NCL Star Jumper affected passengers

[NLH Arizona]

In one of the announcements the captain virtually blamed the person who went overboard, which I thought was a bit rough given that the women obviously had problems and needs help.

Who do you think is to blame and why? Was it the person who jumped, SOLAS who requires that they search for the person or NCL?

[shannon_m]

She was no scapegoat. SHE caused the problem and all the ensuing chaos for the passengers and crew. The truth can be rough.

It was a combination of factors that caused the delay. The ship was actually not that late getting back into venice. Police investigations cause a fair delay and the way NCL handled the situation, or didn't handle the situation as the case may be, all were factors in the incident. I think it is a little uprpfessional to lay blame solely on a person who obviously has mental health issues. She may have been an initiating factor, but the ensuing delays could have been managed better by all involved. It was an unfortunate event that was worsened by unprofessionalism. But that is just my opinion :)

[NLH Arizona]

I think the one thing is for sure, if the lady wouldn't have jumped, there would not have been any issues, thus the blame should fall squarley on her shoulders.

[PATRLR]

I think the one thing is for sure, if the lady wouldn't have jumped, there would not have been any issues, thus the blame should fall squarley on her shoulders.

So what you are saying is NCL and everyone else gets a free pass because of the jumper? Sorry, that's not the way the law or common sense works.

[Homosassa]

I give up. I am not troll and have been merely trying to educate those who can not understand or refuse to accept that there are things beyond the control of the cruise line and does impact anyone that is involved even peripherally.

 

No, NCL is not perfect and is not my first cruise line of choice.

 

I will now bow out and pass the mantle of "troll" to others that may wish to try to educate or apply common sense to the situation.

 

LOL - the threats of a class action suit will really help the complainers' cause.

[StolidCruiser]

So what you are saying is NCL and everyone else gets a free pass because of the jumper? Sorry, that's not the way the law or common sense works.

 

In actuality, the law and common sense both focus blame on the principal cause of the precipitating problem, not those attempting to deal with the aftermath.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

OP: Sorry you had such a bad experience. It won't help you at all, but may help other prospective cruisers to know that you experience may have been an exception rather than the rule. I sail with my mom, who needs wheelchair assistance to board.

 

We have sailed with NCL out of Venice, New Orleans (twice), Copenhagen and Miami and have never had an issue with having a wheel chair ready for her when we were ready to board. Of course, none of those sailings were after a debacle like a person jumping overboard.

 

We have been helped on board by an upholster, an engineer, restaurant staff and bar staff: any available staff who isn't occupied with turning the cabins over or serving food during that busy transition time. We have never been allowed to take the wheel chair in ourselves (probably because they have to few and they need to get them back off the boat).

 

As to the beverage package: we always get an amenity invoice which states what packages we have. There was one time when we had an amenity on our invoice that was not provided immediately, but we were able to take our amenity invoice down to guest services and get it corrected right away.

 

Again, I am sorry you had such a rough trip.

[shannon_m]

OP: Sorry you had such a bad experience. It won't help you at all, but may help other prospective cruisers to know that you experience may have been an exception rather than the rule. I sail with my mom, who needs wheelchair assistance to board.

 

We have sailed with NCL out of Venice, New Orleans (twice), Copenhagen and Miami and have never had an issue with having a wheel chair ready for her when we were ready to board. Of course, none of those sailings were after a debacle like a person jumping overboard.

 

We have been helped on board by an upholster, an engineer, restaurant staff and bar staff: any available staff who isn't occupied with turning the cabins over or serving food during that busy transition time. We have never been allowed to take the wheel chair in ourselves (probably because they have to few and they need to get them back off the boat).

 

As to the beverage package: we always get an amenity invoice which states what packages we have. There was one time when we had an amenity on our invoice that was not provided immediately, but we were able to take our amenity invoice down to guest services and get it corrected right away.

 

Again, I am sorry you had such a rough trip.

