Breakaway to Western Caribbean 9/1 in Haven

[NLH Arizona]

42 minutes ago, emm126 said:

So, NCL execs are not at fault for their decisions, putting guests in harms way and lack of communication.

 

 

Lack of communication, yes, but not sure the passengers were ever in harms way.

Edited September 2, 2019 by NLH Arizona

[graphicguy]

4 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

Lack of communication, yes, but not sure the passengers were ever in harms way.

We weren’t in harm’s way because the Miami Port Authority forced the issue.

[mafig]

Graphicguy,

Glad you made it home safely.🙂

 

Can you tell us

 

What, if anything, would YOU have done differently?

 

(I don't know if that's clear or not.  I don't mean You if you were the cruise line, but YOU as YOU.  (e.g. not cruise during hurricane season, cancel at first forecast of hurricane, etc.)

Edited September 2, 2019 by mafig

[Shoppie124]

When we left Cozumel, the Captain thought he could get us to port.  Unfortunately, the port closed before we could get in.  I understand there was another ship who could Miami and got turned away.

 

The Captain made sure that the area we were sailing was smooth waters.  We circle near the Keys just in case we got clearance to go to port.  There were 7 other ships with us circling.  Carnival and Disney were also affected.  While the hurricane has destroyed the Bahamas and it heading towards Florida, I would consider being stuck on the ship a mild inconvenience.  I am grateful to the crew for ensuring our safety and making sure we were entertained, fed and well hydrated.  When we get home I will write up a review of our trip on the USS Minnow.. I mean NCL Breakaway 😂. 

 

@Graphicsguy  I would contact NCL and seek compensation for out of pocket costs.  So sorry your cruise was canceled.

 

 

[emm126]

49 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

Lack of communication, yes, but not sure the passengers were ever in harms way.

I think so, NCL told thousands of people to get into Miami on or before September 1st so the cruise could board between 9 and 11 and leave right after, Knowing they had no authority to leave at that time. NCL was not cancelling the cruise. They were gambling they would get the authority and they didn't. So yes, there are people stuck in Miami right now unable to get out of the way of a hurricane. Then NCL for a brief time told passengers to stay in Miami until 9/4 to get on the cruise??

 

And I will add 1 more thing, insurance companies and NCL will pay reasonable expenses. For air changes maybe $200-$300, well what about the people who spent hundreds more changing their tickets every time NCL came up with a new plan? They will be out of pocket and that's not fair.  

[mking8288]

CG - hello from New England, glad to read that you've in charge for getting home instead of ... sorry to know that you missed the cruise but.  The issues lately has been largely of poor corporate communications, especially when they are confronted with & caught in a crisis mode - the problems aren't necessary that of FDR or Andy S (they own it & the bucks stopped there with them ... in how they manage and how the messages were perceived & read. )  It's a sad & poor reflection, and rooted in the corporate culture in their nearly blind chase for corporate bottomline.  Nobody can control mother nature as we all know, but they are responsible for balancing the rest of the equation - and, (sincerely best efforts) to not leave their passengers in limbo, going above & beyond as they once proudly announce. 

[Georgia_Peaches]

6 hours ago, GA Dave said:

 

Hey GA Dave...

I heard the Gov of GA has ordered an mandatory evacuation of your area.  I've got a place in ATL with your name on it if you need it!  Stay safe!

[david_sobe]

3 hours ago, emm126 said:

So, NCL execs are not at fault for their decisions, putting guests in harms way and lack of communication.

Port of Miami is at fault.  No  Dorian is at fault.  NCL did not put anyone in harms way

Travel Agents are at fault for not keeping their clients updated even when there was no information coming from NCL? Multiple people were informed by their TA the cruise was cancelled before traveling to Miami. Research here on CC.  If your TA does not work weekends, its not NCL's fault.  It was a fast decision which unfortunately the message could not get out fast enough. We are talking hours notice not a day or days.  Rare but Port of Miami made their call. If a TA sells you a cruise at least they can answer a phone on Saturday or keep you updated on cancellations.  They got a profit from your business.  The least they could do is have a working emergency number in case of emergencies.

