NCL Pearl Cancelled 07/05/19

[sverigecruiser]

19 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Some people in this forum must not have much experience traveling in Europe. July and August are the highest tourist months of the year and most of the better hotels and tours will be sold out. For those stranded now in Rome with no cruise to board last Friday, will find it extremely difficult to find good accommodations if they decided to stay in Italy for the duration of their original cruise dates. If they want to come home early they will find most flights back to the US will be already overbooked and they may have to wait several days for seats. The cost to change flights could cost a lot too. These hardships are something that their insurance or NCL will not reimburse.  From a cost standpoint a good 3 star hotel in Rome will cost last minute over $300 per night. Meals can cost over $100pp per day. When you add up all the costs of a land trip it will be more per day than what they probably spent per day for the cruise. So receiving a 100% refund from NCL will not come close to covering the land cost and the $300 for air will  not cover the added cost of changing flight either.

 

I did a quick search only for tonight and found many rooms around $100 in central parts of Rome.

 

  

[ed01106]

23 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I did a quick search only for tonight and found many rooms around $100 in central parts of Rome.

 

  

With air conditioning, pool, and room service? Or hotels with standards of service much lower than a cruise line?  Are these in good neighborhoods? And how would someone who has never been to Rome know if they are good or bad hotels?  Read reviews on their phone while getting hit with expensive roaming fees?

 

With proper planning a land based tour though Europe can be a great trip.  But on the fly when unexpected it is going to be extremely stressful and much more expensive.  If I want to spend a week in Rome on the budget of a week long cruise, I am going to start planning months in advance not try and figure it out when I get off the plane.

[shadow1972]

Begin rant~ Why do people enjoy being argumentative?  Not everyone deals with adversity in the same way.  Some people may be comfortable searching last minute for accommodations (in a foreign country, out of their element/comfort zone) and making the best of a bad situation, while others may in fact be, yes, "devastated".  Get over it.  No need to be nasty or rude or comment on peoples actions/reactions and shame them for feeling the way they do.  Let's just be kind, compassionate human beings and be good to each other. ~end rant.

[ColeThornton]

2 hours ago, Laszlo said:

“We are already here in Europe and have non-refundable days on Amalfi Coast after the cruise. We are stuck and I need to figure out a plan for 2-weeks last minute. All of that planning for nothing — we are devastated and don’t know what to do!” wrote user mickeyfanz, who was traveling with a group of nine people for a birthday celebration.

 

Devasted? 

 

Devastated.   Sure, why is that hard to believe?  Some people save and plan for years to have a bucket list cruise/vacation and to have it ruined at the very last minute can easily be viewed as a devastating experience.

[Laszlo]

1 minute ago, ColeThornton said:

 

Devastated.   Sure, why is that hard to believe?  Some people save and plan for years to have a bucket list cruise/vacation and to have it ruined at the very last minute can easily be viewed as a devastating experience.

Maybe I'm the odd man out. Devastated to me is finding out you have cancer and have a few months to live, a family member was just killed in a car accident from a drunk driver. This to me is devastating news, not my cruise has been canceled......thats just me

[All-ready2cruise]

6 minutes ago, shadow1972 said:

Begin rant~ Why do people enjoy being argumentative?  Not everyone deals with adversity in the same way.  Some people may be comfortable searching last minute for accommodations (in a foreign country, out of their element/comfort zone) and making the best of a bad situation, while others may in fact be, yes, "devastated".  Get over it.  No need to be nasty or rude or comment on peoples actions/reactions and shame them for feeling the way they do.  Let's just be kind, compassionate human beings and be good to each other. ~end rant.

Very well said and I'm really sorry this has happened to you and your fellow pax.  I think devastated would be my feeling as well. I'd compare a cruise like this one to our British Isles cruise in 2015. Months of planning, part of the fun of a cruise like this and if it had turned out to be cancelled as yours has, I can't begin to imagine what you must be going through.  

I hope you are successful in finding your way around these obstacles.  

 

[sverigecruiser]

54 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

With air conditioning, pool, and room service? Or hotels with standards of service much lower than a cruise line?  Are these in good neighborhoods? And how would someone who has never been to Rome know if they are good or bad hotels?  Read reviews on their phone while getting hit with expensive roaming fees?

 

With proper planning a land based tour though Europe can be a great trip.  But on the fly when unexpected it is going to be extremely stressful and much more expensive.  If I want to spend a week in Rome on the budget of a week long cruise, I am going to start planning months in advance not try and figure it out when I get off the plane.

 

I only commented on the price, nothing else.

