Compensation for ruined cruise

[rvsullivan]

If you have a copy of an email/letter that the cruise line rep sent you, attach that with your letter to the cruise line. Ask what they can do. Sending letters to your state agency or BBB will have little impact on a foreign company, i.e. cruise lines.

Since you noted that you found out about this issue a year in advance, it's possible you also noted that many posted at the same time about no exceptions to the policy? As others have said, I don't think the cruise was ruined, but you were inconvenienced, probably a future cruise credit will be forthcoming.

[boogs]

Just write the cruise line a stern letter and include the written response you got from their representative. It's worth a shot if you feel that strongly about it. If you get anything it will likely be a credit amount that could be used for a future cruise. Good Luck.:)

 

A "stern letter"? What are you, a grade school teacher? Me, I would ask NICELY if they would provide some "complimentary" compensation. This will have a much better chance of a favorable outcome than a "stern" letter. Considering that they are not obliged to do anything, why do you think that taking the hard line will get you positive results? :confused:

[luddite]

.

 

So, the bottom line is what do you think would be a proper resolution to being told that kids club would be available and then it was not once you got on the ship? We added up the time that they would have gone to kids club but weren't able to... approx 15-18 hours

 

I think you are due nothing. They aren't obligated to be babysitters so you can dine without the kiddos.

 

It's over. Move on.

Edited December 20, 2013 by luddite

[luddite]

Totally disagree with almost every response on here.

 

I believe you are entitled to full compensation. You went expecting a cruise to be enjoyed by adults while the kids were away. But they did not allow that to happen. This is not a little thing, this is an entire ruined vacation.

 

Not a fan of NCL, and this story makes me like them even less.

I'm very sorry this happened to you and hope NCL can make amends.

 

Carnival allows under 3s in the kids club and quite frankly, that is the only reason we continue to sail with them. If they suddenly changed this, our vacation would be ruined and we too would be pissed. Not to mention, that we would have no reason to sail with them at all.

 

OP you may want to post this on the NCL boards or the family board. Possibly you will run into others that also were told lies and can get a better idea of what to do.

 

This is a load of hooey.

[leaveitallbehind]

I'm in the middle of resolving an issue with the cruise line on our last cruise and I'm curious what you think would be an acceptable resolution to this matter...

 

So, the bottom line is what do you think would be a proper resolution to being told that kids club would be available and then it was not once you got on the ship? We added up the time that they would have gone to kids club but weren't able to... approx 15-18 hours

 

The only question that matters is what do you think is an acceptable resolution to this matter? What do you expect? What we think is of no consequence - what we may think is a fair response may not be acceptable to you.

 

Hope you get whatever you think you should - but IMO, I would not have very high expectations.

Edited December 20, 2013 by leaveitallbehind

[nana541]

I think the OP has NO ONE but himself to blame! Before (at time of) making final payment did he verify in writing that his son qualified for an "exception" to a rule change made a year ago??? Sorry the Mommy and Daddy did not get the relaxing cruise they bargained for but know that rule change was very old they should have foreseen the trouble coming!

 

All that being said, if you are going to take your kids on a cruise, then sail disney or a cruise ship that absolutely will deal with your 2 yr old. Better yet leave them with Grandma and take them when they really are old enough to enjoy the whole experience. I'm a grandma and have had grandchildren left with me while mom and dad cruised (ya well lucky me). Leave the babies at home and take a break! JMHO

[greatam]

This is a load of hooey.

 

 

I completely agree.

 

I don't care who they spoke with at the cruise line. UNLESS they have it in writing that their child would be allowed into the kids club on their date on their cruise ship (a SPECIFIC CHILD BY NAME on a SPECIFIC SHIP on a SPECIFIC date), the CSA was just quoting off the "script" they are given.

 

Who do you guys think answers the phone? Top level management that has most of the answers or can get them rapidly or someone who is paid a few dollars an hour and is given a training class with the BASICS which they HOPE cover MOST situations???? I'll bet everyone gets this one right.

 

Or maybe not. Read my interchange with the Choice Air person in this thread about a REFUNDABLE ticket. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1955915&page=4 Post #76.

 

Unless the OP can produce "positive proof" that their SPECIFIC child (by name) would be allowed on their SPECIFIC cruise (ship name and date) to go to the kids club, they legally don't have a leg to stand on. Goodwill gesture by the cruise line would be nice but NOT legally required. And as most have said, that goodwill gesture is most likely going to be in the form of OBC or future cruise credit for the SAME cruise line with the new rules.

 

Sorry, but that is just the way it is.