Captain and crew should be applauded. (although IMO NCL puts their crew in a horrible situation with lack of information to answer guests question and they receive the blunt of the guest's anger)  Yes.  Captain is getting everyone back to land safe.  Staff kept everyone fed and even made their beds every day.  Captain provided information as information was given to him.  Nothing was hidden from passengers. I disagreed with closing the port of Miami so early.  But the decision was made and the captain and everyone else must accept it and move forward.

Dorian is at fault (I agree with that one) Apparently not because you only blamed NCL execs

Those that didn't purchase travel insurance are at fault even though most policies don't kick in unless a cruise is cancelled.

Those that cruise at this time is at fault and this one always cracks me up- the Cruise lines offer cruises at this time, knowing there can be a hurricane, but they are not at fault, just the people cruising- lol- and this is All cruise lines not just NCL.  There are all kinds of travel insurance for missed or cancelled flights and especially cancelled cruises 

 

I see a pattern, everyone is at fault but NCL. Most other lines made quick, tough decisions for the safety of their guests and crews. I don't think NCL did that. I agree with Graphicguy, NCL made decisions based on generating the most revenue possible. They gambled and lost. It was a business decision pure and simple and without their guests best interest in mind, what NCL doesn't seem to get without their guests they will have no business. No one is saying communication could have been better.  In every emergency communication is always an issue.  But mother nature happens.  Cruises get postponed, cancelled, delayed, and rerouted all the time.  Its not a perfect world where a dangerous hurricane can be predicted exactly.  It sucks but missing a cruise or being stuck on a cruise is a first world problem.  When you have to leave your home with your insurance policy knowing your house is going to be destroyed, that's a real problem.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by david_sobe

[bmwman]

2 hours ago, emm126 said:

So, NCL execs are not at fault for their decisions, putting guests in harms way and lack of communication.

Port of Miami is at fault.

Travel Agents are at fault for not keeping their clients updated even when there was no information coming from NCL?

Captain and crew should be applauded. (although IMO NCL puts their crew in a horrible situation with lack of information to answer guests question and they receive the blunt of the guest's anger) 

Dorian is at fault (I agree with that one) 

Those that didn't purchase travel insurance are at fault even though most policies don't kick in unless a cruise is cancelled.

Those that cruise at this time is at fault and this one always cracks me up- the Cruise lines offer cruises at this time, knowing there can be a hurricane, but they are not at fault, just the people cruising- lol- and this is All cruise lines not just NCL.

 

I see a pattern, everyone is at fault but NCL. Most other lines made quick, tough decisions for the safety of their guests and crews. I don't think NCL did that. I agree with Graphicguy, NCL made decisions based on generating the most revenue possible. They gambled and lost. It was a business decision pure and simple and without their guests best interest in mind, what NCL doesn't seem to get without their guests they will have no business. 

 

Its a sad day but NCL do not care - if one passenger leaves another will join. They do not get it and considering they have probably the finest Chief in the industry with the highly respected  Mr Stuart, I find this all very odd. 

 

NCL is targeting Carnival it appears and whilst they have not put safety at risk at all the as you say gambled and lost. This will hit revenue and the cost of travel arrangements will also take its toll on the third quarters results. They are also facing a $500m lawsuit and their borrowings are way too high according to analysts I agree. NCL needs revenue and they will need serious  funding as far as I know for the Leonardo ships and refurbs of all other ships on a periodic basis. As a shareholder I would  have some concerns. These decisions clearly indicate management have not risked safety but the loss of two cruise revenue and the associated costs will hurt.

 

 

[sundarlin9]

8 hours ago, graphicguy said:

BTW....I doubt NCL will do this, but I’d certainly inform any Breakaway cruisers on their 9/8 cruise that their cruise is cancelled, too.

Are you sure about that?  We are booked on 9/8 and I just want to plan ahead.

[Son of a son of a ...]

44 minutes ago, bmwman said:

NCL needs revenue and they will need serious  funding as far as I know for the Leonardo ships and refurbs of all other ships on a periodic basis. As a shareholder I would  have some concerns. These decisions clearly indicate management have not risked safety but the loss of two cruise revenue and the associated costs will hurt.

