Missed boarding Getaway 2/3 in NYC

[Ctrix65513]

Word to the wise, always go with the insurance or fly in the day before. I've been on 9 cruises in my lifetime and haven't ever had an issue until yesterday. It's one of those things you don't realize you need until after the fact as I'm finding out.

 

My flight departed Chicago 6AM as scheduled on time to NYC to catch the Getaway 2 day cruise to Nassau. I was to get into the city at 8:30AM. Plenty of time before the 1PM boarding cutoff right? Think again. Unfotunately, my flight got diverted to Connecticut as NYC temporarily closed their airports and sat on the runway forever with refueling, deicing, and waiting for weather conditions to improve. I actually attempted booking my air through NCL just for this reason but I didn't find out about this sailing and book until Saturday when no options where given via the website. I don't know if it's because it was so close to departure or just because this was a one way cruise.

 

Anyways, I showed up to the pier shorty after 2 hoping I wasn't the only person delayed because NYC weather was indeed crazy and the cruise was still allowing boarding (a long shot I know but hey I had come all this way) and realized the ship had already left. Their wasn't even anyone around from NCL to assist me. There where just dock workers cleaning up the Bud Light Hotel decorations. They stated the boat left an hour early due to bad weather.

 

I get the flight choice was mine and it was a risk I was taking, but NCL never called me to tell me the boat was leaving early or asked if they could assist me with reservations in NYC or to get back home (at my cost of course). What is the emergency contact # you give them good for then. They haven't even said sorry you didn't make it nor reach out to me at all- seems like bad business to me just taking the money and that's it. A few questions:

 

1) What would trip insurance have covered in this instance had I opted for it with NCL? Would it have only covered my loss cruise fare only or also tickets to NYC (had it been available and purchased through NCL), return airfare from Nassau (had it been available and purchased through NCL), hotel in Nassau, and my return airfare last minute to get home from NYC.

 

2) Will I get refunded for the taxes. It seems to me you shouldn't pay taxes for something you don't use.

 

Not buying insurance cost me my flight to NYC, cruise fare, hotel for 1 night in Nassau, and airfare home from the island not to mention a last minute ticket home from NYC. Wanted to write this up as a cautionary tales for others.

[Medtech2]

Wow, that totally sucks!

 

Have you tried calling Norwegian?

 

What did they say?

[Love my butler]

The short version, always fly in at least the day before your cruise.

[sdmike]

You should have your port fees returned, but not your taxes on the cruise fare.

 

sorry you missed the ship. I don't think NCL owed you a call or assistance. If I miss a flight the airline never calls me to see what happened either. If you need help or have questions it's up to you to call them.

 

If you had insurance they would reimburse you for your cruise fare only. They would say you used your flight, and it was up to you whether you wanted to fly to Nassau to catch the ship.

Edited February 5, 2014 by sdmike

[SissasMomE]

You will have the port fees refunded. I'm not really sure about the taxes. What time was the ship supposed to leave?

[garycarla]

...Not buying insurance cost me my flight to NYC, cruise fare, hotel for 1 night in Nassau, and airfare home from the island not to mention a last minute ticket home from NYC. Wanted to write this up as a cautionary tales for others.

 

Sorry you missed the ship. It does happen.

 

Just to point out what is often not obvious. All the insurance in the world would not take care of missing the ship. If it is missed, it is missed. Insurance only covers costs, not the trip itself.

 

And, depending on the type of insurance, it may not have covered some of the non-cruise expenses. It might.

 

Again, sorry.

 

The real lesson here is to fly in the day before, especially in the winter. Enjoy the new city.

[Cruiser2490]

Ah! So sorry this happened to you. This is an actual fear of mine. I hope you can at least make the best of these days in NYC and/or can get back home soon! You can never predict weather!!! especially in NYC!

[Ctrix65513]

Thanks for the replies with all your knowledge and sympathy. Means a lot. A little comforting as well knowing I'll at least get the port fees refunded.

 

I have been getting the run around at Norwegian but finally received the corporate customer service phone # today late in the day (had been traveling home otherwise I'd have called earlier). They where closed though at that number by this point for the day so I will try tomorrow.

