NCL Pearl Cancelled 07/05/19

[sharonann24]

Good morning!  We were on the Pearl for this trip and got home to CT last night.  We fortunately (in this case) had the the NCL flights (and were flying straight home) so they did rebook our flights for us.  To clarify we were told on Tuesday when we were in Malaga that we would not be going to Palma and would be going straight to Barcelona.  Disappointed about that since it was going to be our on our own day, shopping, etc. but love Barcelona.  We had extra time ashore in Barcelona that afternoon after our tour to Montserrat which was a bonus.  We were told to be back onboard by 8.  That night we were told again there was a mechanical issue that meant we would now not leave until 6am the following morning.  Obviously that didn't happen and when I wandered down to Guest Services around 8 am to see what was going on there was already a small group sharing the information that we would probably not be able to make it to Rome, and many people were already trying to make alternate arrangements.  The captain sent out an announcement about an hour later saying that we would not make it to Rome and would remain in Barcelona.  NCL was giving us 50% refund on our cruise, 50% off our next cruise and $300 flight compensation to those who had their own travel arrangements.  There was the opportunity to go ashore that day in Barcelona but we opted to remain on board since I wanted to see what our travel arrangements would be and how quickly we would need to get ourselves packed and ready to go.  MANY people left the ship that day, but as the day progressed, the pool area began to fill up and those of us who remained were definitely making "lemonade out of lemons".  One fun fact--dress codes for the specialty restaurants were loosened that night so DH was able to go to our scheduled dinner at Le Bistro in shorts!  We did not get our confirmed travel until 11:30 that night which was kind of a bummer because we could have gone into Barcelona after all, but we made do. Our personal experience with the staff, crew and officers was very positive and I found them very accommodating.  My only criticism is that they should have been more forthcoming with our time in Barcelona on Wednesday.  This next point is important.   I will definitely advise any and all travelers to adhere to arriving at the airport for international travel 3 hours in advance because that was our only glitch. Our NCL travel had us leaving (KLM) at 11 am to Amsterdam with a one hour layover to connect to JFK.  We were at the airport by 8 and found out as we were permitted to check our baggage at 8:30 that our flight was delayed and we would miss our connection.  Kudos to the diligent KLM agent who searched out many possibilities for us and found an Air France flight leaving at 10 am, connecting in Paris at 2pm.  All went smoothly, and we were home in CT by 7:15 pm yesterday, in time to hear and see some fireworks.  This will not deter us from NCL further cruises.  In fact, my parents and brother and wife are on the Getaway Baltic cruise in August.  My only question is about the travel insurance which I did purchase and I am going to investigate whether we can make a claim.  Wouldn't hurt! I am so sorry for those who were on the next cruise.  I hope you are able to make arrangements for this and future situations!  So lessons learned:  NCL flights are not necessarily a bad thing, always have a back up plan, and remember that nothing is guaranteed.   

[newmexicoNita]

11 hours ago, shadow1972 said:

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. 

I would imagine they are saying nothing because they do not have a complete answer and would rather say nothing than give incorrect information. I know for those getting ready to cruise it has to be a nightmare. It would bad enough if sailing out of the country you live in, but for those who have to travel several hours just to get the the ship it would be awful.

[babs135]

Clearly this rather upset gentleman thinks NCL did it deliberately!!!!

 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2676746-does-the-media-hate-cruising/

[comcox]

1 hour ago, sharonann24 said:

