Worst experience of my life!!!!

[Alg63]

I amsorry this happened to you BUT Customs does not sork for NCL, and i don't think NCL has any control over the situation and I am sure that there was somethng in the contract qbout unforseen circumstances beyond Their Control

 

Plenty of tme to replan, lucky for you.

[punkincc]

Is this not just a little harsh? Instead of making such uncalled comments such as this possibly one should look at a bereavement group. I've had several tragic losses, I'm in the medical profession & see tragic things all the time but never would I put a comment such as this. I believe the OP is very disappointed and is possibly looking for suggestions which some have kindly provided.

 

I think most of us are sympathetic to the OP's situation, but speaking for myself, I think she needed a little reality check. Words are powerful things. All of us know people who go through life being "devastated" by one event after the other, usually situations created by themselves because of their own poor judgement and planning.

 

Unfortunately this will not be the worst day of the OP's life.

[softsands]

Marriage is over-rated anyhow.

[punkincc]

OP, I'm so sorry this is happening to you, and I know it's even more frustrating on the heels of your losses to Sandy. Sometimes it just feels as though everything is going wrong and nothing is within your control. That said, as disappointing and frustrating as all of this is, it is not a tragedy, and you will move on with your wedding and your rebuilt house and hopefully have a wonderful marriage. My wedding had to be postponed by more than a year and relocated to another state due to circumstances beyond my control-- and yes, we lost quite a bit of money due to everything that had already been paid for. Then, Hurricane Floyd came, and we were in Haiti and they announced that the airport would be closing and WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO OUR OWN WEDDING!!!!! :eek::eek::eek: I cannot tell you what that day was like-- my fiance booked us on a plane that day, I left work without telling my boss, spent an hour in traffic to get to my house to get my dress-- I went to my wedding with nothing I had planned to bring except my dress and shoes-- spent another hour in traffic trying to get to the airport, sat sobbing in the car as I watched the plane we were supposed to be on leave because I couldn't get there in time, got to the airport and found that my fiance had booked us on two flights just to be safe (my hero!!!:D), and we made it on the last flight out. Hurricane Floyd went straight through Orlando, closed Disney for the first time ever, all east coast flights were a mess, which meant none of our guests were arriving when they should, and somehow Disney (bless them, best customer service ever :D) managed to find everyone and get them where they were supposed to be over the course of two days. It was absolutely insane, and still we had the best time ever, as did our guests, and it went down in history as the day that Disney performed the most weddings ever because they were juggling all the ceremonies from the days the park was closed and all of the delayed arrivals.

 

So, both of my attempts at marrying this guy were somewhat disastrous, and yet we have a great wedding story and we are happily together all these years later... and that's what's important! Don't spend your time and energy on anger, because there's nothing to be accomplished. Reorient yourself to the new plans and have a wonderful day!!

 

Great story, Sea Monster, and wonderful advise. If you want to be successful in life and in marriage you have to roll with the punches.

[DMH15]

OP, so sorry your dream day did not come off as planned. At least you did have the luxury of time on your side.

 

My poor sister picked her wedding date, the same as my parents, and my mom and I talked her into one week later. Well, guess what? Her original date had gorgeous weather and the rescheduled date poured buckets. So we went indoors as was the backup plan. Gotta have that "plan b".

 

Also, I was on RCL when they had an onboard wedding, Geraldo was there haha. I thought to myself that even an uber planner like me would hesitate to take on a challenge like that. Too many variables out of my control. How stressful.

 

I know in our minds we dream of the perfect day. Most of the time SOMETHING happens. We have all heard the stories. I hope you have gotten your SOMETHING out of the way and the day shines for you.

 

Life is full of "plan b's" and a few "worst days" but life has a way of letting us look back and the sting lessons. I have been there. And we as a society place so much on the "day" when it is the time after the "day" that turns into "years" that truly matters.

 

Really, NCL's hands were tied. And I learned a long time ago you can't blame the government :). Heck, you can't even begin to try and understand them.

 

Best of luck to you in a long happy marriage.

[sjbdtz]

I honestly feel for the OP. I hope Norwegian makes good on this soon as the double expense if not something most can afford.

 

NCL had nothing to do with it. A 3rd-party contracted company advised the OP that Customs was changing their schedule and leaving earlier than originally believed.

 

 

I know I haven't been on her long, but it seems there really is no sympathy in some people.

 

Up until your post, I believe that just about EVERY person expressed empathy toward OPs situation.

 

 

 

On the one hand, I feel bad for OP....on the other hand, thousands of couples can't get married because the law doesn't allow it.

 

Then, the biggest complaint is "I put June 1st on everything".... that was OP's doing, not NCL's.