 

I immediately called the travel emergency number yesterday on your cruise E docs/contract but the rep had no information about the status of the ship. She gave me the general customer service # and said their wasn't much she coulddo.

 

Seems the insurance wouldn't have been much of a benefit in this case since it was an "act of god" or that is what the airline calls it.

 

I must disagree with the airline comparison given below though. They will definitely call or email you if they change the flight departure time.

 

Boarding didn't start until 12, disembark was scheduled for 3, although I guess NCL covered their bases because they say you have to be on two hours before disembarking. Thus making the 2PM departure acceptable in their eyes.

 

Believe me, flying in the day before from now on. Hopefully this saves someone else from making the same mistake.

 

 

 

sorry you missed the ship. I don't think NCL owed you a call or assistance. If I miss a flight the airline never calls me to see what happened either. If you need help or have questions it's up to you to call them.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Ctrix65513

[crazydaisy90]

There are also several independent agencies that offer travel ins. For $94, both my husband and I are covered for our 7 night trip on Epic next month. It includes all costs if we should miss the ship due to weather/airline delays. It's well worth the cost for the peace of mind. Next time, take a look at insuremytrip.com. They list and compare a multiple of travel ins companies. So sorry you missed your trip. We always think, it won't happen to us :(

[bob brown]

Sorry this happened to you. And good to see that you have a good attitude about it, learning from your mistake, and sharing that knowledge with others.

I agree with remarks about not taking such a chance flying in on departure day.

 

I think that if I was 'in your shoes'..... instead of booking a last minute flight back home, I would have tried to book to Nassau instead, add a couple of days to my hotel stay, and then used my prepaid hotel stay and flight back home to at least get some enjoyment out of the whole thing....

[Crusin6]

The short version, always fly in at least the day before your cruise.

 

But in this case skip this cruise unless you could drive to it and knew you could make it regardless of weather or stay in a hotel on Sunday night which would have cost a fortune because Super Bowl people would still be there Sunday night

 

If she only found out about Mondays cruise on Saturday I can't even imagine what the airfare would have been other than very very expensive.

 

The cruise as I understand it sailed very low capacity so probably dirt cheap

 

But anyway if someone is booking on Saturday and flying in Monday the weather forecast should be easy to find out. Or am I misunderstanding when she booked?

 

Sympathies to the op of course and my response is not directed toward her /him at all it is just stating some of the problems with last minute bookings especially when there are so many situations to consider. Especially in this case with one way airfare. The " big game" and if course the weather. also all for a 2 day cruise?this was just a bad choice all around. Just not worth the effort unless you live in manhattan and could walk if needed or lived close enough that you would drive in regardless of snow

Even relying on metro north lirr or jersey transit was risky on Monday. .

Edited February 5, 2014 by Crusin6

[che5904]

Anyways, I showed up to the pier shorty after 2

 

They stated the boat left an hour early due to bad weather.

 

 

Boarding didn't start until 12, disembark was scheduled for 3, although I guess NCL covered their bases because they say you have to be on two hours before disembarking. Thus making the 2PM departure acceptable in their eyes.

 

Well that sucks that this happened to you.

 

At the latest, if you have filled out cruise documents, it's an hour before sailing you must board. Don't know if you had those filled out but you didn't even make it for that, so even if they hadn't left an hour early you wouldn't have been unable to board.

 

I don't think NCL is "covering their bases", I think that has to do with mandatory government regulations for cruise ships.

 

Again sorry to hear you missed it. When flying to port, I'm always nervous about delays and cancellations and missing my cruise.

[mamaofami]

I'm sorry this happened to you. We always fly in at least one and sometimes two days early to avoid this problem.

[auntierobin]

Being from Chicago too, I feel your pain. We fly out several times during the winter and always worry about whether we will get out, a couple of times we have been on the last plane out of O'Hare. But I digress the point of my post is that it's just not winter you have to worry about.

 

Last summer we were sailing the Gem out of NYC with our niece (a graduation present for her) and had a 9:00 am flight the morning before the cruise. Well, we sat at O'hare until about 11ish because of thunderstorms, finally took off and make it to NY airspace and begin to circle and circle and circle (the wind was too strong to land) - then we are told that we are going to Pittsburgh because we are low on fuel (something you love to hear thousands of feet in the air!). We get there get fuel and sit in Pittsburgh for 3 hours waiting for clearance along with about 4 other diverted planes, about 6 we are given clearance to take off again for for LGA, we get there and we start circling again. At this point we are worried that we will even make the cruise. At last! about 8 we landed and got to our hotel (downtown) about 9:30.

