NCL Pearl Cancelled 07/05/19

[Wheeling TravelingMom]

45 minutes ago, Ronin23 said:

 

We were on the same cruise and had the complete opposite experience, the staff were wonderful and would have no hesitation cruising with them again.  So to say they will be better off for missing the cruise because of your experience is plain ridiculous.

We all have our own opinions and experience. So happy you had a great cruise. We just didn't happen to have the same experience. Happy Sailing. 

[CruisinMaterial]

On 7/2/2019 at 6:49 PM, Motegi said:

So sorry to hear about this.  We just got back from our western med cruise on the NCL Epic a couple weeks ago.  Our ship also had some undisclosed mechanical issue that required a short delay in port mid cruise but we were still able to make all of the ports on the itinerary.

 

For those who are already in Italy, perhaps you could look into either the NCL Epic or any of the European cruise lines like MSC, Aida, Costa, or Tui leaving from any of the European ports.  I’m sure there are plenty of options that would fall within your dates.  

 

Good luck!

 

I was on this same sailing as you and actually boarded in Rome when the ship was held there due to "planned maintenance running longer than scheduled." The ship never recovered the rest of the cruise running late to every port thereafter until the ship's turn in Barcelona. Bravo to the Epic for making it to Naples on time with the next set of cruisers who embarked in Barcelona. I don't know if the planned maintenance had to do with their trying to hook something up with the scrubbers they were installing up on the pool deck (the sectioned off area) but that work is to take the entire summer practically before being completed.

 

My advice would be for any guests to try out the Seaview on MSC as it's a new ship. Yes it's a Western Med itinerary but I swapped from Seaview to Epic and regretted it post-sailing on the Epic. NCL hasn't kept their ships up lately while pinching the guest for all they can get. Frank Del Rio needs to go.

[CruisinMaterial]

For those on the Pearl July 6th sailing and already abroad, I can empathize with your situation. From the sounds of it, perhaps NCL is not handling your situation in the same way Royal Caribbean did with my situation. In all the (at the time) 43 cruises I had taken, I had never experienced a cancel sailing. The Radiance hit bottom and damaged a propeller / propulsion unit requiring a dry dock. This happened three days prior to sailing and I was notified via email about my cruise being cancelled. This was a sailing around New Zealand and I'm from the USA. I was already on holiday in Oz when this happened. I had to scramble and much like some other cruisers here mentioned, I searched for options to fill the 11 day gap in my holiday.

 

Unfortunately, not cruises fit the gap that went to Oz and I eventually just booked a trip on my own last minute through a common USA booking site and made up my own itinerary using the extensive network of buses NZ has. I flew to the south island and continued on. In the end, the cancelled cruise was the best thing to happen since I saw WAY more than I would've had I taken the safe route with the sailing.

 

With that said, I'm hoping for those on the cancelled voyage that you've been assigned a liaison from the Corporate office to help you if you're over there and to get you situated. I would never expect NCL to do this but RCCL did and I'm very thankful for them to do that. NCL has offered a similar compensation with 100% refund of the cruise fare paid plus a 100% future cruise credit just like RCCL did for the Radiance. From the sounds of it, NCL has just left everyone adrift who is overseas and is not looking after them - whether they're booked with a travel agent or not. (I was for the Radiance cruise and RCCL still stepped up.) I hope for the best for those aboard already and need to fill the gap! It can happen and Italy has an extensive and reliable train network if booking last minute flights and hotels at other places isn't going to be feasible. I wish all of you the best!

[rkelly21]

On 7/2/2019 at 1:19 PM, GA Dave said:

Wow.  That really sucks for all involved.  And this ship, relatively speaking, is not that old!  AND, it was just refurbed in Feb. 2017.  Must have been something pretty major to completely cancel an 11-day cruise this far out.

NCL Ships.docx 23.82 kB · 20 downloads

The word s NOROVIRUS I was on the prvious TA crossing and worst I have sen with 4 decades of cruising under my belt. What happened to the old NCL? Things started going downhill when the put in a new CEO.

[old nutter]

Does anyone know what is happening to Pearl now?  Thursday the Fourth and he still has not left Barcenlona yet according to Marrine Traffic.

[Tisha]

25 minutes ago, old nutter said:

Does anyone know what is happening to Pearl now?  Thursday the Fourth and he still has not left Barcenlona yet according to Marrine Traffic.

She is going into drydock in Barcelona. Everybody has to disembark by noon on Friday.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Tisha

[newmexicoNita]

8 hours ago, rkelly21 said:

The word s NOROVIRUS I was on the prvious TA crossing and worst I have sen with 4 decades of cruising under my belt. What happened to the old NCL? Things started going downhill when the put in a new CEO.

this is a matter of opinion. AS for noro virus what does that have to do with the CEO in the first place? Do I love some of the changes? Of course not, but do I like some of them? Sure I do. Tell us what has changed that bothers you due to the new CEO? the gripes we have heard, for the most part can be found on most lines now days. The cruising experience has changed. What one of us doesn't like about NCL might now be the same as what someone doesn't like about say, RCI and visa versa. 

[newmexicoNita]

13 hours ago, mugtech said:

Never have bought insurance for 20 cruises, have saved thousands of dollars.  The insurance companies make a profit after paying their agents and all the other costs.  Insurance companies collect more in premiums than they pay in benefits, so it is a losing proposition. We also don't play the lottery, even though proceeds benefit older Pennsylvanians.

your choice and there are others who do not get insurance but I can tell you, one incident without insurance can make many wish they had taken it. I know, if happened to someone at our church. Of course we all realize the insurance companies are in the business to make money and they do. That isn't the point. 