 

 

But I concur with others... The Worst Day of My Life? Might be a bit over the top.

 

 

.

[RYMOMA]

save the hassle of planning....

 

elope.....

[jdvmd]

Feel for the OP but in another thread, she says the reception was reduced to 45 minutes, not 30. In yet another thread back in October, she was upset because the cake prices went up. Maybe this was just not meant to be, meaning having the reception/wedding with NCL.

[che5904]

save the hassle of planning....

 

elope.....

 

hahaha I couldn't agree more. I tried to talk both of my children into this, even offered money that I would put toward the wedding as cash directly to them. No dice, neither would go for it :(

 

IMO far too much money now a days goes into fluff for one day, when in fact more energy should go into wise choices and the hard work staying married requires.

 

Do I remember my wedding day from 30+ years ago...sure I do. But I much more treasure the tiny little things through out the years that never cost a dime.

[ClaireAndMike]

Perhaps this really was the worst experience of her life so far. As anyone who lives life knows, terribly sad things will happen in ALL of our lives at different points.

 

I must be in the minority of women because I absolutely did NOT want a big to do about our wedding. It was very low key. Honestly, I would've been more than content going to a courthouse and doing it but we had a Catholic mass to please my husband's elderly mother who traveled from California to Virginia (where I grew up) to see it. It was actually her first time going outside of California aside from an occasional visit to relatives in Mexico. Definitely NOT what I would've planned if it were all up to me but it was lovely nonetheless and the end result was the same: we're married, which was the entire point. The rest of it is just fanfare.

 

Again, I realize that most women are wedding-obsessed so to a young bride to be (I'm a shriveled up 29 year old almost 5 years into marriage :o) she's likely not exagerratingall that much when she says it was the worst experience of her life - which will at some point be replaced by another event, and then another etc as all of us know.

 

But to compare horror stories and one up each other with personal tragedies... this is not the place.

[ClaireAndMike]

save the hassle of planning....

 

elope.....

 

You got it! :D

[che5904]

Perhaps this really was the worst experience of her life so far. As anyone who lives life knows, terribly sad things will happen in ALL of our lives at different points.

 

But to compare horror stories and one up each other with personal tragedies... this is not the place.

 

You may be right but I think the point of some of the horror stories is to give a reality check so the OP can put things more in perspective and realize that this probably won't be the worst day of her life.

[dlynn0366]

soooo glad you were not my brereavement counselor !

 

I did join a group tyvy==================it's been 16 yrs but you never fogrt-------------so thanks for your compassions

 

See this is where you are wrong, you have my compassion, I can't think of anything worse than for a mother to lose a child. What I meant was I'm not sure this board is where we should be venting these things. Yes I agree with you compared to your situation the OP has not yet "experienced the worst day of her life" and we can only hope she never has to deal with something as tragic as you have. Again I am sorry, I meant you no disrespect.

[sdmike]

Time to make lemonade out of the lemons.

 

I've been to probably a dozen weddings of various types over the years, some meticulously planned, and others simple get togethers of family and friends. Guess which are the most memorable and least stressful?

 

I would humbly suggest taking a deep breath and thinking hard about what's most important here...your marriage, not your wedding. Events that take months to plan and thousands of dollars to pull off are gone in a matter of hours and reduced to memories. There is plenty of time to celebrate with family and friends. Go get married to your soul mate and enjoy your first cruise as husband and wife. It can be an amazing experience if you have it in the right perspective.

 

Best of luck in whatever you decide!

[RYMOMA]

hahaha I couldn't agree more. I tried to talk both of my children into this, even offered money that I would put toward the wedding as cash directly to them. No dice, neither would go for it :(

 

IMO far too much money now a days goes into fluff for one day, when in fact more energy should go into wise choices and the hard work staying married requires.

 

Do I remember my wedding day from 30+ years ago...sure I do. But I much more treasure the tiny little things through out the years that never cost a dime.

 

You got it! :D

my husband and i did it two years ago...twice..

once in vegas and once back home for the kiddos

vegas is no place for kids :p

[MyLittleGhanima]

The title says it's the worst experience in HER life. Not an invitation for a game of "whose personal life tragedy is worst".

 

Re the actual question:

 

I doubt that OP "broke" a contract by choosing the refund. Changing the schedule available gave OP every right to walk away. If she suffered damages in reliance on the offer (printing invitations), some of those costs may be recoverable. Depending on how much money OP has lost on the invitations etc, she should consider a consultation with a lawyer (often you can get 1/2 hour free for a basic assessment). Just because there is a term in a contract does not mean that the contract or that term is enforceable under state or federal law.

