Cruise cut short Gem Oct 31, 2017

[logan25]

We were told we had to go a hotel in Manhattan. Our car was at the Hampton Inn in NJ. We had to take a cab ($80) on our own to the right hotel. When we got to hotel it was 6pm (a 14 hour day). We were to exhausted to drive home so we stayed the night ($130). Lots more details but I'll stop here. Hoping to get some money back, we'll see?

 

I am just curious. Since you parked at the NJ hotel before the cruise, how did you get from the hotel to cruise ship prior to the cruise? Likewise, since you chose to stay the night at the NJ hotel after leaving the Newark airport, does the hotel not provide customers with complimentary (or even with a fee) shuttles back and forth to Newark airport?

[mjkacmom]

I am just curious. Since you parked at the NJ hotel before the cruise, how did you get from the hotel to cruise ship prior to the cruise? Likewise, since you chose to stay the night at the NJ hotel after leaving the Newark airport, does the hotel not provide customers with complimentary (or even with a fee) shuttles back and forth to Newark airport?

A taxi from Newark airport to that hotel should not have cost $80! We live in NJ but always drive to the pier. I’d much rather just take a cab home from Newark to my home, than shuttle into Manhattan, get my car, and then have to drive back to NJ.

[amberjohn]

Shuttle was strictly to the Manhattan terminal.

[logan25]

Shuttle was strictly to the Manhattan terminal.

 

So then what was your original plan to get from the Manhattan cruise terminal after the cruise to pick up your vehicle in New Jersey?

[mjkacmom]

So then what was your original plan to get from the Manhattan cruise terminal after the cruise to pick up your vehicle in New Jersey?

They would’ve had to pay for a car service, uber, or shuttle.

[sfinigan94]

Wife and I were also on this vacation. When we reached Barbados airport fri night , we were told by the airline we didn't have reservations on that flight. We showed the airline our paperwork showing flight # date and time. We were told by the airline to move over to the side and a representative would talk to us. The Canadian air representative told us we did nothing wrong . We were going have to wait and see if anyroom was left on the plane. The airline representative told us this had happened over 25 times earlier in the day. I asked to talk to a NCL representative but no NCL representatives could be found. It took about an hour for the airline representative to build our reservation thru the Ncl broker for the flight. We were not the only couple that tihis happened to that night. There is plenty more to this story but the bottom line was there was poor communication with NCl reps if you could find one and what information they did give was usually wrong. A big Thank You goes to Nick the Canadian air representative.

[maggie cruises]

Why should customers be expected to buy travel insurance to protect themselves against operational issues that are the fault of the cruise line?

 

Simply throwing their hands up and saying “so sad, too bad” is simply not acceptable. The expense of ensuring that customers don’t have economic losses as a result of a company’s operational issues should rest with the company.

 

 

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Pax should by travel insurance to protect themselves from lots of things

 

If you are of the mindset that travel insurance is a waste of money so be it

 

 

But you can bet this current fiasco is fully covered by your personal policy for any extra expenses incurred after returning

 

I wouldn't want to count on ncl covering anything other that getting back to NYC

 

Which they apparently accomplished

 

But

 

Travel delays and disruptions are covered by your insurance

 

 

 

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[deburn]

Hello,

 

I was also on the GEM and agree with the previous poster. Told to get up at 4am Friday to do paperwork which took less than 5 minutes then told we had to be on supplied transportation at 6:30am for a 10am flight. Waited in line at airport for 75 minutes in long pants and jackets. Went through several checks and then flight left late. Flight went fine but the "hellish day" got bad once we landed. No porters to assist with baggage, had to lug 5 bags (wife and I) throughout many checks and around airport and were told and wait for NCL rep. We were brought upstairs where there was one rep (and many passengers) using a phone to tell us where to go. He had many of us going to the wrong places. We were told we had to go a hotel in Manhattan. Our car was at the Hampton Inn in NJ. We had to take a cab ($80) on our own to the right hotel. When we got to hotel it was 6pm (a 14 hour day). We were to exhausted to drive home so we stayed the night ($130). Lots more details but I'll stop here. Hoping to get some money back, we'll see?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[CROWNCRUISER]

We returned home on 10:00 PM Friday flight other than getting into Newark at 2:00 AM, all was good. props to NCL for coordinating the return home for us. I am not an NCL cheerleader, just stating the facts.

