Thinking of NCL? Look elsewhere!

[J_RAD]

We used to be a huge fans of NCL, we've sailed with them at least a half dozen other times and wrote glowing reviews. No more and I strongly recommend avoiding travel with NCL! They are a shell of their former selves.

 

We booked a cruise to Hawaii in late Dec 2022.  Our cruise was selected based on sail dates and itinerary. The entire trip, including airfare was booked through NCL; never again.  We began noticing some small issues with NCL shortly after booking in Sept. – it was merely a precursor of things to come. 

 

First, when booking through the cruise line, you must understand they select flights for you - they select provider, time, etc. This may seem like an "easy button" but it's not. Don't do it. You have no real say in the flight selection (airline, schedule, etc.) and are not notified of the details until approximately 60 days prior to sailing. We attempted to add an extra day with hotel to the front-end and tail-end of our itinerary, but NCL told us there was no availability for arrival on the front-end. Well, this is the date that really matters...and a cruise line should know this as well. We always arrive a day prior to our cruise in an attempt to mitigate any potential flight delays (this turned out to be critical in our case). Adding days to the tail-end of a cruise is mostly moot. So, we were stuck with what the cruise line selected -- and what they selected was arrival on the sail date.

 

Next, the package we purchased included beverages and specialty dining. However, when we went to book reservations at the specialty restaurants, we found that all but 2 were closed; not full from reservations - but temporarily closed! We were not told this prior to booking. Shameful NCL.

Then, we noticed the entertainment was incredibly scaled back -- virtually non-existent. Sure, there were a couple crew-based tribute shows but nothing notable; scaled way back. As others have posted, NCL has cut back entertainment staff and overall staffing is clearly an issue.

 

Finally, we went to book excursions, only to find these too were scaled way back. Fine, we're going to "paradise" we'll find other stuff to do. It was around this time we added travel protection through NCL to our trip.

 

Well, turns out we weren't going to paradise at all. ~12 hours prior to flight departure, we received notice from Delta Airlines, the carrier selected by NCL, that our initial departing flight was cancelled due to weather. We immediately contacted both NCL and Delta. Both providers pointed fingers back to the other for resolution while we spent HOURS looking for alternate flights. Unfortunately, due to weather issues across the country, absolutely no flights were available -- including options for connecting through other cities and arriving to alternate ports even several days later. As a result, and again through no fault of own, NCL was not able to fulfill their commitment to get us to our cruise, which departed 12/24 and the booking was cancelled.

 

Now weather issues happen, that's not a fault of Delta or NCL. How they deal with it, however, is absolutely their issue.

As mentioned, travel protection was purchased through NCL who was responsible for all bookings. We asked the full trip, with airfare and all offers purchased, be rebooked at no additional charge to another Hawaii sailing this year or for NCL to refund the full amount of the trip. They’ve declined to do either. Their travel protection is indicating their coverage doesn't begin until guests are on the ship (not stated anywhere).

 

We will not just be walking away from nearly $20K and are taking up formal legal action against the cruise line for non-performance.  Moreover, NCL lost a loyal customer and we will do our best to warn whomever we can away from NCL going forward.

 

There's what's legally required and there's doing the right thing for your guests. NCL is doing neither.

[KeithJenner]

I can certainly see why you have done with NCL. However, there are a few things to learn from your experience.

 

Number one, it is best to find sites like this one in advance. I never let the cruise lines book my flights, and Hawaii isn’t on my radar for a while, but just by reviewing this forum a couple of times a week I was aware of issues with both of those things. Staffing has been a big problem on the POA since covid and, whilst NCL should have kept you aware of issues with restaurants etc, you would have been better placed to make decisions had you found that info yourself.

 

I can’t comment on flights, but there seem to have been lots of problems lately. This is a general problem, but again NCL just don’t seem to deal with these problems well. I’ve not read the detail of your problems, but they  seem to have let you down. Good luck trying to resolve things.

[Crazy planning mom]

I am so sorry that your insurance claim was denied and that NCL isn't helping you. There is an organization called Elliott Advocacy that you may want to see if they can help.

We did use NCL Air and their travel insurance in 2022 for the first time and they handled everything beautifully with our travel and then later with a claim after we had to change our return travel due to covid.

Generally speaking, it is best to arrive a couple days early to your port city.  NCL Air program does allow flight deviations where you arrive 2 days early but you have to request it at least 75 days out way before you get your flights.

[Cruise5life]

Looks like someone didn’t do there homework.   I would never let a cruise line set up flights for me.   And during pandemic a lot of things changed because of staffing 

and now your gonna go to legal action.   
 

I just came off of a NCL 15 day.   I booked my own flights.   And had an amazing time.   I wouldn’t hesitate to cruise with them again and again.   

[wolft927]

I agree, When you allow NCL to make your flights you are allowing them to choose what day you fly in and out. Rule of thumb is always always always either fly in or even drive into the departure port the day before. I drive to most embarkation ports and always drive in the day before whether it is an 10 hour drive or 3 hour drive. 

