Norwegian Sky 9/25-10/2 - worst cruise ever, worst vacation ever

[PATRLR]

9 hours ago, ogredave said:

 

See $50 excursion credit lost.

 

9 hours ago, ogredave said:

 

I disagree, I feel it's factored into the cost.  But I don't think we'll agree on this so it is what it is.

An NCL bean counter decided people drink on average X drinks per day with the drink package.  X times the cost of a drink is factored into the cost of your cruise.  If you don't drink X drinks per day, are you expecting a refund of that too?   How about if you drink more than X drinks, are you willing to pay NCL for drinking more than what they figured you would?

Typically when I cruise I book my own private excursions.  Should NCL give me $50 per port for the private excursions I book because "it's factored into the cost"?  Of course not.

The only thing NCL owes you is a refund of the excursion cost that you paid to NCL for the cancelled excursion.

[GreenFamily]

The OP did have a crappy vacation. He’s entitled to feel that way. It’s not a shock to NCL that ships need to be rerouted during hurricane season. NCL should have a plan B, or get rid of their Caribbean itineraries during this time.

[mafig]

13 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

The OP did have a crappy vacation. He’s entitled to feel that way. It’s not a shock to NCL that ships need to be rerouted during hurricane season. NCL should have a plan B, or get rid of their Caribbean itineraries during this time.

 

It also should not be a shock to cruisers that ships might need to be rerouted during hurricane season.  There's a reason why the cost of cruises during this time are cheaper.

[Sailing12Away]

15 hours ago, ogredave said:

How about being given a choice?

 

There wasn't any hurricane in Nassau.

You did have a choice. You chose to still get on the ship and have a vacation with food, drinks, entertainment, a clean room... You could have chosen to not board the ship on the premise of the last minute changes that were unacceptable to you. 

 

Your last statement is funny and where I stopped reading the 4+ pages of this thread. Last time I checked, the next Star Trek cruise isn't until February 2023 and sailing on a different line. There are no teleporters to bring cruise ships from port A to port B without having to sail THROUGH other areas. Just because Nassau didn't have a hurricane didn't mean there wasn't other stuff happening around the area surrounding it that you would have to sail through to get there.

[EllieinNJ]

We all want to vent when things don't go as planned.  Maybe now that the OP has vented he might feel better and plan his next cruise.

[KmomChicago]

I hope next time the OP travels during a hurricane they have a better experience reaching and enjoying their originally planned destination. Evacuation orders, changes of plans, safety concerns, and contracts are for sissies.

[Mandalay5]

Worst cruise vacations ever:

Titanic

Lusitania

Costa Concordia

Carnival Triumph ‘poo cruise’

Diamond Princess ‘covid cruise’

 

Route change to avoid hurricane at the height of hurricane season, no. Although the folks that went to Canada when they were expecting Bermuda take the top spot in that argument.

[graphicguy]

29 minutes ago, Mandalay5 said:

Worst cruise vacations ever:

Titanic

Lusitania

Costa Concordia

Carnival Triumph ‘poo cruise’

Diamond Princess ‘covid cruise’

 

Route change to avoid hurricane at the height of hurricane season, no. Although the folks that went to Canada when they were expecting Bermuda take the top spot in that argument.

LOL!

 

Was on the “listing” cruise before COVID shutdown in March (with full knowledge of weather issues) on the Escape.  Sudden 115 MPH wind burst knocked the ship to tilt 20º and knocked me out of bed, as well as spilled shelf items to the floor.  Scary at the time.  But, we all survived and made it a great cruise.

 

Trying to remember which ones, but some excursions were changed/cancelled.  Stayed on board and had a blast.

Edited October 23, 2022 by graphicguy

[PATRLR]

2 hours ago, GreenFamily said:

The OP did have a crappy vacation. He’s entitled to feel that way. It’s not a shock to NCL that ships need to be rerouted during hurricane season. NCL should have a plan B, or get rid of their Caribbean itineraries during this time.

What makes you think they didn't have a Plan B?  It seems to me that they did and they executed upon it.  It's not as if the ship didn't go anywhere.

[KmomChicago]

21 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

What makes you think they didn't have a Plan B?  It seems to me that they did and they executed upon it.  It's not as if the ship didn't go anywhere.

 

THIS. They always have a Plan B.  OP doesn't like it.

[Blossom73]

21 hours ago, JGmf said:

Sorry it didn't go as planned.

 

I know how that feels.  This past September, Hurricane Fiona rerouted us to Canada instead of Bermuda.  It happens.  Chilly weather port vs. fun in the sun.  A lot of people brought the wrong clothes.  We nonetheless made the best of it and had a good time.  Beats being home or at work!

 

I'm unclear of what you expect NCL should provide to you as just compensation?

Sounds like we were on the same cruise! The Getaway?

 

NCL did give a $50 per person shipboard credit though, due to the itinerary change. 

[mjkacmom]

4 hours ago, GreenFamily said:

The OP did have a crappy vacation. He’s entitled to feel that way. It’s not a shock to NCL that ships need to be rerouted during hurricane season. NCL should have a plan B, or get rid of their Caribbean itineraries during this time.

Apparently they did have a plan B, which they used.

[GreenFamily]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

What makes you think they didn't have a Plan B?  It seems to me that they did and they executed upon it.  It's not as if the ship didn't go anywhere.

A half day in Nassau and an evening stop in San Juan is not really a plan B. If the cruise stayed overnight in Nassau, perhaps it would have been ok. 

[PTC DAWG]

4 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

A half day in Nassau and an evening stop in San Juan is not really a plan B. If the cruise stayed overnight in Nassau, perhaps it would have been ok. 

