History majors, describing to us the habits of salmon and bears. Talking to them, they used the summer jobs as an easy way for some spending money while looking for work associated with their majors, or returning for to school for an additional degree.  None of them were born and raised in AK.  

[omahabob]

16 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Also the reports (citing the NCL response) say that NCL called the port agent to assist with making arrangements for flights, transportation, hotels, etc.  And that NCL tried to call the family. Totally not clear who called who and when.

The family called that day. Undoubtedly there was constant interaction with NCL, since they work for them.

[Mike07]

20 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Also the reports (citing the NCL response) say that NCL called the port agent to assist with making arrangements for flights, transportation, hotels, etc.  And that NCL tried to call the family. Totally not clear who called who and when.

 

 

It's 2024, and NCL had 9 passengers... and potentially 9 cell phone numbers --- and I assume 9 emergency contact information that sure, maybe a few are duplicated --- and NCL could not get a hold of 9 people?

 

It's an American family in an American city in an American cruise port in 2024.

 

In other words, I doubt any calls were made.

Edited July 20 by Mike07

[Distinctive-Destinations]

3 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

It's 2024, and NCL had 9 passengers... and potentially 9 cell phone numbers --- and I assume 9 emergency contact information that sure, maybe a few are duplicated --- and NCL could not get a hold of 9 people?

 

It's an American family in an American city in an American cruise port in 2024.

 

In other words, I doubt any calls were made.

Based upon the description of the family from the very first post, I doubt they had 9 emergency contact numbers:

 

”The Gault family was traveling with six young kids and a 78-year-old grandmother”

[karenna00]

7 minutes ago, omahabob said:

I was responding to a statement NCL was paying out thousands because they were left behind, suggesting compensation. They were not compensated. They were reimbursed. That is a very important distinction. And it's an NCL contracted excursion, not an NCL operated excursion. NCL is not liable for mistakes made by the operator, and are not required to compensate for that. The reimbursement was per standard procedure. That's what makes this nothing but a sensationalist news story. This is not an uncommon occurrence, and standard procedures were followed. It amazes me how many people fall for sensationalist news stories.

It is not a sensationalist news story. The cruise line pushes the narrative that it is better to book through them because you will not get left behind. It is how they justify charging a premium for their excursions when cheaper can be found for the same or similar through independent operators. I highly doubt the cruise line isn't receiving a large chunk of that mark up.  However, now, we see that they will in fact leave you behind and booking through them is no guarantee. If NCL is not careful in how they spin this, they risk losing a good portion of this revenue stream. In addition, it is important for future customers to know this occurred so they can be more proactive in ensuring the same fate does not befall them. 

[omahabob]

6 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

It's 2024, and NCL had 9 passengers... and potentially 9 cell phone numbers --- and I assume 9 emergency contact information that sure, maybe a few are duplicated --- and NCL could not get a hold of 9 people?

 

It's an American family in an American city in an American cruise port in 2024.

 

In other words, I doubt any calls were made.

They didn't need to. The family called first.

[Mike07]

2 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

Based upon the description of the family from the very first post, I doubt they had 9 emergency contact numbers:

 

”The Gault family was traveling with six young kids and a 78-year-old grandmother”

 

 

You're probably right. But in 2024, none of them had a cell phone? All of their contact information was bad?