Good morning!  We were on the Pearl for this trip and got home to CT last night.  We fortunately (in this case) had the the NCL flights (and were flying straight home) so they did rebook our flights for us.  To clarify we were told on Tuesday when we were in Malaga that we would not be going to Palma and would be going straight to Barcelona.  Disappointed about that since it was going to be our on our own day, shopping, etc. but love Barcelona.  We had extra time ashore in Barcelona that afternoon after our tour to Montserrat which was a bonus.  We were told to be back onboard by 8.  That night we were told again there was a mechanical issue that meant we would now not leave until 6am the following morning.  Obviously that didn't happen and when I wandered down to Guest Services around 8 am to see what was going on there was already a small group sharing the information that we would probably not be able to make it to Rome, and many people were already trying to make alternate arrangements.  The captain sent out an announcement about an hour later saying that we would not make it to Rome and would remain in Barcelona.  NCL was giving us 50% refund on our cruise, 50% off our next cruise and $300 flight compensation to those who had their own travel arrangements.  There was the opportunity to go ashore that day in Barcelona but we opted to remain on board since I wanted to see what our travel arrangements would be and how quickly we would need to get ourselves packed and ready to go.  MANY people left the ship that day, but as the day progressed, the pool area began to fill up and those of us who remained were definitely making "lemonade out of lemons".  One fun fact--dress codes for the specialty restaurants were loosened that night so DH was able to go to our scheduled dinner at Le Bistro in shorts!  We did not get our confirmed travel until 11:30 that night which was kind of a bummer because we could have gone into Barcelona after all, but we made do. Our personal experience with the staff, crew and officers was very positive and I found them very accommodating.  My only criticism is that they should have been more forthcoming with our time in Barcelona on Wednesday.  This next point is important.   I will definitely advise any and all travelers to adhere to arriving at the airport for international travel 3 hours in advance because that was our only glitch. Our NCL travel had us leaving (KLM) at 11 am to Amsterdam with a one hour layover to connect to JFK.  We were at the airport by 8 and found out as we were permitted to check our baggage at 8:30 that our flight was delayed and we would miss our connection.  Kudos to the diligent KLM agent who searched out many possibilities for us and found an Air France flight leaving at 10 am, connecting in Paris at 2pm.  All went smoothly, and we were home in CT by 7:15 pm yesterday, in time to hear and see some fireworks.  This will not deter us from NCL further cruises.  In fact, my parents and brother and wife are on the Getaway Baltic cruise in August.  My only question is about the travel insurance which I did purchase and I am going to investigate whether we can make a claim.  Wouldn't hurt! I am so sorry for those who were on the next cruise.  I hope you are able to make arrangements for this and future situations!  So lessons learned:  NCL flights are not necessarily a bad thing, always have a back up plan, and remember that nothing is guaranteed.   

Thank you for writing this up so folks know what is really happening at the moment.

[zonacruiser25]

Sorry to hear all this.  There is no good way to have a trip of a lifetime ruined! 

[disneykins]

6 hours ago, sharonann24 said:

Good morning!  We were on the Pearl for this trip and got home to CT last night.  We fortunately (in this case) had the the NCL flights (and were flying straight home) so they did rebook our flights for us.  To clarify we were told on Tuesday when we were in Malaga that we would not be going to Palma and would be going straight to Barcelona.  Disappointed about that since it was going to be our on our own day, shopping, etc. but love Barcelona.  We had extra time ashore in Barcelona that afternoon after our tour to Montserrat which was a bonus.  We were told to be back onboard by 8.  That night we were told again there was a mechanical issue that meant we would now not leave until 6am the following morning.  Obviously that didn't happen and when I wandered down to Guest Services around 8 am to see what was going on there was already a small group sharing the information that we would probably not be able to make it to Rome, and many people were already trying to make alternate arrangements.  The captain sent out an announcement about an hour later saying that we would not make it to Rome and would remain in Barcelona.  NCL was giving us 50% refund on our cruise, 50% off our next cruise and $300 flight compensation to those who had their own travel arrangements.  There was the opportunity to go ashore that day in Barcelona but we opted to remain on board since I wanted to see what our travel arrangements would be and how quickly we would need to get ourselves packed and ready to go.  MANY people left the ship that day, but as the day progressed, the pool area began to fill up and those of us who remained were definitely making "lemonade out of lemons".  One fun fact--dress codes for the specialty restaurants were loosened that night so DH was able to go to our scheduled dinner at Le Bistro in shorts!  We did not get our confirmed travel until 11:30 that night which was kind of a bummer because we could have gone into Barcelona after all, but we made do. Our personal experience with the staff, crew and officers was very positive and I found them very accommodating.  My only criticism is that they should have been more forthcoming with our time in Barcelona on Wednesday.  This next point is important.   I will definitely advise any and all travelers to adhere to arriving at the airport for international travel 3 hours in advance because that was our only glitch. Our NCL travel had us leaving (KLM) at 11 am to Amsterdam with a one hour layover to connect to JFK.  We were at the airport by 8 and found out as we were permitted to check our baggage at 8:30 that our flight was delayed and we would miss our connection.  Kudos to the diligent KLM agent who searched out many possibilities for us and found an Air France flight leaving at 10 am, connecting in Paris at 2pm.  All went smoothly, and we were home in CT by 7:15 pm yesterday, in time to hear and see some fireworks.  This will not deter us from NCL further cruises.  In fact, my parents and brother and wife are on the Getaway Baltic cruise in August.  My only question is about the travel insurance which I did purchase and I am going to investigate whether we can make a claim.  Wouldn't hurt! I am so sorry for those who were on the next cruise.  I hope you are able to make arrangements for this and future situations!  So lessons learned:  NCL flights are not necessarily a bad thing, always have a back up plan, and remember that nothing is guaranteed.   