[Alg63]

The title says it's the worst experience in HER life. Not an invitation for a game of "whose personal life tragedy is worst".

 

Re the actual question:

 

I doubt that OP "broke" a contract by choosing the refund. Changing the schedule available gave OP every right to walk away. If she suffered damages in reliance on the offer (printing invitations), some of those costs may be recoverable. Depending on how much money OP has lost on the invitations etc, she should consider a consultation with a lawyer (often you can get 1/2 hour free for a basic assessment). Just because there is a term in a contract does not mean that the contract or that term is enforceable under state or federal law.

 

So an airline changes the departure time of a flight because the FAA has decided there are too many flights taking off around the same time. This happens on the day of flight. The groom is late for his own wedding. So he should sue?

 

Come on! Get real. This person has been given ample notice. It was not a NCL issue. $#*+ happens. The wedding was not canceled by the cruise line. The wedding can go on. The group can meet before the cruise .. I am sure they are not flying in 10 minutes before the ceremony. These are "circumstances beyond the control" of the cruise line or any planner. Who should they sue? The port authority? Customs and immigration? Maybe the state. Maybe you can give them a free 30 minute consultation.

[mommyto2girls]

I thought Sandy had ruined my year..My house is now gutted and I am displaced..until that is I received a call from NCL. We had planned to get married aboard the Norwegian Gem on June 1st 2013. I had everything printed in boxes labeled wedding. I had invitations, aisle runners, you name it. I even had a beach wish tree. I imprinted Norwegian Gem June 1st Janine and Rob on just about every detail..I NOW HAVE TO BUY ALL NEW STUFF.The first bump in the road came when they switched companies..They switched wedding companies and I was not contacted for months about this. Then On Thanksgiving I received an email stating that they did not want to interrupt my thanksgiving dinner but to call the next day to discuss my wedding plans. I didn't really think twice. I should have...who gets contacted on Thanksgiving. Anyways....I go shopping for black friday and then I give a call back to NCL..... I was planned to have a half hour wedding and have a two hour reception. I had chosen NCL because of the deal, the port it was leaving from, and how nice everyone had been. I then was told that since customs was leaving earlier that I would be able to have a 30 minute reception at most ...and it is possible there would be no reception.... I had 70 non sailing guests coming...30 sailing guess coming, and I was so into the crusie ship wedding and now im embarrised. I had to cancel my wedding. I could not have people come for a half hour....and with a cruiseship wedding myself and my future hubby were getting the best of both worlds. I wanted a destination...he wanted one home. It worked out perfect. I cried and I cried and I cried...until I found a place on Long Island. It is no crusie ship but it will be wonderful for our wedding here. I have yet to receive any timeline on when I will be receiving my money fro the wedding back. I was told they have to talk to the vice president. So not only was I hit by sandy, not only was my wedding canceled, but I also have no idea when I will be receiving the over 2k that I had paid towards my wedding. This is such horrible customer serivce and I feel like I was really taken advantage of. OH YEAH AND I STILL HAVE TO REBUY EVERYTHING I ALREADY PAID FOR BECAUSE THEY DECIDED TO CHANGE THE PORT TIME!!!!!

 

 

I am sure you are very upset about you wedding, I am confident they will refund you as quickly as possible, but I feel much deeper sympathy for the loss of your house. I hope the wedding experience is the worst experience you ever have in your life. Best of luck for the future.

[MyLittleGhanima]

Maybe you can give them a free 30 minute consultation.

 

No, I'm only licensed in 2 states and I doubt either one is relevant.

 

Whether or not OP has a viable legal claim for damages depends on many factors that we do not know. I don't know them. You don't know them. Mostly likely, the OP doesn't know them. Hence, recommendation to speak with a lawyer about that possibility.

 

OP should get more information about the law on this, certainly from a better source than CC forum.

 

Contract and consumer protection laws often times negate even explicit contract terms. In other words, contracts themselves sometimes violate the law. I would expect NCL's legal department would avoid this, but if OP is out significant money, it's worth looking into.

[hartsnvt]

The title says it's the worst experience in HER life. Not an invitation for a game of "whose personal life tragedy is worst".

 

Re the actual question:

 

I doubt that OP "broke" a contract by choosing the refund. Changing the schedule available gave OP every right to walk away. If she suffered damages in reliance on the offer (printing invitations), some of those costs may be recoverable. Depending on how much money OP has lost on the invitations etc, she should consider a consultation with a lawyer (often you can get 1/2 hour free for a basic assessment). Just because there is a term in a contract does not mean that the contract or that term is enforceable under state or federal law.