[greatam]

 

What a load of horse dung. The fact that there are people in the world that would like to cruise but cannot afford it has absolutely no bearing on this issue. Suppose they had purchased a new home theatre system and the sales persons said it had features X, Y and Z even though the specifications clearly listed on a multi-page document said it did not. Does the fact that some people cannot afford a home theatre mean the buyer cannot complain and/or make a scene in the store when they go back for a return or adjustment in price?

 

Your scenario MAY be considered "errors and omissions". BUT if it wasn't in the CONTRACT (which few people read anymore), what do you have to b*** about???? A salesman that sleazed you??? Oh well, ever been to a used car lot???

 

You are WAAAAY off base in your theory in the context of the OP story.

Edited December 20, 2013 by greatam

[rpb718]

You book a cruise 2 years in advance, after 1 year of being booked, they change the kids club age cut off, making your child ineligible by a matter of days.

 

I would think at 1 year out you could have rebooked a cruise for the next week if it was just a matter of days.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I'm in the middle of resolving an issue with the cruise line on our last cruise and I'm curious what you think would be an acceptable resolution to this matter...

 

You book a cruise 2 years in advance, after 1 year of being booked, they change the kids club age cut off, making your child ineligible by a matter of days.

 

I was never notified of the change by the cruise line or our cruise line rep (who works for the cruise line) but I learned about here on cruise critic. Once I heard about it, I immediately contacted our rep and asked if this was going to be a problem (I had heard that exceptions would be made). I specifically said in my email that if my son would not be allowed to attend, then we would most likely cancel our cruise. We had done a cruise prior when he was too young and it was just not worth it to us.

 

We were assured in writing by the cruise line rep that it would not be a problem as long as he met certain criteria, which he did.

 

I'm sure you can guess what happened- got on the ship and was told no, no exceptions.

 

So, then my older son refuses to go because his brother is so sad.. The trip that they were so looking forward to, that my littlest had been working so hard on being potty trained so he could go to kids club. To top it off, we missed a stop due to a rough weather and ended up with a sea day and no option to use kids club. After scouring the daily for something to do with the kids, there just wasn't anything for that age group, so we made the best and did what we could.

 

We were celebrating our anniversary, no dinner by ourselves. No time alone to swim or go to the spa or go to the shows.

 

We did enjoy the two ports we went to, so the entire trip wasn't completely ruined. However we spent $2600 on the cruise along with $1200 in airfare.

 

So, the bottom line is what do you think would be a proper resolution to being told that kids club would be available and then it was not once you got on the ship? We added up the time that they would have gone to kids club but weren't able to... approx 15-18 hours

 

 

 

If you had received a written communication, you should had brought it with you, but even then, if they have changed their policy about age minimums, there may have been a good reason (I'm guessing too many problems with untoilet-trained kids or wanting to cut back on extra staff for the youngest age group) why the change was instituted. And it sounds like this was not a sudden change.

 

Much like recent changes for some cruise lines re: wine/beverage allowances, restricting of smoking in cabins, etc., some passengers get caught unaware, or some don't bother to check the website for their line to double check on policies in force for their cruise. It does help to belong to a cruising forum such as this one, but many of us have done our research even before discovering this kind of resource. My hubby and I always read the most recent info before every cruise so we didn't accidentally bring soda, etc. on board or otherwise get caught in some new rule that was enacted since our previous cruise.

 

We did take our daughter on a cruise a month before she was old enough for Camp Carnival. So we knew she would be with us. Hubby had been hesitant, but it all worked out and was fun for us as well as for her. After that cruise, she couldn't wait to go to "ship's school" as she called it. After that, any time she wanted to spend in the kids' program, that was fine, especially after she started real school (it was eye-opening to see how much work they do nowadays in school).

 

I don't think the fact that the older kid (we don't know the age so it's hard to know all the details) didn't want to go has any bearing on this matter, nor does the missed port (that's in your cruise contract that itineraries can be changed by the captain...in this case, it was for the OP's and the other passengers' safety). I'm not sure that even getting mislaid by a CSR, who shouldn't have promised would be enough.

 

We went on cruises when I was a kid with our parents. The whole reason was we went AS A FAMILY and we did things together AS A FAMILY. If you're going to farm your kids off to the kid camp, leave em' home with gramma and go on the the cruise with just your spouse. I think what your are entitled to is the refund of the port fees/taxes for the port you were not able to go to.

 

I would disagree with this philosophy. Yes, it's your decision if you expect your kid to stay with you, but it's not bad parenting for others to want their kids to enjoy being with kids their age. It's their vacation too. I believe all-inclusives have kid programs. Even some resorts (especially some in Hawaii) have programs for the kids so that the parents can have some alone time.