Thanks for a first hand account of how NCL handled this. 50% refund and 50 % future credit. Wow. And you only had 2 ports changed or cancelled. Being "stuck" in Barcelona wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen.  We have missed 2 ports on other cruises and the only thing they did was some extra obc. I know we're not entitled to anything, sh*p happens. I know your final port was changed and that would mess up post-cruise plans, but the $300 would go a long way to remedying that situation. I think NCL went above and beyond in this case.

Nice to see someone making lemonade out of lemons.

Tony

[IrieBajan54]

7 hours ago, sharonann24 said:

  My only question is about the travel insurance which I did purchase and I am going to investigate whether we can make a claim.  

 

From what you stated, you got a 50% refund from NCL. What did you lose that would be covered by travel insurance?

[NLH Arizona]

Wonder why some don't want others to know what they got, when complaining.  There was a post on FB with a person complaining that NCL was not paying for their hotel, airfare, etc., making it sound like they were not getting anything.  Another post said they couldn't believe that NCL didn't give them anything, only offering apologies.  I posted that they got a complete refund, hundred percent future cruise certificate and the three hundred for transportation fee and the original poster deleted my post.  I think in this instance, the offer was good, so I really wonder what the poster didn't want folks to see it.  Oh well, maybe they are looking for more.

Edited July 5, 2019 by NLH Arizona

[shadow1972]

3 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

Wonder why some don't want others to know what they got, when complaining.  There was a post on FB with a person complaining that NCL was not paying for their hotel, airfare, etc., making it sound like they were not getting anything.  Another post said they couldn't believe that NCL didn't give them anything, only offering apologies.  I posted that they got a complete refund, hundred percent future cruise certificate and the three hundred for transportation fee and the original poster deleted my post.  I think in this instance, the offer was good, so I really wonder what the poster didn't want folks to see it.  Oh well, maybe they are looking for more.

I don't know about the FB posts, but I CAN confirm that a full refund was applied, AND 100% future cruise certificate was given.  In fact, I've already applied it to my upcoming cruise on the 21st. The coupon literally showed up in my account today (you have to call NCL to check/book).  As far as the $300 goes, that's a claim that will need to be submitted after the cruise (at least that's my understanding). 

[NLH Arizona]

2 minutes ago, shadow1972 said:

I don't know about the FB posts, but I CAN confirm that a full refund was applied, AND 100% future cruise certificate was given.  In fact, I've already applied it to my upcoming cruise on the 21st. The coupon literally showed up in my account today (you have to call NCL to check/book).  As far as the $300 goes, that's a claim that will need to be submitted after the cruise (at least that's my understanding). 

Funny thing, I reposted the information and the poster deleted within 5 minutes.  Guess it doesn't go well with his complaint.

 

Glad you got everything you got.  It was a shame that they cancelled, but at least they did the right thing.

[javalsu]

With a lot of yay/nay comments on travel insurance.  Some credit cards have it built into their benefits.  If you have a fancy CC with a large annual fee, you probably already have travel insurance as long as you pay with said card.

[mobilegb12]

Although it is unfortunate, machinery does break down and it would appear that the compensation which NCL are offering is reasonable under the circumstances both for the current cruise and the subsequent cancelled one.

