Breakaway to Western Caribbean 9/1 in Haven

[alreadypacked]

So far, I've been on hold with NCL 1 hour and 6 min waiting to cancel this cruise. 😞

[mjkacmom]

5 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Again, it goes back to timely communication.  I don't think anyone who books a trip during hurricane season would argue that the weather is the fault of the cruise line.  They can argue that the cruise line has an obligation to keep folks informed.  The other day someone in my Celebrity roll call posted info. about a debarkation port change from FLL to MIA.  This is for a cruise on Silhouette in November.  Some people were upset with the change and the subsequent hassle that it will be for some to make new travel arrangements.  A few complained about the time frame of the notice being after final payment.  I had to chuckle because if they were upset with almost 3 months worth of notice, what would they do with less than a few hours?  NCL has a lot to learn about how they can improve in keeping their paying customers informed.  I think that's all anyone wants.

But folks are upset that NCL made the call to stay in Mexico for extra days, and then changed plans to disembark today, and then change plans to not disembark (because they can’t). This storm changes by the minute.

[graphicguy]

NCL has left 3 voice mail messages in the last 30 minutes....all stating the same thing....that we’re not sailing today, but are doing a modified itinerary leaving on the 4th (with one port, the least desirable one).

 

I’ve been trying to reach NCL to cancel, but was hung up on once, and on hold for over 45 minutes on the other.  TA isn’t having any luck either.

 

if it weren’t for the kind folks here at CC, I’d be totally in the dark.

 

While NCL has no control over the weather or the port, they have total control over their communications and whether to cancel a cruise.  This modified itinerary is subject to port authorizations n, which NCL admits, they don’t have.  

 

They’ve strung us along and continue to do so.  They should have cancelled this cruise 3 days ago when the storm’s severity was sounding alarms all over the Caribbean and southern U.S.  Instead, they’re holding out to squeeze money out of his disaster.

 

So yeah, they have culpability.

[blarko]

5 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

NCL has left 3 voice mail messages in the last 30 minutes....all stating the same thing....that we’re not sailing today, but are doing a modified itinerary leaving on the 4th (with one port, the least desirable one).

 

I’ve been trying to reach NCL to cancel, but was hung up on once, and on hold for over 45 minutes on the other.  TA isn’t having any luck either.

 

if it weren’t for the kind folks here at CC, I’d be totally in the dark.

 

While NCL has no control over the weather or the port, they have total control over their communications and whether to cancel a cruise.  This modified itinerary is subject to port authorizations n, which NCL admits, they don’t have.  

 

They’ve strung us along and continue to do so.  They should have cancelled this cruise 3 days ago when the storm’s severity was sounding alarms all over the Caribbean and southern U.S.  Instead, they’re holding out to squeeze money out of his disaster.

 

So yeah, they have culpability.

 

Come back home to Ohio. It’s a beautiful day here today with no hurricane in sight 😀

[Laszlo]

5 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

NCL has left 3 voice mail messages in the last 30 minutes....all stating the same thing....that we’re not sailing today, but are doing a modified itinerary leaving on the 4th (with one port, the least desirable one).

 

I’ve been trying to reach NCL to cancel, but was hung up on once, and on hold for over 45 minutes on the other.  TA isn’t having any luck either.

 

if it weren’t for the kind folks here at CC, I’d be totally in the dark.

 

While NCL has no control over the weather or the port, they have total control over their communications and whether to cancel a cruise.  This modified itinerary is subject to port authorizations n, which NCL admits, they don’t have.  

 

They’ve strung us along and continue to do so.  They should have cancelled this cruise 3 days ago when the storm’s severity was sounding alarms all over the Caribbean and southern U.S.  Instead, they’re holding out to squeeze money out of his disaster.

 

So yeah, they have culpability.

I feel for you, best of luck!

[oncruisecontrol]

9 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

But folks are upset that NCL made the call to stay in Mexico for extra days, and then changed plans to disembark today, and then change plans to not disembark (because they can’t). This storm changes by the minute.