 

The moral of this story is fly in a day or two early no matter what time of year! If you live in Chicago - make it at least 2 or 3!

Edited February 5, 2014 by auntierobin

[graphicguy]

WOW....feel your pain! Couple of things, as most answered, you should get the port fees and taxes returned. As far as any insurance, if you indeed buy it, there are all sorts of plans, with all sorts of different terms. If the insurance covered missing a flight, there are all sorts of terms involved before insurance covers that, too.

 

Not chastising you in any way. I've flown in day of cruise myself. But, there are so many "gotchas" in your trip....flying out of Chicago (O'Hare is notorious for being tardy). Flying into NY is another crap shoot as far as being on time. To add to all that, and probably the biggest issue is flying in the winter and expecting to be on time. That's just triple jeopardy.

 

As far as NCL contacting you? They really would have no way of knowing what your status is, other than you're a "no show". I can't see how they'd know your flight was late. However, they do make it a point in your cruise docs to call them to let them know you've run into issues. Not sure what they can do about it, but at least they know your status. They might be of at least a bit of assistance if they knew what was going on with you.

 

As far as what the dock workers told you about the ship leaving early? Not sure I'd take their word on that. Cruise ships are usually more punctual than the airlines are. Barring any unforeseen and highly unusual circumstances, they are ordinarily very punctual.

 

Now, if it were summer time, when weather is much less a factor? I'd fly in the day of the cruise (and have done it with no issues).

 

My rules of thumb for flying in the day of the cruise...

 

-always book a direct flight to the port, no connecting flights which adds the dynamic of not having just one flight that might be late, but two or more flights.

 

-As you did, I always book a flight that is scheduled to get in early enough to give me at least couple of hours breathing room before I HAVE TO BE CHECKED IN AT THE DOCK!

 

-I always have a contingency plan. That is, I always look to see what the next flight might be going out that would get me to the dock on time. That way, if my first flight is cancelled, or is very late, for whatever reason, I can catch another flight.

 

-I always catch the first flight of the day going from my home to the dock. That way, you're not stuck waiting for pilots and flight attendants, who may be coming in on another late flight, to get your plane off the ground.

 

-Night before, I call the airlines and ask if the flight I'm on is on time. Now, the answer is usually "yes", as they don't give updates until a few hours before the flight. But, sometimes they know a flight is going to be delayed and will rebook you if you call them. At the very least, I call the airline ON THE WAY to the airport to see if the flight is on time. If not, I have them make alternate plans for my flight before I even show up at the airport.

 

Hope your next cruise makes up for the hassles of this cruise. ;)

[roger001]

Really sorry it happened. But, traveling in the US northeast during the winter is always risky. We've watched one winter storm after another go through there week after week. Flights have been delayed or canceled repeatedly. It's no one's fault but mother nature. And we must plan accordingly. As others have mentioned, travel the day before. There's just too much risk otherwise. And...travel insurance is a must for us...always. Thanks for the reminder though. I too would be very disappointed, but would not be able to point a finger of blame at anyone except my planning.

[RJ2002]

Very sorry to hear this story.

 

In the past, we have occasionally flown in the day of a cruise, and I can sort of understand your rationale being just a 2 hour non-stop flight away from the port. However, weather is indeed the wildcard, and delays can really happen anywhere, except perhaps within the Hawaiian islands! (I think the Hawaiian airlines have the best on time records of any US carriers).

 

These days, we always fly in a day before the cruise... perhaps more if going overseas.

 

We also always have insurance.

[metsinfirst]

Booking only a day before a sailing, I question whether you can even get trip insurance at that point.

[arf2005]

How disappointing. I'm so sorry for you. First, don't ever bother with the insurance from the cruise lines - it's worthless. However, always buy insurance - and go with an independent company. Depending on your age and the cost of your trip it is usually very reasonable and if you purchase it at the time you make deposit (and chose the right kind) it should cover pretty much any thing that might happen.