[ruderhaus]

35 minutes ago, Tisha said:

She is going into drydock in Barcelona. Everybody has to disembark by noon on Friday.

 

 FWIW there is no drydock in Barcelona which can accommodate a ship of her size.

[RJB]

9 hours ago, rkelly21 said:

The word s NOROVIRUS I was on the prvious TA crossing and worst I have sen with 4 decades of cruising under my belt. What happened to the old NCL? Things started going downhill when the put in a new CEO.

Who is the new CEO?  

[helen haywood]

2 hours ago, ruderhaus said:

 

 FWIW there is no drydock in Barcelona which can accommodate a ship of her size.

 

The Celebrity Equinox did a dry dock in Cadiz, Spain.  Perhaps Pearl is going to limp over there....

[cruisingnewtoit]

Oh I thought  the ship was going make it to Rome the last stop. Has NCL announced if there will be any compensation for the pax onboard?

[shadow1972]

1 minute ago, cruisingnewtoit said:

Oh I thought  the ship was going make it to Rome the last stop. Has NCL announced if there will be any compensation for the pax onboard?

I believe they're getting either a 50% refund or 50% of their fare applied to a future credit...can't remember which one.  I think it's the refund.

[mking8288]

20 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

 

The Celebrity Equinox did a dry dock in Cadiz, Spain.  Perhaps Pearl is going to limp over there....

 

Perhaps, NCL wants to look at the CCL's approach for their Vista ship -

https://www.marinelink.com/news/boskalis-floating-dock-fix-carnival-vista-467990

 

NCL's fleet of ships, probably no different and/or worst (or better) than ships by other yards - do experience problems from time-to-time with the engine/mechanical systems - things happened & just plain bad for unlucky cruisers on the impacted sailings, even worst when attempted quick fixes don't work as intended.  Case in point - different basket of apples, oranges & grapes vs. the red meat ?? - the B737Max issues ... the entire fleet grounded worldwide and they are running out of tarmac space for newly built one coming off the assembly line.  

[www3traveler]

2 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

Perhaps, NCL wants to look at the CCL's approach for their Vista ship -

https://www.marinelink.com/news/boskalis-floating-dock-fix-carnival-vista-467990

 

NCL's fleet of ships, probably no different and/or worst (or better) than ships by other yards - do experience problems from time-to-time with the engine/mechanical systems - things happened & just plain bad for unlucky cruisers on the impacted sailings, even worst when attempted quick fixes don't work as intended.  Case in point - different basket of apples, oranges & grapes vs. the red meat ?? - the B737Max issues ... the entire fleet grounded worldwide and they are running out of tarmac space for newly built one coming off the assembly line.  

WOW!!!  Interesting story-- I hope it works.  Wonder what the cost will be ?  The joys of modern technology.

 

THANK YOU as always for your inside.

[steamboats]

3 hours ago, helen haywood said:

 

The Celebrity Equinox did a dry dock in Cadiz, Spain.  Perhaps Pearl is going to limp over there....

 

Marseilles is another option. NCL prefers Marseilles for the refurbs. But it all depends on the capacity.

 

steamboats

[steamboats]

3 hours ago, shadow1972 said:

I believe they're getting either a 50% refund or 50% of their fare applied to a future credit...can't remember which one.  I think it's the refund.

 

It´s 50% refund plus 50% future cruise credit plus up to 300$ for rebooking flights.

 

steamboats

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, steamboats said:

 

It´s 50% refund plus 50% future cruise credit plus up to 300$ for rebooking flights.

 

steamboats

And leaving them all stranded in Barcelona to fend for themselves. NCL hasn't done enough, they should have rebooked all flights for any passengers who would have been flying home from Rome tomorrow. 

[EllieinNJ]

Some on FB are saying they are having a great time in Barcelona.  They are able to get off the ship and roam as much as they want.  Plus they already did 80% of the cruise and are getting 50% back plus 50% future credit.  They don't say how they are getting back to Rome though.

[wintertexancruiser]

sorry to hear this. This has to be awful.

 

We are on this trip in October and someone on our roll call is spreading the rumor, the next 4 cruises will be cancelled.

 

Has anyone else heard this or is this person spreading gossip? 

[bones774]

50 minutes ago, EllieinNJ said:

Some on FB are saying they are having a great time in Barcelona.  They are able to get off the ship and roam as much as they want.  Plus they already did 80% of the cruise and are getting 50% back plus 50% future credit.  They don't say how they are getting back to Rome though.

That's how I would be! Barcelona is a great port to be "stuck" in, I'd go inland for a day or more. Getting back to Rome? Isn't that why they are getting $300 for airline ticket changes/fees, fly home from Barcelona, and anyway the trains work great over there.

[CruisinMaterial]

2 hours ago, wintertexancruiser said:

sorry to hear this. This has to be awful.

 

We are on this trip in October and someone on our roll call is spreading the rumor, the next 4 cruises will be cancelled.

 

Has anyone else heard this or is this person spreading gossip? 

That person is spreading gossip. Unless something was catastrophically wrong, no ship would be out of service that long - especially for propulsion issues. The pods require a dry dock but changing them doesn't take longer than 7 days usually.

[boxall]

Where is the best spot to get official NCL info? Travelling on the 28th. 

[shadow1972]

2 minutes ago, boxall said:

Where is the best spot to get official NCL info? Travelling on the 28th. 

Unfortunately, nowhere.  And I'm not being a jerk.  I've been on the phone with NCL on and off for 3 days now.  Nobody knows anything (or at least their not saying anything), and to try to talk to a supervisor can take over 20 minutes if you're lucky...or...none are available. 

[boxall]

Hopefully 3 weeks is enough to fix everything.