And because of the rapid changes, NCL should have cancelled the 9/1 sailing the moment they realized they could not give travelers reliable concrete information.  Instead they strung us along trying to wait to the last possible minute before deciding to cancel the cruise----an effort whose sole purpose was to try to mitigate NCL's losses. Then at the 11th hour they cancel the 7-day and convert to a 4-day after many passengers had already traveled to Miami for fear that they might miss the Sunday departure. 

[graphicguy]

12 minutes ago, blarko said:

 

Come back home to Ohio. It’s a beautiful day here today with no hurricane in sight 😀

On my way back to the ‘Natti!

 

Sitting at MIA right now!

 

😁👍

Edited September 1, 2019 by graphicguy

[AshleyDillo]

I usually talk smack about the airlines and their inflexibility but they made the right call in allowing the free flight changes well in advance.  None of the cruiselines followed suit.  The right thing to do would have been to follow the airline's lead and allow the elective cancellation for 100% future cruise credit when they were trying to figure out the plans.  It wouldn't have helped every passenger's situation but it would have helped them feel less trapped.

[ColeThornton]

OP, sorry that your vacation got ruined by these circumstances.   I've been through many natural disasters before but I haven't been in the travel/vacation scenario that you are right now.  What a nightmare.  I'm sure you and your family have been looking forward to it for a long time.  Everyone can understand the disappointment.

 

I have a quick question for you though regarding all the extra expenses you are incurring because of this which seem to be adding up rapidly.  Do you have the basic NCL travel insurance that they sell with the cruise or a third party insurance policy?  If it is the basic one do you know if all your expenses, or the majority of them, will be reimbursed?     I think this could be helpful for future cruisers reading this.

 

Hang in there.

 

If anyone else knows, feel free to answer.  Thanks!

 

 

[DaCruiseBug]

As of the 11am update from the National Hurricane Center this hurricane is the strongest hurricane in modern history with winds at 180mph and gusting even higher.

NCL: Go to the port...we'll be fine.

[blarko]

10 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

On my way back to the ‘Natti!

 

Sitting at MIA right now!

 

😁👍

 

Were you able to just change your return flight? Or did you have to purchase an entirely new one? What a way to spend a holiday weekend 😡

[graphicguy]

Just now, blarko said:

 

Were you able to just change your return flight? Or did you have to purchase an entirely new one? What a way to spend a holiday weekend 😡

Purchase a new one....this is the most expensive cruise I’ve ever taken, and I haven’t even set foot on a cruise ship.

[alreadypacked]

2 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Purchase a new one....this is the most expensive cruise I’ve ever taken, and I haven’t even set foot on a cruise ship.

 

Glad you were able to get a flight home, though. I agree with you, NCL should've canceled our cruise days ago instead of stringing us along. I've been on hold now 1 hour, 51 minutes waiting to cancel this cruise!

[AshleyDillo]

22 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

Do you have the basic NCL travel insurance that they sell with the cruise or a third party insurance policy?

 

I'm on a different cruiseline and my cruise was delayed and shortened.  No clue what NCL's travel insurance plan documents state but my third party insurance policy would only provide coverage for the additional stay in Ft. Laud if I took my originally scheduled flight.  They wouldn't cover the costs to make a flight change to come in later because in their eyes I was making that choice and there was no covered reason that required them to indemnify me for doing so.  But if I traveled as scheduled and got stuck in Miami..it's a travel delay and at that point I was covered.  They would cover me if the cruise got canceled entirely and they would cover me if my flight was canceled..but they won't cover me because it's delayed unless I go with my original plans and get stuck.  I can't choose to cancel the trip unless my destination is under a Hurricane Warning and that still has to be within 48 hours of the beginning of my trip.  This wasn't the case when I was supposed to fly out yesterday morning.  My policy does not have the CFAR (cancel for any reason) coverage and even that clause in most policies says you have to cancel 48-72 hours in advanceand it may only be a 75% recovery.  Plus if the cruiseline issues you a FCC, they consider you being compensated.