 

I have to add my agreement to those above who say they come in a day early, especially during the winter months. It's nonnegotiable. Until April 15th rolls around, I don't trust the weather!

[newmexicoNita]

Thanks for the replies with all your knowledge and sympathy. Means a lot. A little comforting as well knowing I'll at least get the port fees refunded.

 

I have been getting the run around at Norwegian but finally received the corporate customer service phone # today late in the day (had been traveling home otherwise I'd have called earlier). They where closed though at that number by this point for the day so I will try tomorrow.

 

I immediately called the travel emergency number yesterday on your cruise E docs/contract but the rep had no information about the status of the ship. She gave me the general customer service # and said their wasn't much she coulddo.

 

Seems the insurance wouldn't have been much of a benefit in this case since it was an "act of god" or that is what the airline calls it.

 

I must disagree with the airline comparison given below though. They will definitely call or email you if they change the flight departure time.

 

Boarding didn't start until 12, disembark was scheduled for 3, although I guess NCL covered their bases because they say you have to be on two hours before disembarking. Thus making the 2PM departure acceptable in their eyes.

 

Believe me, flying in the day before from now on. Hopefully this saves someone else from making the same mistake.

 

I realize this is a huge disappointment and I would be upset as well, but the "act of God" is the same with airlines. When there are weather related problems the airlines will do nothing or almost nothing. I do understand but it still is hard to swallow. As for covering you, I think if you had insurance through the cruise line and booked air through time it may have been covered. Regardless, this is one of the reasons we always arrive at least one day prior to sailing. it is better to be safe than sorry!!!

[sdmike]

 

I must disagree with the airline comparison given below though. They will definitely call or email you if they change the flight departure time.

 

 

Except you don't have to be on the plane 2 hours in advance. This requirement gives them the flexibility to leave early in case of weather issues like this. Actually, I think this is a bit of a moot point since planes never leave more than a couple minutes early. :) The call will generally come for cancellations, or a text notice for delays.

 

We had a similar issue when in Grand Cayman. The weather started getting bad and the ship left early when they hit their "all aboard" deadline

Edited February 5, 2014 by sdmike

[ma40]

This is Wed 5th of Feb,I will miss Carnival Splendor sailing at 4pm. The Eastern PA, NY,and NJ are having an ice storm with 1/2" of ice on everything,this is after an 8" Monday snowstorm. The weather service did not say this would be disaster weather,or I would have gone to NYC yesterday. All buses,trains were cancelled this morning. The first bus from E PA today is 1:30, I would get to NYC at 3:45,then take a taxi,get to ship about 4:30,they take up gangplank at 3:30. I talked to Carnival emergency 4x,they can't do anything because the port of NYC makes the decision when the ship leaves.

I feel so bad for you,I did not need to fly,it is so sad to do all you did and still not make the ship.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

OP, I am sorry that you missed your cruise. I am sure you are disappointed. :(

 

We are flying in the morning of embarkation for our MSC Divina cruise. It cannot be helped and not something we normally do. The very next thing I did after making final payment was to buy an excellent travel insurance policy thru Insure my trip. That's all we can do to prepare. If we miss the ship, we'll have to fly to Jamaica to catch up.

[sdmike]

This is Wed 5th of Feb,I will miss Carnival Splendor sailing at 4pm. The Eastern PA, NY,and NJ are having an ice storm with 1/2" of ice on everything,this is after an 8" Monday snowstorm. The weather service did not say this would be disaster weather,or I would have gone to NYC yesterday. All buses,trains were cancelled this morning. The first bus from E PA today is 1:30, I would get to NYC at 3:45,then take a taxi,get to ship about 4:30,they take up gangplank at 3:30. I talked to Carnival emergency 4x,they can't do anything because the port of NYC makes the decision when the ship leaves.

I feel so bad for you,I did not need to fly,it is so sad to do all you did and still not make the ship.

 

That stinks. Sorry that you'll miss your ship. I suspect there will be a lot of folks in your shoes with rail, road and flight travel all disrupted

[meatball_nyc]

Very disappointing to hear you missed your cruise.

This winter has really screwed up a lot of people's plans. It's just one snowstorm after another. Geez. Enough already!

Good luck with your next cruise!!

 

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day