 

 

 

Yes, NCLH has a debt problem.  I doubt the resale market for gently used ships is liquid.  The industry is prime for a shake out.

[alreadypacked]

6 hours ago, blarko said:

Some people just don’t get it.  It’s not about a cruise that was cancelled or shortened. It’s about the timeline of events leading up to the decisions that were made. Not everybody is on CC and I’m sure there were many who showed up for the cruise that didn’t happen. If only the communication was better, I’m sure this whole thread wouldn’t even be here.

 

Exactly!

 

I am on CC... but after I saw the notice on ncl.com that our 9/1 Breakaway was going, I started packing my suitcase.

 

My DH was all set to drive me and my sister down to Miami early--as it was noted that passengers must be aboard by 11 am.

 

After spending almost 2 hours packing, I'm so glad I looked at cruise critic again... otherwise we'd have been ones who'd showed up for the cruise that didn't happen as blarko stated!

 

Nothing! I repeat, NOTHING from NCL until almost 10:00 pm Saturday night before our cruise saying it was canceled!

 

I found out later [thanks to CC members] that a mere 45 minutes or so after NCL told us our cruise was a "Go" that it was indeed canceled!   

[SCOYLE058]

33 minutes ago, alreadypacked said:

 

Exactly!

 

I am on CC... but after I saw the notice on ncl.com that our 9/1 Breakaway was going, I started packing my suitcase.

 

My DH was all set to drive me and my sister down to Miami early--as it was noted that passengers must be aboard by 11 am.

 

After spending almost 2 hours packing, I'm so glad I looked at cruise critic again... otherwise we'd have been ones who'd showed up for the cruise that didn't happen as blarko stated!

 

Nothing! I repeat, NOTHING from NCL until almost 10:00 pm Saturday night before our cruise saying it was canceled!

 

I found out later [thanks to CC members] that a mere 45 minutes or so after NCL told us our cruise was a "Go" that it was indeed canceled!   

This is the sticking point for me. Luckily I was stalking the CC boards all day saturday and happened to see posts that the 9/1 sailing was cancelled. THAT prompted me to contact NCL and confirm that it was cancelled and prevented my wife and I from getting on a plane while at the gate. That prevented us from wasting hundreds of dollars for a pointless flight and even more for an emergency flight back. Thank god for Southwest's awesome service. Luckily they gave us a credit for our tickets and even sent our bags back to us on the next flight. NCL's sloth like communication caused hundreds/ thousands of people to potentially put their lives at risk and stranding them in a location that could get hit with one of the strongest storms EVER. 

[Maverick61]

9 hours ago, graphicguy said:

So, been busy trying to get a flight home (I did).  Am home now.  Just got a phone call from NCL telling me my Sept 4th cruise was cancelled entirely and I would receive a full refund.  

 

I put my cancellation request into me TA yesterday instead of me hanging on the phone to NCL and getting put on hold for hours or hung up on.  They confirmed my cancellation last night.  We’ll see how long it takes for them to actually issue it. 

 

So, seems Breakaway is docking in NO. In all frankness, this brings about all sorts of problems....namely, how to get back to Miami or FLL (which is not going to be an easy task given how difficult it was for me to get a flight out of MIA yesterday).  God Bless those folks as that’s got to be a crazy scene right now.  God Bless the cruise Capt, management and crew.  NCL’s decisions have proven to be wrong at every turn.  Not that this one is wrong.  It was just the culmination of a lot of bad decisions by NCL, all mainly surrounding trying to go against common sense and trying to keep from losing a week’s worth of cruise income on the Breakaway (my cruise).

 

They should have errored on the side of safety and cancelled my Sept 1 cruise and worried about keeping the 8/25 cruise passengers safe.  If that meant taking an extra day or two in Cozumel, or docking in NO (which they’re doing now) and not worrying about my cruise, that’s what should have been of utmost importance.  Hurricanes are unpredictable.  Trying to predict when one will land, or how to embark or disembark one on a tight window just makes no sense.  I would have been disappointed if my cruise were canceled (which it was anyway), but I would have understood.  NCL had an opportunity to do this at least 98 hours ago, even 72 hours ago, and that at least would have saved those of us who were cruising 9/1 a chance to not go around marking 3, 4 o4 5 different changes to flights and hotels (which is what I had to do).