 

On our last cruise, when our girl was 15, she was with us when we were in port. But the rest of the time (and we had ten sea days), she could be with the other teens. She already knew one girl her age from our previous cruise (same ship/itinerary) and they spent a lot of time with another girl and three boys their age. We actually would run into them at the buffet, pool, the New Years Eve party (we even caught them going on a tour of the art in the gallery, heavily discussing the artwork) and they weren't getting into trouble. There were other times that she would voluntarily hang with us (some shows, dinners, even making me watch a movie with her in the cabin:)). Certainly I couldn't begrudge her enjoying her winter break as she was taking some hard classes in 10th grade plus working hard on participating in the marching band.

[Blk_Amish]

We went on cruises when I was a kid with our parents. The whole reason was we went AS A FAMILY and we did things together AS A FAMILY. If you're going to farm your kids off to the kid camp, leave em' home with gramma and go on the the cruise with just your spouse. I think what your are entitled to is the refund of the port fees/taxes for the port you were not able to go to.

 

My gosh, can it be said the ONLY time you had FAMILY time was on that vacation. Imagine those who do great job at FAMILY time the rest of year and actually take a vacation to do something different. I suppose yours limit FAMILY time to a a week's vacation or it would not matter as much. Not everyone is blessed with living parents so don't assume leaving them with grandma is always possible, kinda immature on your part or you are still that kid. You should not use use type of vacation family time to judge others. :eek:

 

Family time is every time you are together, or a week's vacation won't matter together or not. I am well aware vacation might be the ONLY time some families spend time. The assumption that grandma is in the picture or is capable of helping says a lot :eek:

Edited December 21, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[wwcruisers]

We have learned, by experience, then when you get something "in writing" from any cruise line it is wise to print-out a copy and take it along on the cruise. When you present a written document to Guest Relations, it gives you a lot more clout then if you just tell them "what they said." As very experienced cruisers we understand the legal issues of the passenger contract which gives cruise lines all the rights and gives passengers nearly no rights (although most lines have signed onto the Passenger Bill of Rights). But in this case we do agree with the OP that some type of generous compensation is warranted.

 

So here is what we would do in this situation. Write a letter to the cruise line CEO. The letter should be a "business letter" that is polite, concise (explain the main issue in the first couple of paragraphs and then provide further enhancement later in the letter. Most executives (and their assistants) will quickly glance at the first few paragraphs and not read further unless you catch their interest. I would also copy this letter to your state's Consumer Protection Agency (this differs by state) and also forward a copy to the Better Business Bureau. Make sure you properly display the "cc"s on the bottom of the letter.

 

If you do not receive a response after several weeks, write a follow-up letter (reference and attach a copy of the original letter). You can also try to follow-up with a telephone call (unlikely to help) and gentle reminder e-mails (sent to the CEO). If you cannot find the CEOs e-mail then call the cruise line and ask for the address.

 

Hank

 

Spot-on advice, Hank! :cool:

Since we don't use a travel agent, I have always insisted on printing out a "paper-trail" of every cruise transaction, and (much to my DH's chagrin) I insist on bringing it with me. My motto is: Once you're onboard, if something isn't in writing, it doesn't exist! ;)

[SPacificbound]

I don't believe any compensation is warranted. They are your kids, it is your responsibility to take care of them, not the cruise line.

 

Adding the line about rough weather is ridiculous. The cruise line has no control over the weather.

[Blk_Amish]

I think you are due nothing. They aren't obligated to be babysitters so you can dine without the kiddos.

 

It's over. Move on.

 

Hooey, Hooey, Hooey!

 

At least suggest to use the babysitting service to enjoy precious time with one's spouse. It's a honor and true privilege to be able to share alone time as a couple, for those are married and still enjoy each other's company. The kids don't sail free so maybe they should be compensated apart of the child's rate. What's next, you booked a quad but you are given a double, so the child shares the bed, no big deal, again hooey!

 

Anti kid, anti couple, anti family, what's that greatest family vacation is coming to, bowl of hooey!

Edited December 21, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[luddite]

Hooey, Hooey, Hooey!

 

At least suggest to use the babysitting service to enjoy precious time with one's spouse. It's a honor and true privilege to be able to share alone time as a couple, for those are married and still enjoy each other's company. The kids don't sail free so maybe they should be compensated apart of the child's rate. What's next, you booked a quad and you are given a double, so they child shares the bed, no big deal, again hooey!

 

Anti kid, anti couple, anti family, what's that greatest family vacation is coming to, bowl of hooey!

 

No.

[Blk_Amish]

No.

 

Hooey:D

[macleay]

Wow. This couple booked a cruise two years in advance, found out about a change, checked into it with the cruise line, was given an answer in writing, which wasn't honored, and they are criticized? Wow.

[Blk_Amish]

Wow. This couple booked a cruise two years in advance, found out about a change, checked into it with the cruise line, was given an answer in writing, which wasn't honored, and they are criticized? Wow.