That’s not how that works…shops closed, casino closed..costs the cruise line $$$

Edited October 23, 2022 by PTC DAWG

[mjkacmom]

2 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

A half day in Nassau and an evening stop in San Juan is not really a plan B. If the cruise stayed overnight in Nassau, perhaps it would have been ok. 

Every plan due to weather is a last minute plan (I’m assuming they assess all of their options, and all of the other lines are making the same changes). If you choose to cruise, you know that there can be port changes, trip extensions or shortening, that’s the industry.

[Monty24]

Few years ago we pull in to BVI and I was supposed to have an excursion over to Soggy Bottom and had been looking forward to it for months.  I was reserved on the second trip out there but it got cancelled. By that time there were no other official excursions and I hadn't researched anything else. I was a solo traveler and saw a couple ladies that were supposed to go as well and asked them what they were doing instead and did they mind if I tagged along... we ended up on a shuttle to one of the beaches a little further out and had a ball.  Turns out they both lived pretty close to me (one of them in the same town).  That night we learned the people who did make it to Soggy Bottom had very rough waters and I was glad they had cancelled.

 

Changed plans suck but cruising, especially during hurricane season, is a gamble and comprehensive insurance is always recommended.

[GreenFamily]

17 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Every plan due to weather is a last minute plan (I’m assuming they assess all of their options, and all of the other lines are making the same changes). If you choose to cruise, you know that there can be port changes, trip extensions or shortening, that’s the industry.

I don’t believe the average person knows this. I didn’t until I read these boards. For example,  I had no idea that NCL skips Mykonos 10% of the time due to weather. A simple Google search of Mykonos weather doesn’t mention high winds. That’s a big deal to someone who saves two years for a Greek cruise. 

[nferr]

4 hours ago, GreenFamily said:

The OP did have a crappy vacation. He’s entitled to feel that way. It’s not a shock to NCL that ships need to be rerouted during hurricane season. NCL should have a plan B, or get rid of their Caribbean itineraries during this time.

 No. You pay a lot less for a cruise during hurricane season. It's a choice you make. I'm perfectly willing to take the chance. I'm leaving for the Bahamas next month which is still technically hurricane season and I have another one booked next October to the Bahamas. The prices are way better. 

 

And they do have a plan B, which is exactly what they did during the OP's cruise. Reroute to avoid the storm.

[mjkacmom]

34 minutes ago, GreenFamily said:

I don’t believe the average person knows this. I didn’t until I read these boards. For example,  I had no idea that NCL skips Mykonos 10% of the time due to weather. A simple Google search of Mykonos weather doesn’t mention high winds. That’s a big deal to someone who saves two years for a Greek cruise. 

I could write a book with the information I’ve learned since our first cruise, which is why I originally assumed the OP was a new cruiser, but this isn’t the case. I do fell sorry for new cruisers who don’t realize the differences between a cruise vs. a land vacation (like ending up in Canada on a Bermuda cruise).

[Maleficent's Dad]

4 hours ago, Mandalay5 said:

Worst cruise vacations ever:

Titanic

Lusitania

Costa Concordia

Carnival Triumph ‘poo cruise’

Diamond Princess ‘covid cruise’

 

Route change to avoid hurricane at the height of hurricane season, no. Although the folks that went to Canada when they were expecting Bermuda take the top spot in that argument.

Crazy list.  

You forgot the Andrea Doria…

[Mandalay5]

2 hours ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

Crazy list.  

You forgot the Andrea Doria…

Oh yeah…any time you’re sinking it’ll put a damper on your day for sure.

[graphicguy]

I’ve had a great time hanging out in downtown Sam Juan at night. I think it’s more beautiful at night than it is during the day.

 

NASSAU?  ½ day is about all I’d need there.

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 10/22/2022 at 12:27 PM, GeezerCouple said:

"Life happens!"

I was thinking more along the lines of 💩happens but yours works just as well.

 

On 10/22/2022 at 12:49 PM, tony s said:

Until it happens to you…

I'm 100% sure that it happens to everybody.  If it hasn't happened to you (yet), you should be very, very nervous.  

[Stealthdog]

I do feel bad for the OP, and any cruiser that has their itinerary radically changed.  It happens during hurricane season to every cruiseline, and east trips become west and west itineraries become east depending on locations of hurricanes.

 

I wont comment on individual ports because its all subjective.  Some prefer the West ports and some prefer the East ports.  I will say Ive been to Nassau so many times, I dont even leave the ship on some cruises - its probably my least favorite port stop.

 

But, I do think the OP has legitimate gripes on the Free at Sea and $50/port excursion credit.  If NCL does not have options for passengers to use their $50/port credit, that is a major foul because they may be financially benefitting from the itinerary change.  People spend alot of time researching and picking excursions.  Cruise lines that provide an excursion credit as part of the package, should give passengers the option of getting that port credit as nonrefundable OBC to use on thre ship for every port change.

[ogredave]

52 minutes ago, Stealthdog said:

But, I do think the OP has legitimate gripes on the Free at Sea and $50/port excursion credit.  If NCL does not have options for passengers to use their $50/port credit, that is a major foul because they may be financially benefitting from the itinerary change.  People spend alot of time researching and picking excursions.  Cruise lines that provide an excursion credit as part of the package, should give passengers the option of getting that port credit as nonrefundable OBC to use on thre ship for every port change.

 

Thanks for giving it a bit more thought.  It's not like I didn't try to use it.  I literally have the tickets still. 

 

The terms stated before about the 'value' of the credits is usually meant to protect the cruise line if I don't choose to take an excursion with them.  It's essentially not the 'spirit' of the terms to use it against the customer if the cruise line itself doesn't offer options to use the credit.  This goes back to hiding behind T&Cs.