[Letsgo 2]

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the shuttle busses from the Hampton Inn come by the Newark Airport every 30 min, if you landed in Newark, why didnt you just take that free shuttle back to the Hotel? or did you land in NY ?

[Shawnino]

 

But you can bet this current fiasco is fully covered by your personal policy for any extra expenses incurred after returning

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I'll take that bet.

Insurance companies don't earn profits by just paying out left and right.

[Destination Fun]

Passengers experienced a broken ship and broken rescue organized by NCL on the GEM 11 day sailing round trip from New York on 10/31 to the Caribbean.

 

People were heading to the ship’s medical doctor for stress and it even brought on a panic attack in at least one person. Many people who have never flown in their lives and did not want to fly were told they had no other choice.

 

The passengers became very concerned when the captain announced that they would not be heading to St. Thomas but would stop in Grenada instead due to the ship’s broken azipod. The ship was at the time only doing 7 knots.

 

Many people felt NCL squeezed in Grenada to say they made all five stops instead of letting the passengers enjoy extra time in Barbados where the ship was “destined” to be repaired according to rumor. Additionally, it was also rumored that NCL was aware there were issues but went ahead with this sailing.

 

NCL left as many as 70 people with special diets without food with their “rescue” from Barbados to the US even though they, NCL, have a department onboard for such services.

 

The “inconvenience” started before the 9am flight from Barbados to NY hotels around 6pm NY time. Passengers were told to eat breakfast aboard ship in the early morning hours starting with the first group. I guess as early as 2am? People were able to eat some but due to the early hours it did not work well.

 

 

They had one food choice for everyone including diabetics and Gluten free people on the chartered rescue planes. It was a sandwich, KitKat bar, pretzels and a beverage for hours. One can only say it was truly lovely for gluten free and diabetics! Food was not provided again until 6pm at hotels that also had no accommodation for special needs diets.

 

 

NCL actually had passengers up as early as 2am(???) to go through immigration in groups. We were in the third group that was suppose to be by the bistro at around 5am but the loud speaker came on earlier (no idea what time) and told us to report immediately. The folks that went out in some of the very first groups off the boat ended up being the last to arrive that evening at area hotels. May I say planning???

 

The chaos and lack of planning at the EWR airport left passengers missing the lunch that was scheduled at 2pm-3pm at the provided hotels. One person fell to the ground at the airport due to stress. Many never made it to the assigned hotels before 5:30.

 

NCL has offered a 25 discount opf fare paid on this trip less taxes, port fees, etc., etc., to passengers on their next cruise for their inconvenience, while the upcoming cruise that was cancelled is receiving 50 discount on their next cruise without living through the evacuation.

 

See this news article...

 

http://abc7ny.com/amp/travel/norwegian-gem-passengers-stranded-in-newark/2630677/

[NLH Arizona]

Per this post on Facebook, it doesn't seem like it was as bad as you say for all:

 

HUGE shout out to NCL! With the Gem having mechanical issues and having to disembark in Barbados and fly everyone to Newark - although I wasn't a passenger, my boyfriend was and he said NCL was simply AMAZING with how everything was handled. He said NCL went above and beyond in all aspects - just another reason why we cruise NCL! On his behalf, he thanks you for all you had done!

[Homosassa]

Travel is always an adventure. Many times things go as planned, many times they do not.

 

It is the times when things do not that make life interesting.