 

The stupid thing was that we were offered a wheelchair once we got on deck...4 hours too late! Also, no one would even help us carry our bags despite booking assistance and being ensured that someone would help us. Thanks for your concern and your feedback, but for us, we will go back to our preferred cruiseline, we are in no hurry to try NCL again, he'll, even passengers who had been with NCL several times before, swore they would never go with them again after this cruise and how the entire situation was handled.

[NLH Arizona]

The stupid thing was that we were offered a wheelchair once we got on deck...4 hours too late! Also, no one would even help us carry our bags despite booking assistance and being ensured that someone would help us. Thanks for your concern and your feedback, but for us, we will go back to our preferred cruiseline, we are in no hurry to try NCL again, he'll, even passengers who had been with NCL several times before, swore they would never go with them again after this cruise and how the entire situation was handled.

Just curious, what monetaryly are you looking for from NCL for your perceived mistreatment? What if they give you OBC for a future cruise, would you take that cruise?

 

I hope you find a cruise line that will be everything you are looking for.

[shannon_m]

Just curious, what monetaryly are you looking for from NCL for your perceived mistreatment? What if they give you OBC for a future cruise, would you take that cruise?

 

I hope you find a cruise line that will be everything you are looking for.

 

I'd be happy if I received a partial refund for the 1st day of the cruise I was unable to enjoy and instead spent in a lot of pain. I have been with other companies who I am very happy with, just thought I would give NCL a chance.

[mjkacmom]

I'd be happy if I received a partial refund for the 1st day of the cruise I was unable to enjoy and instead spent in a lot of pain. I have been with other companies who I am very happy with, just thought I would give NCL a chance.

I’ve never heard of any cruise line refunding passengers for s delayed boarding.

[shannon_m]

I’ve never heard of any cruise line refunding passengers for s delayed boarding.

Just saying what I'd like, never said I expected to get it. But truthfully I feel like every passenger on that ship deserves that.

[Cruiser_1977]

 

Shannon - What other cruise line(s) have you sailed? How many times have you cruised? It seems, based on some of your statements, that you are an experienced cruiser. Have you never had a delayed embarkation or debarkation?

[david_sobe]

Why did the travel insurance not cover the missed flights? Did I miss something?

Edited September 6, 2018 by david_sobe

[NLH Arizona]

I'd be happy if I received a partial refund for the 1st day of the cruise I was unable to enjoy and instead spent in a lot of pain. I have been with other companies who I am very happy with, just thought I would give NCL a chance.

I don't believe that they would be giving you a refund, but might give you something off another cruise or OBC for another cruise. If you think about it, why would a company give someone a refund, if they are not going to remain their customer. If you aren't going to remain a customer, then they are just wasting their good will by offering you a refund.

 

I truly believe that your TA messed up on two your issues (wheelchair and drink package), I would be looking for something from them that you could use on another cruise line.

[shannon_m]

Shannon - What other cruise line(s) have you sailed? How many times have you cruised? It seems, based on some of your statements, that you are an experienced cruiser. Have you never had a delayed embarkation or debarkation?

 

Between my mum and myself we have been with Royal Caribbean, Azamara, Carnival, Princess and Superstar. A passenger went overboard on a RC cruise I was due to go on which was delayed, but they handled it effeciantly, looked after their passengers and sped up theorncruise speed to ensure we dis not miss a scheduled port. This was leaving from Australia where the water is much more rough than the mediteranian. The water was like glass going from Venice to Bar (just south of Kotor) and yet the ship moved at a slower than usual pace (every other day we sailed it went much faster, which is how I can assume that it had the ability to do so). We arrived in bar to pick up staff not long after we were scheduled to leave kotor, so I am almost positive that they could have made it on time.

Even if they couldn't get there on time, there was an additional sea day just before we went to Dubrovnik, they could have gone to kotor on that day instead as there were no ships in port in kotor on that day, so there would have been availability if they had just been organised enough to think a few days ahead. It was just disappointing overall compared with the professionalism of other cruise lines.

[NLH Arizona]

Shannon, what speed was the Star traveling at? What speed would you have recommend that they would have traveled?

[shannon_m]

Shannon, what speed was the Star traveling at? What speed would you have recommend that they would have traveled?