 

It is hard to believe that totally losing your home and all of it's possessions is not worse than having the government change the timing of customs and therefore making the reception shorter than originally planned. When some of us responded with life's events that we felt were tragedies we were (at least I was) trying to put it into perspective for the OP. Yes it is a shame that NCL changed the wedding vendor and the customs issue put a wrench in her plans. I was trying to place importance on the marriage that follows and not the ceremony itself. Now as for refunds, if she signed something with the vendor then she will have to work it out with them. In respect to her cruise with NCL, hopefully she bought insurance which has a cancel for any reason clause and she will be refunded. If she has not paid the final payment, then she would get her refund as well with insurance or lose the deposit if she did not purchase insurance. The fine print is spelled out. (many people choose not to read it). I will doubt that the insurance will cover her invites. As she has said, she has found a venue and I am sure she will have a wonderful wedding.:)

[DMH15]

Perhaps this really was the worst experience of her life so far. As anyone who lives life knows, terribly sad things will happen in ALL of our lives at different points.

 

I must be in the minority of women because I absolutely did NOT want a big to do about our wedding. It was very low key. Honestly, I would've been more than content going to a courthouse and doing it but we had a Catholic mass to please my husband's elderly mother who traveled from California to Virginia (where I grew up) to see it. It was actually her first time going outside of California aside from an occasional visit to relatives in Mexico. Definitely NOT what I would've planned if it were all up to me but it was lovely nonetheless and the end result was the same: we're married, which was the entire point. The rest of it is just fanfare.

 

Again, I realize that most women are wedding-obsessed so to a young bride to be (I'm a shriveled up 29 year old almost 5 years into marriage :o) she's likely not exagerratingall that much when she says it was the worst experience of her life - which will at some point be replaced by another event, and then another etc as all of us know.

 

But to compare horror stories and one up each other with personal tragedies... this is not the place.

 

At 29 you are wise beyond your years :)

As well as compassionate.

Well said.

[NLH Arizona]

You may be right but I think the point of some of the horror stories is to give a reality check so the OP can put things more in perspective and realize that this probably won't be the worst day of her life.

Why is it anyone's place to give the OP a reality check when obviously she feels this is the worst thing to happen to her. It sounds more like one upsmanship to me, because for all we know, unless we can see the future, this might be the worst day of her life. If a terrible thing happens later, I'm sure the OP will be able to put things into perspective herself, but until then I see no reason to purposely try to make her feel bad because she feels that this is, in her opinion, the worst thing to happen to her in her life.

 

Also, this young woman lost her house and probably all the contents, including memories that can never be replace and all she wanted was a very special wedding day and that was ruined as well. Maybe those that have blamed her for her problem, should be a little more understanding as to what she has gone through for the last month, because of Sandy, and give her some slack for obviously being very emotional, and rightfully so.

 

Janine, I'm so sorry for everything you have gone through and are going through and hope that you will be able to have and enjoy the very special wedding day that you have dreamed about. The day you walk down the aisle and see your groom, will no doubt be a very special day for you and him. Best of luck!

[che5904]

In respect to her cruise with NCL, hopefully she bought insurance which has a cancel for any reason clause and she will be refunded. If she has not paid the final payment, then she would get her refund as well with insurance or lose the deposit if she did not purchase insurance. The fine print is spelled out. (many people choose not to read it). I will doubt that the insurance will cover her invites. As she has said, she has found a venue and I am sure she will have a wonderful wedding.:)

 

The OP says her cruise is June 2013, lots of time to cancel without penalty.

[lanceholt]

Sounds to me like this bride will have to dial back on the drama and put on her big girl panties and make plans that will suit the altered situation. As for the cake prices going up and being upset about that etc. etc. etc., I just hope that this board is not subjected to more and more and more till June.

 

Don't ever forget that it is not the wedding that is important, it is the marriage.

 

When you plan for a dramatic wedding with those kind of details, dependent on many factors out of your control, then you must have a back up plan. Life gets in the way most of the time.

[Alg63]

No, I'm only licensed in 2 states and I doubt either one is relevant.

 

Whether or not OP has a viable legal claim for damages depends on many factors that we do not know. I don't know them. You don't know them. Mostly likely, the OP doesn't know them. Hence, recommendation to speak with a lawyer about that possibility.

 

OP should get more information about the law on this, certainly from a better source than CC forum.

 

Contract and consumer protection laws often times negate even explicit contract terms. In other words, contracts themselves sometimes violate the law. I would expect NCL's legal department would avoid this, but if OP is out significant money, it's worth looking into.

 

What happened to personal responsibility? What made me guess you were an attorney. Hmm maybe because you told her to sue. Looking at her other threads, it seems like she was not happy even before this happened.