 

And yes, I do have a horror story that we lived through and that we still tell with a smile. Short version: a charter flight from Baltimore to Frankfurt, Germany in 1980.We ended up in Atlanta in a pier of the airport that was at that point not finished, had to spend the night (no access to our luggage) and flew out the next day at the last possible moment to arrive in Frankfurt before the airport closed for the night (around 11 PM) which made our arrival 16 hours late. No catering was available for the meals so sacks of Chicka-filet fried chicken sandwiches were purchased by the airline. We could have as many as we wanted during the flight.

 

Did we stop traveling? No, and many of our best experiences have been when things didn't go as plan and we adapted and went with the flow.

 

Attitude is everything.

[fastpitchdad]

Travel is always an adventure. Many times things go as planned, many times they do not.

 

It is the times when things do not that make life interesting.

 

And yes, I do have a horror story that we lived through and that we still tell with a smile. Short version: a charter flight from Baltimore to Frankfurt, Germany in 1980.We ended up in Atlanta in a pier of the airport that was at that point not finished, had to spend the night (no access to our luggage) and flew out the next day at the last possible moment to arrive in Frankfurt before the airport closed for the night (around 11 PM) which made our arrival 16 hours late. No catering was available for the meals so sacks of Chicka-filet fried chicken sandwiches were purchased by the airline. We could have as many as we wanted during the flight.

 

Did we stop traveling? No, and many of our best experiences have been when things didn't go as plan and we adapted and went with the flow.

 

Attitude is everything.

 

I agree with you. I have flown more than 3M miles...but in the moment it doesn't make suck any less :). But like you said, in the future you almost look back at the adventure with fondness.

 

I once had a flight that lost power in the cockpit and we had to circle for hours burning fuel. It wasn't a lot of fun at the time but I like telling the story now.

 

[jenn_m]

I don't understand why people who didn't experience an event stick up for the companies that are being accused of not handling it well. Some just assume that people are complaining unnecessarily. My parents were on this cruise. They don't fly due to extreme fear. They're older with heart conditions. NCL didn't care. They didn't give them any option but to fly - and now I hear that others were given better options which is disappointing. They had to be up at 1:30am for their 7:00am flight that didn't leave until 9:15 due to NCL given the plane improper paperwork. So, with a fear of flying and heart conditions, they sat on the tarmac for over 2 hours waiting to leave. Luckily, the flight staff was great. They arrived in Newark and had to wait 3.5 hours at the baggage claim with no help from anyone until their luggage finally arrived, I'm guessing on another plane. There were no NCL representatives. They finally were able to check in to the airport hotel (which they had to book on their own) at 6:00pm, 17 hours after NCL made them get up for immigration.

 

Sure, stuff happens, no one is saying otherwise. But after all of the headaches...not hearing what the actual itinerary would be until 2 weeks prior to sailing, waiting in line for hours for a rude front desk, days missed of a cruise due to worrying, traveling, no communication, etc...they should have received a full refund. 25% off of a future cruise is insulting. I think that anyone who experienced this in real life would agree. My parents are platinum plus and unfortunately that 25% will go to waste because they are done with NCL.

[fastpitchdad]

 

Sure, stuff happens, no one is saying otherwise. But after all of the headaches...not hearing what the actual itinerary would be until 2 weeks prior to sailing, waiting in line for hours for a rude front desk, days missed of a cruise due to worrying, traveling, no communication, etc...they should have received a full refund. 25% off of a future cruise is insulting. I think that anyone who experienced this in real life would agree. My parents are platinum plus and unfortunately that 25% will go to waste because they are done with NCL.

 

I agree that they should get more compensation but I am not sure what else NCL could have done. On short notice is extremely difficult to arrange flights for thousands on passengers. I get that people are afraid of flying (despite being far and away the safest method of travel) but they couldn't exactly find alternative transportation for anyone who requested it.

[jenn_m]

I agree that they should get more compensation but I am not sure what else NCL could have done. On short notice is extremely difficult to arrange flights for thousands on passengers. I get that people are afraid of flying (despite being far and away the safest method of travel) but they couldn't exactly find alternative transportation for anyone who requested it.