As far as the Legal action goes...good luck, read your cruise contract...says basically they can change anything at anytime with no reason...now frustrating yes, but room for legal recourse..not at all. 

I suggest doing your homework before spending $20k on a cruise...I know i spend weeks if not longer researching ship, embarkation port, hotels for pre-cruise stay as well as come on here and read current reviews of the ship. I do prefer NCL over other lines but have cruised almost them all, but what you have stated you can go on any Cruise line board on here and find the same people that experienced the same thing simply by not doing your research. Best of luck and hope you find a Line you can be happy with. 

[phillygwm]

First, I'm sorry about the issues experienced.  However, I agree with others that you should have done better research beforehand or at least engaged a competent TA to guide you through the decisions.

 

I've never done a POA sailing and haven't even researched it in depth but I've been on here long enough to know about the 2 for 1 air nightmares as well as the short-staffing/restaurant closures on the ship.  I've also learned that the NCL insurance isn't your best bang for the buck so I book mine elsewhere.

 

As an attorney will tell you, the Terms of Carriage are not written in the passenger's favor so you will have an uphill battle with your legal action but I wish you luck!

[ew101]

3 hours ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Generally speaking, it is best to arrive a couple days early to your port city.  NCL Air program does allow flight deviations where you arrive 2 days early but you have to request it at least 75 days out way before you get your flights.

Two days early is the new one day early.   If there is a bad storm and they close the airport(s), you cannot blame or easily sue the cruise line.    This is similar to connecting flights - the systems/rules might allow/ book you on a 45 minute connection- but who in their right mind would even consider the idea?    And then think long and hard about the possibility of lost luggage on close in flights.  

Edited January 25, 2023 by ew101

[CILCIANRQTS]

You state “NCL was not able to fulfill their commitment to get us to our cruise.”

NCL acted as your agent in securing your flights. They have no “commitment” to get you successfully to your cruise.

[mingo]

We've done the BOGO air before.  Not a problem but I knew what I was getting myself into.  We just did Iceland/Greenland without any problems.  If you want to arrive early/stay late that can be accommodated - just state that from the beginning.    We have an England/Ireland/Scotland coming up in May with the air offer also.  I know what I'm getting myself into.  Please people - take some ownership.

[ew101]

I do think that based on recent events, the idea of a "day of departure" cruise flight package provided by a line should be considered a defective product (or game of chance) and not allowed to be sold or carry a warning (would anyone read it?).   You might get away with say Atlanta to Tampa - usually, maybe, possibly.   Buit then the issue is what about hotels and meals, increases the cost, more days off needed etc.   Which would lead to complaints out here 🙂

Edited January 25, 2023 by ew101

[hallux]

6 hours ago, J_RAD said:

You have no real say in the flight selection (airline, schedule, etc.) and are not notified of the details until approximately 60 days prior to sailing. We attempted to add an extra day with hotel to the front-end and tail-end of our itinerary, but NCL told us there was no availability for arrival on the front-end.

As others have said - 75 days is the cut-off for deciding on requesting a deviation.  You may have mis-heard the person on the phone (or heard what you wanted to hear in order to vilify the cruise line).  For a December 24 cruise, you would need to make that request by about mid-October.  This is detailed in the T&C's of the promotion.

 

6 hours ago, J_RAD said:

Now weather issues happen, that's not a fault of Delta or NCL. How they deal with it, however, is absolutely their issue.

I won't argue with you here.  You don't say where you're traveling from, but getting to Hawaii is not a short adventure, taking almost as long to get there from LA as it is to get from NY to LA.  There are certain planes the airlines must use on those routes, and the flights to the islands are also not plentiful.  If planes are not in the proper position to service flights as needed, due to weather, the flights simply can't go.

[wolft927]

Its true, was just reading how someone was upset because their flights were the day before the cruise and wanted NCL to cover room and food cost. No mater what there will be unhappy people, that is why i choose to do all my own transportation planning for my cruises

 

[lfdemt]

I am sorry this happened to you. You definitely deserve better. I am shocked that they didn’t agree to your suggestion of a future cruise over a full refund. 
 

There are a lot of “you should have known better” people on here. The problem with this is that it’s constantly changing. It used to always be that booking air WITH the cruise line was the best guarantee to get on the ship as that was what was promised. Sadly the cruise lines now take as much as they can and guarantee nothing. The connecting room to mine (hubby and son in my room) with my sister and my 10 year old, still have not gotten their airfare and we are under 60 days. My minor child most likely won’t be on the same flight as her parents and NCL doesn’t give a darn. When we booked the air we were promised a travel with guarantee. That is no longer an option. Take as much as they can and give little to nothing in return. 

[hallux]

5 minutes ago, lfdemt said:

still have not gotten their airfare and we are under 60 days.

Not surprising.  For several months when you booked a cruise with airfare it actually said on the confirmation page not to expect the bookings until 30-45 days before sail date.