My concern however is that it appears from comments from passengers on the terminated cruise that they have effectively been abandoned in Barcelona - from an earlier post this may not be the case for air booked through NCL - but I would have thought that NCL have a responsibility to convey passengers to the correct final destination. Why could they not have chartered aircraft to fly the pax on to Fiumicino in time to connect with existing flight arrangements? $300 flight comp sounds fine until you consider that many flights are booked on a non-refundable basis and the cost of purchasing a one-way fare at short notice would be prohibitive.

Hopefully those concerned have adequate travel insurance to pick up the cost. 

[NancyW12]

Just for fun, I Googled flights from Barcelona to Rome. Over 10 airlines offer flights for $200 or less. There is a train that takes 22 hours for $100. It sounds like there were multiple options available to get oneself from Barcelona to Rome using the allotted money without disrupting any previous plans. Might have had a hotel and some meals but that would be covered by the 50% refund.

[tinawhitecar]

6 hours ago, javalsu said:

With a lot of yay/nay comments on travel insurance.  Some credit cards have it built into their benefits.  If you have a fancy CC with a large annual fee, you probably already have travel insurance as long as you pay with said card.

 I checked my policy (today) on my fancy CC with large annual fee and it would cover a major medical reason only . Not if the Cruise cancels.  Taught me to really understand the fine print.   

[javalsu]

1 minute ago, tinawhitecar said:

 I checked my policy (today) on my fancy CC with large annual fee and it would cover a major medical reason only . Not if the Cruise cancels.  Taught me to really understand the fine print.   

 

Mine covers a myriad of things, but it doesn't cover if the cruise line cancels.  I wonder if that's standard. 

[Kenny1080]

I see the Pearl is still in the water in barcelona, does anyone have an update on issue/repair plan? Does it have to go into dry dock?

 

i’m on The 28/7 sailing but will be in the Middle East from today onwards, making contact with NCL difficult

[old nutter]

There has not actually been any official comment as far as I can see confirming that she is needing a dry dock.  The only official line is "propulsion issue".  There is a great deal of electrical stuff inside the hull to do with propulsion.  It is quite possible that the problem could be inside.  Parts would need to be ordered and delivered then a good part of the ship would have to be isolated so work can be done safely.  We just don't know if nobody tells us and there ius no reason for NCL  say why it is not cruising!

[Julianastroup]

6 hours ago, NancyW12 said:

Just for fun, I Googled flights from Barcelona to Rome. Over 10 airlines offer flights for $200 or less. There is a train that takes 22 hours for $100. It sounds like there were multiple options available to get oneself from Barcelona to Rome using the allotted money without disrupting any previous plans. Might have had a hotel and some meals but that would be covered by the 50% refund.

I was on the Pearl as well that was cancelled and just to clarify/ we missed four ports, Palma, Monte Carlo , Livorno and Rome. The $300 credit is for change fees, not for additional air travel to Rome. So my husband went home from Barcelona changing his original flight and it was covered, for my kids and I that were staying in Rome then onto Venice afterwards , it was not covered by the $300. We are going to claim anyway hoping they will cover it but we were told it would not be. While the compensation was generous, we did lose a number of ports and prearranged plans as well as a day of vacation trying to figure out our alternate plans. I am not upset about the compensation, or that the ship broke, things break, it happens. And my kids and I made a last minute right turn and skipped Rome and went to Geneva and then onto to our originals plans in Venice and home next week and we love Switzerland. So for us, all in all, it worked out. But it was not without stress and disappointment . And others had significant issues trying to get transport to Rome with so many trying to do it last minute. So, a disappointing Second half (London was a nightmare too but that’s another story) but we are doing our best to end strong

[ed01106]

On 7/2/2019 at 10:38 PM, shadow1972 said:

 

And let's not forget about budget.  Some travelers may have very little room left on their credit cards after booking this trip.  It could take up to 7 days for the refund to occur.

At the risk of sounding presumptuous, if one doesn’t have enough free cash to be able to borrow the cost of the cruise from their savings account, to fund the second cruise and then pay the savings account back 7 days later, they really should avoid expensive vacations until they have some emergency savings built up.  What would have happened to them, if rather than the cruise getting canceled, the returned home to a layoff notice? 