 

You wonder if one should question the integrity of the cruiseline/agent or those who think this is acceptable. My vote is on, hooey!

[macleay]

You wonder if one should question the integrity of the cruiseline/agent or those who think this is acceptable. My vote is on, hooey!

 

I'm with you. And then to pile on about their parenting because they'd counted on letting their kids participate in the kids program? I don't get it. To me, they're being responsible parents by choosing a vacation that caters to kids as well as adults.

[MermaidWatcher]

I know that as the person who feels they have been wronged, you evidently think differently, but I agree with most that this is not something that you should reasonably be expected to get compensation for. An inconvenience for you maybe, but not in the realm of major mechanical failures or similar things that completely ruin a trip. A sympathetic rep may offer you a token OBC for the future, but I'd be surprised if anything more.

[Blk_Amish]

I'm with you. And then to pile on about their parenting because they'd counted on letting their kids participate in the kids program? I don't get it. To me, they're being responsible parents by choosing a vacation that caters to kids as well as adults.

 

We were in a similar situation at an all inclusive resort, Sunset Jamaica Grande. After months of reassurance the child care was not up and running, as promised. We were fortunate enough to have credit for most of our vacation time. Granted a different time and place, but everyone understood why a functioning day care would be important to a vacationing family.

 

She could write a letter expressing her disappointment and request OBC/FCC for her next cruise. More than likely I would not bother with the line again but things do happen. It's wrong to flame her for wanting time with her spouse (not eveyone has one I suppose or want alone time:D) or taking the word of an agent. We cruise or vacation without the kids for our anniversary, got flamed for that too.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[sprint180]

Nothing

[spidybabe]

If I had said that I would reschedule my cruise if my child could not be in the kids club and was told that they could be in the club, it would be a big deal to get on board and find out that they could not be. I think the OP did the reasonable thing by contacted the cruise line and getting reassurance. I think that the cruise line needs to make some acknowledgement of their part in this. Would a cruise be ruined for me? No, but it would not be the cruise I had planned.

 

Totally agree. If given all the correct facts, it seems the OP would of re-booked. There is a tremendous difference if you think your children will enjoy their time at "kids camp" , or having them with you all the time. MUCH DIFFERENT VACATION, and not the planned one. Most children love the time spent with other children at playtime, not being with mommy and daddy all the time. Children enjoy breaks from parents too. I think the children's vacation was changed for the worse, as were the parents. I'm sure the time spent together was enjoyable, but again...not what was paid for, nor promised. The cruise line should hold some fault in this issue...the OP did recheck.

Safe sailing

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Karysa]

I'm in the middle of resolving an issue with the cruise line on our last cruise and I'm curious what you think would be an acceptable resolution to this matter...

 

You book a cruise 2 years in advance, after 1 year of being booked, they change the kids club age cut off, making your child ineligible by a matter of days.

 

I was never notified of the change by the cruise line or our cruise line rep (who works for the cruise line) but I learned about here on cruise critic. Once I heard about it, I immediately contacted our rep and asked if this was going to be a problem (I had heard that exceptions would be made). I specifically said in my email that if my son would not be allowed to attend, then we would most likely cancel our cruise. We had done a cruise prior when he was too young and it was just not worth it to us.

 

We were assured in writing by the cruise line rep that it would not be a problem as long as he met certain criteria, which he did.

 

I'm sure you can guess what happened- got on the ship and was told no, no exceptions.

 

So, then my older son refuses to go because his brother is so sad.. The trip that they were so looking forward to, that my littlest had been working so hard on being potty trained so he could go to kids club. To top it off, we missed a stop due to a rough weather and ended up with a sea day and no option to use kids club. After scouring the daily for something to do with the kids, there just wasn't anything for that age group, so we made the best and did what we could.

 

We were celebrating our anniversary, no dinner by ourselves. No time alone to swim or go to the spa or go to the shows.

 

We did enjoy the two ports we went to, so the entire trip wasn't completely ruined. However we spent $2600 on the cruise along with $1200 in airfare.

 

So, the bottom line is what do you think would be a proper resolution to being told that kids club would be available and then it was not once you got on the ship? We added up the time that they would have gone to kids club but weren't able to... approx 15-18 hours

 

I absolutely 100% think that you should have been notified. Cruiselines are sending me e-mails all of the time. An email with a policy change notice is just common courtesy to me. The fact that you had it in writing that your son could attend and this was not honored would have made me very upset. Think about it fellow ccer's these parents talked up the kids club for months prior to the trip. My kids would have been heartbroken to. This was bad form on the part of the cruiseline to me. I wouldn't ever want to cruise with that line again so if they offered me money I would take it but OBC would be useless to me unless it was transferable.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Karysa

[springfire]

Good Luck! It would be nice if the cruise line did the right thing.