 

The largest issue, and this was critical, was the lack of creditable information coming from NCL.  I’ve railed about that enough here.  Suffice to say for a company that’s been doing this for a while this was tragic.  It seemed like upper management (let’s just say DelRio, as these are large decisions that had to come from him) was trying to hide info to keep the 9/1 cruise intact in the face of overwhelming negative odds of sailing.  The 2nd largest issue was the extremely poor decisions as mentioned above.  This is so monumental that the board really should take a look at removing him.  While I’m not litigious, this fiasco is going to generate them, and I can see a class action happening because of DelRio’s extremely poor decision making.

 

Some of this is opinion, some fact.  Yes, I sail in hurricane season and expect some changes to happen as a result.  I put my faith in the cruise lines (who have done this for years and have a lot of experience doing it) to make necessary adjustments due to storms.  These things happen.  Heck, I was on the Escape LISTING CRUISE last June.  Who could have predicted that?  So, the adage “you should know better than to sail in hurricane season?”  Really?  I fly when it’s raining all the time.  Matter of fact it’s probably 50-50 that I fly in dry, sunny weather.  Let’s not keep repeating this.  It makes no sense.  Mentioned above, I’ve had bad weather sailings in June, too.

 

What does this mean going forward.  NCL owes me my fare and all frees.  They need to restore the Cruise Next Certs I used on this cruise.  You’ll probably see them for sale on eBay shortly.

 

I’m a Latitudes Platinum Cruiser.  I’ve sailed with them a lot. I’m probably one of the more positive supporters of NCL here.  I love cruising.  I’m not looking for any compensation.  Just make me whole.  These bad decisions and lack of communication were totally NCL’s fault.

 

No, the hurricane was not NCL’s fault.  Nor, was it mine.  But, the extremely bad communications and decision making by DelRio IS NCL’s fault and will push me away from cruising NCL.  This is what truly exacerbated an already bad situation to make it a fiasco and disastrous.  NCL kept telling us that our safety was paramount.  Nice sentiments,  I don’t believe for a single second that’s true.  They were trying to keep from losing a week’s worth of revenue from one of their larges ships.  Safety was secondary.  If it weren’t for the Miami Port Authority forcing their hand, I have no doubt that NCL would still be trying to get me (us) aboard the Breakaway in some form or fashion, regardless of how bad the weather is.

 

Thanks to all of you here for listening (reading).  I’ve whined and posted.  Really got no more to say.  God Bless and keep those who are still on the Breakaway.  Glad you’re safe, although heading to a different port.  It doesn’t look like it now, but it’s good that The Port of Miami forced NCL’s hand and you’re docking at a safe port.  This is a monster storm, and will affect a large swath of the South East, regardless of if/where it hits.  You’re better off in NO.  Too bad NCL didn’t make that decision sooner.  Would have been much better for everyone.

 

TO NCL....I think this should be a reckoning for you as a company.  You’ve celebrated DelRio’s arrival.  Service and amenity cuts abounded.  We stuck with you.  Now, you’re faced with the fact that decisions made purely on profit and revenue projections can lead to the disaster you’re seeing now.  Blame Dorian all you want.  But, your culpability in all this is huge.

 

Don’t get me wrong.  Royal and Carnival have their warts, too. I’ve sailed both and have seen them first hand.

 

Maybe try Princess...haven’t sailed them yet.

 

 

 

Glad you are back home safe.

 

i have been mainly following the Royal board as my next cruise is on RCL in October.  My last two cruises were on NCL.  But sadly they have been going down hill.  So we booked our next one on RCL.  I have to say reading some threads here, NCL botched it big time.  RCL has been far superior in decision making and most importantly, communication.