[sverigecruiser]

27 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

At the risk of sounding presumptuous, if one doesn’t have enough free cash to be able to borrow the cost of the cruise from their savings account, to fund the second cruise and then pay the savings account back 7 days later, they really should avoid expensive vacations until they have some emergency savings built up.  What would have happened to them, if rather than the cruise getting canceled, the returned home to a layoff notice? 

 

Lots of people can't just borrow from their savings account, especially not when they are abroad.

 

I agree with you that people shall have much more money than they need for the vacation but it may not be easy for everyone to just borrow from the savings account.

 

I always have enough room on my credit card to cover every unexpected cost but lots of people can't do that. I also have a savings account with easy access when I'm at home but on vacation I can't just borrow from that.

[mugtech]

17 hours ago, NLH Arizona said:

Funny thing, I reposted the information and the poster deleted within 5 minutes.  Guess it doesn't go well with his complaint.

 

Glad you got everything you got.  It was a shame that they cancelled, but at least they did the right thing.

I agree, Cruise Critic is better than FB.  Then again, most things are.

[cruisingnewtoit]

I take out travel insurance on all my cruises but I'm not sure how the plan would work. Because of the recent situations I'm going to call and ask about what if situations.

 

If I'm stranded in Barcelona can I purchase a new ticket to home. Or do I first have to get to Rome but what if I miss that flight?

 

If my cruise is extended to 8 days because of propulsion issues how much will my policy pay for new tickets? Or will it pay because it was my choice to go on the cruise.

 

 

 

 

[ed01106]

1 minute ago, cruisingnewtoit said:

I take out travel insurance on all my cruises but I'm not sure how the plan would work. Because of the recent situations I'm going to call and ask about what if situations.

 

If I'm stranded in Barcelona can I purchase a new ticket to home. Or do I first have to get to Rome but what if I miss that flight?

 

If my cruise is extended to 8 days because of propulsion issues how much will my policy pay for new tickets? Or will it pay because it was my choice to go on the cruise.

 

 

 

 

Read the T&C of the policy.  It is spelled out there.  If you call and the person on the phone gives you wrong info T&c still govern.

[ed01106]

46 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Lots of people can't just borrow from their savings account, especially not when they are abroad.

 

I agree with you that people shall have much more money than they need for the vacation but it may not be easy for everyone to just borrow from the savings account.

 

I always have enough room on my credit card to cover every unexpected cost but lots of people can't do that. I also have a savings account with easy access when I'm at home but on vacation I can't just borrow from that.

I can transfer from savings to checking over the internet and can use my debit card as a credit card.

[littlelulu01]

Regarding travel insurance- some plans cover missing ports of call. Nationwide has a good plan but that coverage isn’t available for all states. April cruise insurance has missed port coverage.  I think it’s $200/missed port up to $600. 

 

Some plans will let you move the policy to a future trip for a small fee that sometimes can be waived.  Had I been on the July 5th sailing and hadn’t commenced my trip yet I’d probably still go on a much less $ land based trip and pick up a less expensive medical only policy, take my expensive premium for the high priced cruise and move it to another similar priced future cruise. 

 

Cruise insurance reimburses you for covered expenses after you file claims and they approve.  It doesn’t purchase plane tickets,  pay the medical bills upfront for this sort of thing, so there’s always a possibility of needing access to upfront money.  Most plans have concierge services to help with the logistics so they can be of assistance with rebooking flights, tracking down lost luggage, help finding a doctor, coordinating services...some plans will also wire you cash in an emergency but thats just a service- not money the insurance company is giving you. 

 

Really important to have access to funds if needed for this sort of scenario or any multitude of other issues that can arise while traveling. I know when daughter did study abroad we had to show notarized bank proof of 10 or 20k cash in bank earmarked for her in order to have visa approved. Her school tuition took care of medical insurance coverage and had a doc on campus in Florence but extra medical was coverage was also mandatory. 

 

Unexpected travel changes certainly  no fun and I feel for those affected.  Sounds like ncl is making everyone as whole as they reasonably can. 

Edited July 6, 2019 by littlelulu01