[kitkat343]

I’ve never personally investigated cruise line insurance because I use third party insurance.  But I would have expected it to cover the costs of your trip if you miss the cruise due to something that isn’t your fault, like the weather that cancelled your flight.  I’m sure the terms and conditions of the insurance preclude this if they are denying your claim, but I understand why you are so frustrated. 

[DCGuy64]

I feel for the OP but as others have stated, some of this is on him/her. It's well known that you have to request deviation 75 days ahead of time (the post doesn't say when the booking was made, only that the cruise was supposed to take place in late Dec 2022). As for the flight delays/cancellations, that was a nightmare scenario that was well documented in the media and I am really sorry it resulted in the OP's booking being cancelled.

7 hours ago, J_RAD said:

We asked the full trip, with airfare and all offers purchased, be rebooked at no additional charge to another Hawaii sailing this year or for NCL to refund the full amount of the trip. They’ve declined to do either.

Now about this part. You haven't given NCL much wiggle room here. I highly suspect, based on the Terms and Conditions (and others' experiences shared here on CC) that they WILL rebook you on another cruise and allow you to apply what you spent towards that rebooking, albeit not at no additional charge since the rebooked cruise could cost more depending on demand and other factors. I think it's extremely unwise for you to file suit against them based on the fact they haven't done what you wanted them to do. A court is likely to be concerned only with what the company is legally required to do, not what you think it should do or what you want it to do. That said, it's your time and money, so if you want to go the lawsuit route, there are a number of legal teams out there that specialize in cruise-related suits. But they may agree that you're not on solid legal ground here and advise you to ask NCL for a future cruise credit instead.

[Liljo22]

Wait.  Are they complaining about restaurants and entertainment on a cruise they never took?  That's a new one.  

[MSP_CRUISER]

22 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

What did he say wrong ????  It’s the truth
nothing.  Your comment seems to express the type of person you are Lolol.     
 

Your right it does... It shows that I have empathy for others. Maybe you can point out where I claimed his statement wasn't true or did you just comment to prove your insufficiency in virtue of grace?

[Diver2014]

Someone has a bad experience with the airlines and headlines: Thinking of NCL? Look elsewhere!

as if the same thing doesn't happen with any other cruise line.  Typical rant from someone who expected the perfect flight and/or cruise and didn't get it.  Always someone else's fault.......

[v3cruiser]

Sounds like you learned a lot from this sub par experience. Having a vacation get cancelled last minute is no fun and a big let down. 

 

I went with ncl air for our upcoming cruise as it is considered an international flight. Not sure what we will do if weather effects our initial departure. We couldnt have booked better flights ourselves and if we did we would have been a lot more money. We do not have high expectations, but being cautiously optimistic and realistic all the while trying to have all the details worked out. Hopefully we will finally be back on a ship after 3 years of not being able to.  

 

For hawaii there are many great domestic options to get there and back if booked enough in advance. Booking ncl air is a great hedge in case you cant find anything better and want to stay in your budget.   It seems problems with POA have been posted here and on youtube for quite some time covering  personal issues as its a US flagged ship. 

 

Best of luck on your next cruise and hopefully you get reimbursed for your troubles. 

[Lupush]

Sorry this happened to you, but I have to agree with the others that these types of issues are well documented on these boards.  Moving forward you should speak to a local insurance agent that you trust who can recommend Travel Insurance that works for you.  NCL's insurance offerings are overpriced and cover very little.  

[fastpitchdad]

I would hang up call back at least a few times before deciding to take legal action (which I really don't think will work unless you can find some precedence). I would think you might be able to get some future cruise credit.

 

Add this is a long list of reasons I will never book my airfare through anyone but the carrier on which I am flying. 

[DCGuy64]

Flights being cancelled is nothing new at all. We flew to Portugal last month for a cruise and booked our own airfare, not through NCL. Our connecting flight was cancelled without our knowledge, and we weren't even informed until we got to Lisbon. However, in our case, we had flown in several days early and were able to get another flight the same day as the first. My point is that even if the OP had booked his/her own flights, this could have happened. I 100% don't agree that because the flights were booked through NCL, they're responsible, no more so than if they were booked using a TA, a big box store, or even directly through the airline itself.

[ziggyuk]

I am amazed there is so little protection in the US, had this been booked in the UK it would be classed as a package under ABTA rules (which NCL are a member) and it would be the providers responsibility from the moment you arrive at the airport.
I fact we are advised to purchase package holidays for the added protection, I always book my own flights but know I forfeit my added ABTA protection by doing this.

[ExArkie]

Before castigating Delta for their response, know that some tickets are sold to a third party who assumes all responsibility for them. Under the terms of the airline to reseller contract, the airline is not allowed to make any changes even in the event of a cancelled flight.  Don’t know if this applies here, and maybe Delta deserves to have scorn heaped upon its head, but it’s possible the entire blame belongs to NCL.