 

I will keep that in mind next time I schedule a cruise

 

And you are right, unlike the other cruise lines that focused pn passenger safety and forgoe revenue, NCL tried to squeeze out every last buck by not cancelling your cruise or modifying it when they should have.  really really sad

Edited September 2, 2019 by Maverick61

[david_sobe]

I cant believe people are praising CC for learning of the cancellation yet still blaming NCL.  HELLO!

The reason CC posted the cruise was cancelled was because of someone stating their Travel Agent was notified by NCL the cruise was cancelled.  So it appears NCL did notify people and even TA's the cruise was cancelled. Why everyone did not get this message does need investigated.  However, from the majority of people attacking NCL, they booked with a TA.  I am not sure why frustrations are not turned back on their TA.  If posters on CC posted the cruise was cancelled per their TA, why did their TA not be notified or pass along the information.  The issue that irks me is that so many were venting at long wait times with NCL when their TA was nowhere to be found.  This is their job when they take your money.  

As I mentioned, there were only hours of notification.  The closing of the port was a surprise to everyone.  NCL probably could have done a better job at notification.  But why is no one asking the question that other TA's notified their customers in plenty of time while other TAs took the weekend off with no emergency contacts.  This was a sudden cancellation and it appears way too many want to book with a TA and give their TA a pass at not being on the job on the weekend.  That irks me.  The entire reason CC knew of the cancellation was because of a TA who was on the job and notified their customer.  Yet others want to give them a pass.  Its possible but unlikely that NCL only notified one TA of the cancellation.  Again, we are talking about hours before a cancellation.  Why is no one asking their TA, other TA's got the word to their customers, why not us?  When you book with a TA, all changes to the reservation or cancellations are done NOT through the cruise line.  You cant have it both ways, book with the TA for perks then blame the cruise line for not being notified of changes. Sorry.

Edited September 3, 2019 by david_sobe

[April42749]

15 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

I cant believe people are praising CC for learning of the cancellation yet still blaming NCL.  HELLO!

The reason CC posted the cruise was cancelled was because of someone stating their Travel Agent was notified by NCL the cruise was cancelled.  So it appears NCL did notify people and even TA's the cruise was cancelled. Why everyone did not get this message does need investigated.  However, from the majority of people attacking NCL, they booked with a TA.  I am not sure why frustrations are not turned back on their TA.  If posters on CC posted the cruise was cancelled per their TA, why did their TA not be notified or pass along the information.  The issue that irks me is that so many were venting at long wait times with NCL when their TA was nowhere to be found.  This is their job when they take your money.  

As I mentioned, there were only hours of notification.  The closing of the port was a surprise to everyone.  NCL probably could have done a better job at notification.  But why is no one asking the question that other TA's notified their customers in plenty of time while other TAs took the weekend off with no emergency contacts.  This was a sudden cancellation and it appears way too many want to book with a TA and give their TA a pass at not being on the job on the weekend.  That irks me.  The entire reason CC knew of the cancellation was because of a TA who was on the job and notified their customer.  Yet others want to give them a pass.  Its possible but unlikely that NCL only notified one TA of the cancellation.  Again, we are talking about hours before a cancellation.  Why is no one asking their TA, other TA's got the word to their customers, why not us?

Bad timing....TAs were off enjoying their perks of being a TA.  I'd say that TAs relied on cruiselines posting the most update information.

What happened for "cancel for any reason" insurance?  If I invested a lot of money for any vacation I'd buy it because things happen.

Personal responsibility needs to be taken.  The CEOs don't have crystal balls; decisions are based on the information available.

[alreadypacked]

17 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

I cant believe people are praising CC for learning of the cancellation yet still blaming NCL.  HELLO!

The reason CC posted the cruise was cancelled was because of someone stating their Travel Agent was notified by NCL the cruise was cancelled.  So it appears NCL did notify people and even TA's the cruise was cancelled. Why everyone did not get this message does need investigated.  However, from the majority of people attacking NCL, they booked with a TA.  I am not sure why frustrations are not turned back on their TA.  If posters on CC posted the cruise was cancelled per their TA, why did their TA not be notified or pass along the information.  The issue that irks me is that so many were venting at long wait times with NCL when their TA was nowhere to be found.  This is their job when they take your money.  