 

I looked again after you asked and some examples are:

 

Hotel San Silvestro ***

Hotel Reppublica ***

Hotel Elite ***

Residenza Montecitorio ***

[sverigecruiser]

54 minutes ago, shadow1972 said:

Begin rant~ Why do people enjoy being argumentative?  Not everyone deals with adversity in the same way.  Some people may be comfortable searching last minute for accommodations (in a foreign country, out of their element/comfort zone) and making the best of a bad situation, while others may in fact be, yes, "devastated".  Get over it.  No need to be nasty or rude or comment on peoples actions/reactions and shame them for feeling the way they do.  Let's just be kind, compassionate human beings and be good to each other. ~end rant.

 

I don't know if you are talking about me. I only commented on the price. Why say that a decent 3-star hotel cost $300 when many rooms are available for around $100? I know that most rooms cost more than $100 but MANY rooms cost much less than $300.   

 

I know that searching for last minutes accomodations outside their comfort zone isn't easy for everyone but I only commented on the price, nothing else.

 

  

[shadow1972]

1 minute ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I don't know if you are talking about me. I only commented on the price. Why say that a decent 3-star hotel cost $300 when many rooms are available for around $100? I know that most rooms cost more than $100 but MANY rooms cost much less than $300.   

 

I know that searching for last minutes accomodations outside their comfort zone isn't easy for everyone but I only commented on the price, nothing else.

 

  

 

No, it wasn't a direct response to you.  It was just a general comment.

[sverigecruiser]

7 minutes ago, shadow1972 said:

 

No, it wasn't a direct response to you.  It was just a general comment.

 

Good.

 

I know that I can be argumentative but don't think I was that now.

 

[ed01106]

29 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I only commented on the price, nothing else.

 

I looked again after you asked and some examples are:

 

Hotel San Silvestro ***

Hotel Reppublica ***

Hotel Elite ***

Residenza Montecitorio ***

Not one of them has a pool nor room service.  One of them might not have AC.  

[shadow1972]

8 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Good.

 

I know that I can be argumentative but don't think I was that now.

 

 

We all can be depending on the situation 🙂  I just don't appreciate people trying to minimize other people's emotions.  We're allowed to feel the way we feel.  For some, this cruise was a honeymoon, or a long awaited bucket list item.  For others, it may have been a run-of-the-mill vacation in the Mediterranean.  Some people used up their entire year's worth of vacation time only to find out they now can't go.  So saying "devastated"...yeah...I get it.  No, it's not the same devastation as terminal cancer, but why does it have to be one or the other? We are complex beings with complex emotions.  That was the point I was trying to make.

[sverigecruiser]

7 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

Not one of them has a pool nor room service.  One of them might not have AC.  

 

They are still *** so overall they shall still be decent and far from $300.

 

People need different things so the things you mention may not be important to everyone.

 

As for cruise ship standard I agree with you that they are not but *** never has cruiseship standard. (Of course it depends on what someone want.)

 

With respect for the OP I will not argue anymore with you.  

[Peachypooh]

I went to the Marriott site for Rome  and checked for tonight. I have no idea if they have enough days

of availability for an entire length of a cruise stay.The prices started at 90 euros per night to over 4,000 euros

per night with the average being the equivalent of $600 US dollars for what looked like a nice place.

But yes there were reasonable choices available however what we take for granted here in the US

(air conditioning and free breakfast) might not be (or may be) in the lower priced choices.

[sverigecruiser]

9 minutes ago, shadow1972 said:

 

We all can be depending on the situation 🙂  I just don't appreciate people trying to minimize other people's emotions.  We're allowed to feel the way we feel.  For some, this cruise was a honeymoon, or a long awaited bucket list item.  For others, it may have been a run-of-the-mill vacation in the Mediterranean.  Some people used up their entire year's worth of vacation time only to find out they now can't go.  So saying "devastated"...yeah...I get it.  No, it's not the same devastation as terminal cancer, but why does it have to be one or the other? We are complex beings with complex emotions.  That was the point I was trying to make.

 

I should never with purpose minimize other peoples emotions. If I was devestated it should feel bad to hear that $300 is the price for one night at a hotel so why say it when it isn't necessary correct. 

[littlelulu01]

Everyone has different circumstances and definitely see how a cancellation last minute is not fun!  Some are large groups, various mobility issues, lots of luggage, little funds available, non refundable airfare... If travel had already commenced and coming back early was too expensive, there were many alternatives.  Last week they had inexpensive alternative cruises. They had crown plaza Rome hotels for $89/night. That’s the 4* hotel ncl uses with swimming pool... larger groups could get an Airbnb or villa in country and plan day trips with those who wanted leaving grandma or whoever behind at the pool for the day. We’ve done trips such as this in Tuscany before and they are very inexpensive.  August is the busy crazy month with little hotel availability but even in August we’ve easily found last minute hotels...