Edited September 1, 2019 by AshleyDillo

[graphicguy]

1 minute ago, AshleyDillo said:

 

I'm on a different cruiseline and my cruise was delayed and shortened.  No clue what NCL's travel insurance plan documents state but my third party insurance policy would only provide coverage for the additional stay in Miami if I took my originally scheduled flight.  They wouldn't cover the costs to make a flight change to come in later because in their eyes I was making that choice and there was no covered reason that required them to indemnify me for doing so.  But if I traveled as scheduled and got stuck in Miami..it's a travel delay and at that point I was covered.  They would cover me if the cruise got canceled entirely and they would cover me if my flight was canceled..but they won't cover me because it's delayed unless I go with my original plans and get stuck.  I can't chose to cancel the trip unless my destination is under a Hurricane Warning and that still has to be within 48 hours of the beginning of my trip.  This wasn't the case when I was supposed to fly out yesterday morning.  My policy does not have the CFAR (cancel for any reason) coverage and even that clause in most policies says you have to cancel 48-72 hours in advanceand it may only be a 75% recovery.  Plus if the cruiseline issues you a FCC, they consider you being compensated.

My insurance is the same.  I’m SOL!

[AshleyDillo]

Mind you..I am in no way advocating that you decline travel insurance.  You just need to understand the policy and it's actually really important for things that are truly financially devastating such as a sickness, injury, medevac situation at sea.  But I definitely will not be glib in the future and respond to anyone "that's what travel insurance is for" when they ask about a hypothetical situation concerning travel related losses.  Because reading my policy over and over again and trying to figure out how I could be proactive to protect myself and even mitigating a BIGGER loss to the insurance company, there was absolutely no way with the way the policy was written.  My coverage only begins when I leave my house; changing my flight before I leave the house means that my coverage doesn't begin until I leave for the newly scheduled flight.

[mjkacmom]

32 minutes ago, oncruisecontrol said:

And because of the rapid changes, NCL should have cancelled the 9/1 sailing the moment they realized they could not give travelers reliable concrete information.  Instead they strung us along trying to wait to the last possible minute before deciding to cancel the cruise----an effort whose sole purpose was to try to mitigate NCL's losses. Then at the 11th hour they cancel the 7-day and convert to a 4-day after many passengers had already traveled to Miami for fear that they might miss the Sunday departure. 

And there are folks saying it’s a beautiful day in Miami and the port should’ve been left open. I assume those who want to cancel can, and those that want to take a shortened cruise can. No cruise line is going to cancel a cruise due to a hurricane several days in advance, 99.9% of the time they sail anyway, somewhere else, maybe early, maybe late, shorter cruise, longer cruise.

[alreadypacked]

Finally able to cancel my cruise after 2 hours and 4 minutes on hold!

[graphicguy]

I concur....from this point forward, only insurance I’m taking is for health related issues.  Too many “ifs, ors, howevers” for these other, more expensive policies.

[graphicguy]

1 minute ago, alreadypacked said:

Finally able to cancel my cruise after 2 hours and 4 minutes on hold!

What did they say?  Did you get a full refund?

[AshleyDillo]

Just now, graphicguy said:

I concur....from this point forward, only insurance I’m taking is for health related issues.  Too many “ifs, ors, howevers” for these other, more expensive policies.

Right..someone told me they paid nearly $472 for their policy with CFAR for their trip.  Now I'm sure that was for multiple people, but I can get an annual policy on myself for around $500 a year that will cover multiple cruises as well.  

[blarko]

1 minute ago, alreadypacked said:

Finally able to cancel my cruise after 2 hours and 4 minutes on hold!

 

My phone battery would’ve died by then! Unbelievable. They’d should definitely have the phone lines staffed better, considering the circumstances.  But then again, they don’t want to make it easy to cancel.

[graphicguy]

NCL hung up on me again while I was on hold.  Called the same number back...800-327-7030. Message says the call can not be completed.  

When I think NCL can’t possibly be more inept, they prove me wrong!

[emdia43]

Meanwhile at the port of Miami, not even a breeze...

[Son of a son of a ...]

1 minute ago, graphicguy said:

NCL hung up on me again while I was on hold.  Called the same number back...800-327-7030. Message says the call can not be completed.  

When I think NCL can’t possibly be more inept, they prove me wrong!

 

NCL’s customer service is lacking ... always has been.  It’s freaking shameful they hung a Haven guest out to dry.  The price you paid would have covered a half dozen inside cabins.  NCL needs to triage customers.