As I mentioned, there were only hours of notification.  The closing of the port was a surprise to everyone.  NCL probably could have done a better job at notification.  But why is no one asking the question that other TA's notified their customers in plenty of time while other TAs took the weekend off with no emergency contacts.  This was a sudden cancellation and it appears way too many want to book with a TA and give their TA a pass at not being on the job on the weekend.  That irks me.  The entire reason CC knew of the cancellation was because of a TA who was on the job and notified their customer.  Yet others want to give them a pass.  Its possible but unlikely that NCL only notified one TA of the cancellation.  Again, we are talking about hours before a cancellation.  Why is no one asking their TA, other TA's got the word to their customers, why not us?  When you book with a TA, all changes to the reservation or cancellations are done NOT through the cruise line.  You cant have it both ways, book with the TA for perks then blame the cruise line for not being notified of changes. Sorry.

 

It appears NCL notified SOME passengers [in a timely fashion], not ALL passengers...

 

I booked directly with NCL, not with a TA.

 

I found out around 4 pm Saturday, August 31st that our 9/1 Breakaway cruise was a "go" and that we had to be to the port by 11 am.

 

At that, I promptly got up from my computer and started packing.

 

Several hours later, something made me go on cruise critic again--just to see if any posters had any new information to share [even if just their own experiences in this situation]. To my shock, posters were saying that although NCL had recently instructed us to be at Port Miami early (by 11 am), our cruise was now in fact canceled!

 

Only around 10 pm Saturday night did we get any notice from NCL about cancellation.

[david_sobe]

19 minutes ago, April42749 said:

Bad timing....TAs were off enjoying their perks of being a TA.  I'd say that TAs relied on cruiselines posting the most update information.

What happened for "cancel for any reason" insurance?  If I invested a lot of money for any vacation I'd buy it because things happen.

Personal responsibility needs to be taken.  The CEOs don't have crystal balls; decisions are based on the information available.

I feel for all who lost a cruise or did not want an extended cruise. This was the second most powerful hurricane ever recorded on planet earth.  A CC member came to this board to announce and seek verification that the Sept 1 cruise was cancelled.  Everyone had no idea but this TA was game on and was notified by NCL and got the info and passed it along to customers. If I were in the shoes of those complaining about NCL, I would turn the tables in my TA if I booked with them.  When you book with a TA, all changes to the reservation go through them.  But I guess NCL is too easy of a punching bag.  No one wants to discuss how some TAs did their job while others did not.  Pardon the pun, but it was the perfect storm.  TAs taking the weekend off and just responding to the posted information without being available or on the ball like the TA's customer who came to CC immediately.

Edited September 3, 2019 by david_sobe

[blueslily]

Oh my. How do you kill a thread on here? With the current status of the hurricane and multiple "points" being made on this topic multiple times during the past 48 hours on multiple threads, can threads like these be paused, blocked, stopped, or whatever has to be done? Hopefully all travelers are safe. Lessons learned. Decisions made about future travel. Points taken. Etc. I wonder how many more pages of this redundancy is necessary. 

Edited September 3, 2019 by blueslily

[All-ready2cruise]

blueslily, it may seem as though all this information is just redundancy but, IMO, there are some good points being made here.  I understand it may feel as though it's all been said before but some things bare repeating. 

 

TAs do have a responibility to be available for their customers, especially in a situation like this. 

Did NCL handle this crisis well, not really but it could have been worse. 

 

I wish everyone had been able to enjoy their cruises but, it was not to be.

 

End of story. 

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, April42749 said:

What happened for "cancel for any reason" insurance?  If I invested a lot of money for any vacation I'd buy it because things happen.

 

Look into cancel for any reason insurance sometime.  Most cases it only applies to a cancellation that 72 hours ahead of the trip.  11pm the night before the cruise wouldn't be enough notice to pull out.  Trying to claim this with insurance won't happen under the CFAR.