 

large amounts of luggage can certainly turn to a ball and chain with land based travel.  I’ll NEVER bring more than I can easily carry up and down stairs at a brisk pace. Luggage storage is available at train stations or simply stay put in one place with day trips is another option with too much luggage.

 

Venturing out in countries with a language barrier can be a little scary at first but thousands of kids do it alone, without parents, when they study abroad.  They learn quickly and find its very easy to make WiFi calls and use internet at cafes for free, purchase airfare, hotel... every week for the last minute trip to Budapest... our daughter’s school counseled parents on importance of leaving them to their own devices and not worrying.   Gives me hope that those affected by the cancellations will have some type of skill and resources to make lemonade out of lemons. 

 

I guess id pick a land vacation any day over a situation like herdingmom had with the Star limping around for months and ending up afloat at sea.  To me that sounds scary and potentially disastrous! 

[NLH Arizona]

3 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I did a quick search only for tonight and found many rooms around $100 in central parts of Rome.

 

  

I did a search for flight back to New York for tomorrow and found plenty available.

[ed01106]

1 hour ago, NLH Arizona said:

I did a search for flight back to New York for tomorrow and found plenty available.

Any for $300 or less?

[NLH Arizona]

8 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

Any for $300 or less?

No, tickets I saw were less than $800, but you have to remember that they already have tickets for the return, so they would pay the difference in the flight and the change fee.  Do you think that NCL should pay for the new ticket and let them keep the ticket they have so they can use it at another time?.  Don't forget, that they will be getting 100 percent of their cruise fare back, which could be use if they want to pay the difference in the flight if any, and a future cruite certificate for their next cruise.  NCL shouldn't be responsible to double pay for flights.

[ed01106]

4 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

No, tickets I saw were less than $800, but you have to remember that they already have tickets for the return, so they would pay the difference in the flight and the change fee.  Do you think that NCL should pay for the new ticket and let them keep the ticket they have so they can use it at another time?.  Don't forget, that they will be getting 100 percent of their cruise fare back, which could be use if they want to pay the difference in the flight if any, and a future cruite certificate for their next cruise.  NCL shouldn't be responsible to double pay for flights.

If the only reason I flew to Italy is to go on this cruise, NCL should refund me 100% of my cruise fare AND 100% of my flight both ways plus all other expenses I incurred. E,g. put me back in the same position I would have had I not booked the cruise in the first place.

[NLH Arizona]

12 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

If the only reason I flew to Italy is to go on this cruise, NCL should refund me 100% of my cruise fare AND 100% of my flight both ways plus all other expenses I incurred. E,g. put me back in the same position I would have had I not booked the cruise in the first place.

They have put you in a better position, because you are getting a full refund, plus a future cruise credit and transportation change fee. You want basically 2 free cruises and everything else paid by NCL, I guess not everyone will be happy.  

Edited July 9, 2019 by NLH Arizona

[sverigecruiser]

34 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

If the only reason I flew to Italy is to go on this cruise, NCL should refund me 100% of my cruise fare AND 100% of my flight both ways plus all other expenses I incurred. E,g. put me back in the same position I would have had I not booked the cruise in the first place.

 

...

Edited July 9, 2019 by sverigecruiser
I changed my mind.

[terrydtx]

39 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

If the only reason I flew to Italy is to go on this cruise, NCL should refund me 100% of my cruise fare AND 100% of my flight both ways plus all other expenses I incurred. E,g. put me back in the same position I would have had I not booked the cruise in the first place.

I agree with you. If you had not left home for the cruise before it was canceled and had trip insurance you would have been reimbursed for the airfares. For those who left a few days early before the cruise was cancelled you will not get any flight reimbursement and you are stuck in Italy with no accommodations. If I was in the latter position, I would be pissed and never cruise again with NCL.

Edited July 9, 2019 by terrydtx

[richstowe]

Any Pearl updates ? I haven't read anything new for 3 days . 

[shadow1972]

14 minutes ago, richstowe said:

Any Pearl updates ? I haven't read anything new for 3 days . 

 

To the best of my knowledge, she's still in Barcelona.  She went out on a test run last night, did a couple of loops and returned to port.  I heard she got up to 23 knots...but I haven't confirmed that.