 

TBH I don't recall what speed they were doing but it was incredibly slow. I do know we were basically going the speed of scenic cruising and that every other day we were going at least twice the speed. Apologies, I don't remember how many knots we were doing, it's been a few weeks now.

[margretha]

Shannon, by now you should realize that most of us really sympathize with what you experienced. And you probably will also realize that no matter how clearly you explain what happened, why you were disappointed, how you were let down, etc. some on this board will simply keep asking you why you are upset, why you feel let down, why you should blame your travel agent,etc. etc. etc.

Hope your next cruise is happier no matter what line you take. You seem to me to be perfectly able to detail what happened and how crazy the terminal experience was. It doesn't matter whether or not the terminal employees were hired by NCL or wear the NCL uniforms but are hired by a sub-contractor or how they came to be somehow involved: they were part of the problem. Many of us see that rather than deciding to quibble with you and demand more and more dippy information. I hope what you did see on your trip was pleasant. Safe sailing in the future! margretha

[Starry Eyes]

TBH I don't recall what speed they were doing but it was incredibly slow. I do know we were basically going the speed of scenic cruising and that every other day we were going at least twice the speed. Apologies, I don't remember how many knots we were doing, it's been a few weeks now.

I’m a cruiser not a mariner, but I know there are many speed restrictions especially for large ships. Certainly the areas around Venice are very sensitive, highly controlled environments. Though doubtless the ship is physically capable of sailing much faster, I hope you considered the possibility that the Captain might not have been allowed to sail that large vessel at substantial speed. Just as you are not allowed to drive 70 in a school zone.

 

I was also aboard a Royal Caribbean Ship when an “Oscar” emergency rang out. The people did not go off our vessel, but off a small craft assisting with lines of cruise ships leaving port that day. My cruise was delayed, as were other ships. But my inconvenience was of no significance compared to the loss of life. Two men died that day; their families must have been devastated. The mood on our ship was somber. We received no compensation; we requested no compensation; we would have thought less of any passenger who did ask for compensation...but thankfully people comported themselves appropriately & we did not hear a soul ask.

 

On another ship, another sailing, the ship slowed then turned around, then deployed a rescue boat to check for a possible person adrift on debis some distance away. That, too, took soon time. Turned out to be just a big bird on a log! No compensation for that delay either. If there was a chance it was a person in distress, they had to go and check, no matter the inconvenience or cost.

 

If you do not like such facts, select a different vacation.

[Peggy lancs]

Starry eyes

I joined cruise critic so that I could check if anyone aboard the NCL Star had had a refusal from their Travel Insurance regarding missed departures due to the incident that day .

I chose not to go into detail how that day unfolded because it was distressing and I felt it was not relevant to my question.

That right or wrong is just my decision

It does not mean that in order to choose to holiday on a cruise a guest should be prepared to react to any situation on board in a manner you and others deem acceptable. They are judged if they moan or criticise the cruise lines actions . Told to choose a different type of holiday ?

This overlooks the fact that people are not cruising for free and are allowed to expect a certain level of service.

Whilst a guest on a cruise ship we are all under the care of the Captain and crew anything that happens to make you feel uncared for or vulnerable should be addressed.

Thankfully Shannon others on the boards can offer real help and answer questions and empathise with your predicament.

I shall of course keep you updated about the outcome of my Insurance claim and wish you many happier holidays in the future.

Regards

Peggy

[Starry Eyes]

Peggy, I am merely an avid cruiser, not a maritime law expert, so I may not have every detail in order. Still, my understanding is that mariners are legally (and morally) required to render aid to a person or vessel in distress on the water. Even if they have not prior relationship with that persons or vessel. Even more so though if the person overboard came off their own vessel!

 

Though you may think of a cruise ship as only your paid vacation mode, it is also a vessel at sea with the moral and legal obligation of a vessel at sea. That includes diverting from course and delaying planned itinerary to render aid of distress is even suspected. Those are simple facts. I stick with my statement: if you cannot accept that, choose another vacation. The fact that you are a paying customer will never rid the Captain of his legal and moral obligations.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Why did you have so much luggage on day one? Didn't they use porters and crew to deliver bags?