[blueslily]

1 hour ago, All-ready2cruise said:

blueslily, it may seem as though all this information is just redundancy but, IMO, there are some good points being made here.  I understand it may feel as though it's all been said before but some things bare repeating. 

 

TAs do have a responibility to be available for their customers, especially in a situation like this. 

Did NCL handle this crisis well, not really but it could have been worse. 

 

I wish everyone had been able to enjoy their cruises but, it was not to be.

 

End of story. 

 

Yes, it is good for information to be shared so that others can make decisions for now and future travel. Points on all sides have been made multiple times. They are now in black and white for others to read in the future. Restating for 6 more pages does not seem necessary. Read from page 1 to 8, there is plenty info and much is repeated as folks have argued back and forth about who to hold responsible and why. And this is not the only thread on this topic. My point is we can all read the 30 - 40 pages worth of text in the multiple threads at this point. We get it. I'm not sure that it is necessary to add 30 more pages to repeat bickering, blaming, etc. If there is information to share, sure that is helpful. But honestly if you reread all the threads on this similar topic, that's not  the bulk of what's happening in the responses/posts. Its some info and then a lot of back and forth.

 

But no worries, I moved on to a different cruise line's boards. Problem solved for me. I was just trying to save some others from this back and forth. Plus, I have family in the affected areas so we are more focused on that priority. I love cruising, but I am not loyal to one line. I choose a cruise based on what works best for me. I have dealt with some minor and some major issues that popped up before or during travel. Maybe these combined reasons play a part in me scratching my head at how these threads are going on and on. 

 

Thanks and good night everyone. Be safe!  😁

[GA Dave]

5 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Hey GA Dave...

I heard the Gov of GA has ordered an mandatory evacuation of your area.  I've got a place in ATL with your name on it if you need it!  Stay safe!

Thanks for the offer, but we are actually staying.  The mandatory zone is everything east of I-95 and my house is just about a mile west of the interstate.  We stayed for Matthew and did not lose a single shingle.  I have shutters I made when I first moved here, and will put them up if they say the winds will be over 50.

[emm126]

5 hours ago, david_sobe said:

So, NCL execs are not at fault for their decisions, putting guests in harms way and lack of communication.

Port of Miami is at fault.  No  Dorian is at fault.  NCL did not put anyone in harms way  

NCL did put people in harms way but telling them the 9/1 cruise was a go and for them to go to Miami, knowing they did not have authorization to leave the next day. They were hoping they would get it, they did not. They then told their guests to wait it out in the hurricane in Miami until 9/4 when the cruise will now leave. I think that's putting people in unnecessary danger,  if you don't I don't know what to say.

 

To blame the TA community as a whole for 1 or 2 people on here who commented about their agents is laughable IMO, especially since most that posted said they heard from their TA.  My TA is open 6 days a week and has 24 hour service, I am sure they would send me the information IF they receive it from the cruise line. They can't send what they don't have. My agent has always told me to check with the airline, cruise lines, website for the most updated info, well according to those that have posted, NCL website was not updated. I get it you don't like TA's, that's fine but to blame them instead of NCL, the people who are making the decisions and are responsible for getting the information out to their guests just doesn't make sense to me. Saying they get paid (10-15%, maybe) and they should do their job but excuse NCL for not doing their job? again makes no sense to me. 

 

I work in customer service, I am a very right is right and wrong is wrong type of person. I think NCL handled this situation horribly. Obviously you disagree and that's fine. I wish you the best on your future cruises.

 

 

 

 

[emdia43]

4 hours ago, blueslily said:

Oh my. How do you kill a thread on here? With the current status of the hurricane and multiple "points" being made on this topic multiple times during the past 48 hours on multiple threads, can threads like these be paused, blocked, stopped, or whatever has to be done? Hopefully all travelers are safe. Lessons learned. Decisions made about future travel. Points taken. Etc. I wonder how many more pages of this redundancy is necessary. 

You can always skip a thread once you are bored with it, not request it be shut down . This cruise is not finished yet, there will still be lots of questions as to disembarkation, final travel arrangements people are having to make and whether NCL assists them at all. I anticipate that once some of our CC members are home they might also add comments.