 

Apparently they did, according to some people earlier in this thread. They found some people passage on a HAL cruise and others are waiting in Barbados for the Gem to head back to NYC. But I agree that flying was necessary for most folks. It was just the poor communication and REALLY poor customer service that made the entire experience so horrible for them.

[NLH Arizona]

Apparently they did, according to some people earlier in this thread. They found some people passage on a HAL cruise and others are waiting in Barbados for the Gem to head back to NYC. But I agree that flying was necessary for most folks. It was just the poor communication and REALLY poor customer service that made the entire experience so horrible for them.

It could have been that the passengers who were given cruises back to New York were more insistent in telling NCL that they would not fly. If your parents just went along, that is probably why they were put on a plane. Also, there were on a few cabins on HAL and no one knows how many there are on the GEM and that could have been a deciding factor.

 

Thankfully they got home safe.

[em-sk]

Reading all of these it sounds like....

 

Sounds like the positives were:

- They contracted a reputable airline (Air Canada) to run the rescue flights on short notice.

- They prioritized everyone so as to ensure passengers made their connecting flights in JFK or Newark.

- They provided everyone with a 10 day cruise (perhaps 9 day if you count the last night being cut short).

- They ensured everyone was safe and well fed while on the ship.

 

The poor stuff:

- To get everyone back to New York on time, there were a lot early morning departures.

- People were scared and in panic mode.

- The did a poor job or organizing ground transpiration back in New York.

- They messed on the paper work they handed off to the airline.

 

I have been on the Air Canada 777 many times. There are three versions. The 200 is 40J, 24W, 236 Y. The 300 comes in two flavors a premium heaving 40J, 24W, 336Y and an economy heavy 28J, 24W, 398Y. The J open up into a bed, the premium economy (W) is on par with what US carriers call Domestic First Class and the Y are economy. Wonder wich aircraft was used and how they decided who to put in the premium cabin.

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I agree that they should get more compensation but I am not sure what else NCL could have done. On short notice is extremely difficult to arrange flights for thousands on passengers. I get that people are afraid of flying (despite being far and away the safest method of travel) but they couldn't exactly find alternative transportation for anyone who requested it.

They could have cancelled or postponed one of their other cruises on another ship in the caribbean and used it as a rescue vessel. That would have cost them a lot of money but certainly would have been the more responsible corporate move.

[mjkacmom]

They could have cancelled or postponed one of their other cruises on another ship in the caribbean and used it as a rescue vessel. That would have cost them a lot of money but certainly would have been the more responsible corporate move.

And then 2000 other passengers would be out of a vacation, in addition to those who were supposed to board the Gem. I think flying folks hom3 was a much better so,Union (and not cheap!).

[Tatka]

Oh...I can imagine how people felt.... So sorry...

We are healthy mid 40, but my husband has so huge problems with flying... we drove from MA to LV and canyons and back. Flying on charter planes from islands would be a horrible disaster for him

[fastpitchdad]

Oh...I can imagine how people felt.... So sorry...

We are healthy mid 40, but my husband has so huge problems with flying... we drove from MA to LV and canyons and back. Flying on charter planes from islands would be a horrible disaster for him

 

I get that (I don't understand it since flying is safer than any other form of travel) but should NCL be on the hook to pay thousands of extra dollars for everyone who claims to be afraid of flying? On top of whatever compensation pax are demanding?

[ColinIllinois]

I get that (I don't understand it since flying is safer than any other form of travel) but should NCL be on the hook to pay thousands of extra dollars for everyone who claims to be afraid of flying? On top of whatever compensation pax are demanding?

 

 

No. They need to provide transportation back to the original point of embarkation. Air transportation is a reasonable form of transportation to do that.

 

 

What would people who don't like flying do if they unfortunately missed the ship sailing at a port? I think we all feel for the folks who had their vacation interrupted by this incident but considering the logistics of trying to help so many people in a short amount of time I believe NCL did a good job. Of course, I'm just basing that on reports by posters here on CC.

 

I think all of us who have been around for a while have had our share of travel "adventures".