 

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[old nutter]

We sailed out of Venice in June and went to Kotor so know some of how that trip works, so might be able to shed some light on what happened for the OP.

 

We are also doing a similar trip again later this year, so we were interested at the time in how the effect of the jumper panned out and were watching both cruises on the web because I wanted to see what could happen if anything remotely similar happens to us next time.

 

It was very clear that the Star was not going to get to back to Venice until near lunchtime at the earliest. Venice is a bit of a zoo at the best of time and we were feeling for those who were going to miss flights out (much like the fog problem last year). More so, we knew that those waiting to board were going to be very uncomfortable because I have no idea how having all of the incomming passengers in that terminal was going to be handled when many of the ship's staff who would normally be there to do the booking would still be on the Star out at sea. Not something we would have wanted to have to do and we sympathise with both you and the landside staff having to think on their feet to help those 2K plus passengers. The police hold-up only made matters even worse.

 

Once the Star loaded up and set off, it was something like 6 hours late. We followed her on the web for a while into the night and once out of the lagoon, seemed to be winding up to over 21 Knots, so she was pretty well at top speed. The run into Kotor takes quite a long time and I believe the entire route inland is done under pilot control according to what we were told in June. The Star has to do that run slowly and we were travelling at only about 5 or 6 knots. From the outside coast to anchor at Kotor took about an hour and 45 minutes. Obviously, that run would be repeated as she went back out to the Adriatic. With little chance to pick up much time heading down the Adriatic, the already short time in Kotor would have been seriously curtailed and over half of the time would be after dark or very much curtailed. In those circumstances I would think it was thought better to use the 3-4 hours sailing in and out of Kotor to get things back on schedule for the rest of the cruise.

 

The stop in Montenegro, normally in Kotor, means a stop outside the EU and so has some very important effects on taxation for these cruises, hence the evening stop in Bar made a lot of sense. It also appears that there were some staff changes due on that stop and not being able to do them could have made a lot of ongoing difficulty for the company. Kotor to Bar by land is quite easy, so that just added to the decision to do it. Once the Star left Bar she was back on schedule. I gather that NCL gave all passengers a $50 OBC by way of compensation for the problems caused by tate very selfish and clearly disturbed individual who caused the whole saga.

 

We have a great deal of sympathy for the OP and know from experience how even when timings are fine, that Venice changeover is always pretty fraught. I hope that helps put things a bit more into context.

[shannon_m]

I’ve never been to Venice but I’m wondering if there was an option to rent your own scooters like I have seen at US ports? And if so, do you pick up the scooter at check in or are they on the ship? Your experience and knowledge might help someone else with your level of handicap so just asking if you know of that option there. Pain greatly influences our perceptions. I have chronic thigh pain but luckily do not need a cane. Walking does not make it worse or better for me but I do know at times it is distracting to the point of coloring my whole outlook. While I doubt you’ll get the satisfaction you are seeking writing a letter detailing ways in which the process could be made better might help future guests.

 

There were no scooters, tbh I've never seen scooters at any port I've been to, but I've never sailed out of the US. There were Wheel chairs available and we had booked assistance, but we were denied both upon arrival. As I have sailed out of Venice before and had no issue, I can only make the assumption that this is an NCL issue and not a port of Venice issue. I loved every second of the experience of sailing out of venice last time and generally love all of my cruises. It's a shame that we had such a bad experience with NCL as they have potential to be great but let themselves down in a few areas. Some things can be overlooked such as the cabin size and quality of the activities, these things would not deter me from sailing with them again as they have great good and greata facilities and most of the on board staff are lovely and super helpful. The poor customer service provided by NCL, their attitude, the8r lack of product knowledge, these are the things that will stop me from going with then again. It's a shame because like I said, most of what they have is great and they cp yuld be one of the best cruise lines if they just lifted their game a little where it counts.

If I can help with any other info, just ask :)