Norwegian abandoned us

[david_sobe]

Wow this sounds like a travel nightmare which mostly began with the airline.  I NEVER travel on any airline that is not an American carrier (except Air Canada).  We travel to Argentina frequently and they have all sorts of discounted airlines that I wont mention but the price is almost half of what an American carrier would be.   However these airlines are backed by the government and are never on time.  Besides that, its common for flights to be cancelled for days until you can get the next one.  This story just reminds me and reinforces my beliefs. I know nothing about Air Portugal and they could be a good airline.  European airlines are famous for losing or stealing luggage too.

We look right past those discounted flights to Argentina and book reputable airlines.  After the flight debacle there seemed to be a domino effect of other mishaps which would have been avoided with another airline.  If they could not get you to the ship, I am not sure what NCL could have done other than give you full credit for a future cruise.  Was that even discussed?

Edited March 7, 2023 by david_sobe

[ontheweb]

48 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Wow this sounds like a travel nightmare which mostly began with the airline.  I NEVER travel on any airline that is not an American carrier (except Air Canada). 

No airline that is not an American carrier? What about British Airways. (DW in fact favors them because her late father was an executive with them.) We have also flown Air France with no problem, and would not hesitate to fly with them again. We also flew with Iceland Air, and again no problem and no hesitation to fly with them again.

[dexddd]

Welcome to CC.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, luv2kroooz said:

Princess and Royal policy. NCL buys the ticket then you are on your own. Industry stated standard appears to assist valued guests.

 

Guests who book air travel through Princess Cruises will be automatically enrolled in the Princess Late Arrival Protection program. If, on the day of travel, guests miss or will miss their original port of embarkation due to airline delay or an airline service disruption, such as flight cancelation or flight re-routes, Princess will work with the airlines to find a reasonable alternative to provide flights to the next appropriate port at no additional air cost to the guest.

 

Guest purchasing airline tickets through Air2Sea who experience travel disruptions do indeed receive assistance. With our Assured Arrival program, we have a dedicated group of professionals in the Emergency Travel Team standing by to provide air re-accommodation, and to provide hotel and ground transportation if needed. Even though we monitor your flights, we ask that you check with the airline while at the airport prior to contacting the Emergency Travel Team. The Emergency Travel team will work with you to find accommodations on the next available flight. In some instances, same day viable flight options may not be available, and in those instances we accommodate you to the next available port where you may legally join the ship.

 

Are other cruiseline "air" policies really like the above describe for Princess?

Given that we *never* get cruiseline air, we never compare support policies, or lack thereof.

(For foreign travel, we always use points and fly premium class, usually business/J, but occasionally F when possible.  What a difference for long haul, for our aging bodies!)

 

IF other lines have similar support for air travel purchased as part of the full cruise package, then NCL certainly seems... uh... utterly lacking.  I had no idea.

No wonder folks are so upset.  It's still "on them" to read the T&C's, but the upset makes a lot more sense, for those who didn't read them *and* for those who did!

 

Is NCL alone with this extreme "we'll buy cheap [??] air tickets for you, but once we do, good bye and good luck"?

 

GC

[dexddd]

Can't trust US carriers either.  American had mechanical late 2021 with best offer getting there 36 hours late.

 

As far as NCL air, they imply they will help with issues but how many stories do we have like the OP?

[dexddd]

Maybe simple solution is NCL drops that promo.

[luv2kroooz]

9 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Is NCL alone with this extreme "we'll buy cheap [??] air tickets for you, but once we do, good bye and good luck"?

Good question. I don't know. We would never book air through a cruise line, just like we wouldn't book our travel insurance through the cruiseline.  But its the same with shore tours...all the lines push using them for the shore tours....convenience, safe tour operators, blah blah blah, etc. Then you read the fine print and realize the tour operators are third party independent contractors with no relationship to the cruise lines. It is a dirty, deceptive business. You really need to be an educated, informed traveler and take steps to look out for yourself....a great benefit of being part of cc community.

[david_sobe]

58 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

No airline that is not an American carrier? What about British Airways. (DW in fact favors them because her late father was an executive with them.) We have also flown Air France with no problem, and would not hesitate to fly with them again. We also flew with Iceland Air, and again no problem and no hesitation to fly with them again.

I am sure they are fine. I have not flown them so I cant comment on their service.  But I am sure Air France and British Airways are fine.  I was just speaking from experience.  Many discount airlines lure you and then strand you.

[hallux]

9 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

The passenger asked for a better flight but the salesman said there wouldn’t be an issue.    So this is on NCl

The customer asked for the different flight AFTER they saw what NCL booked for them, after the window where changes to the BOGO promotion are allowed (deviations can be requested until the 75 day pre-cruise deadline). 

3 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

Princess and Royal policy.

 

56 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Are other cruiseline "air" policies really like the above describe for Princess?

Those policies apply to the equivalent of NCL's "Premium Air" where NCL just acts as a TA for booking the flights you request.  Actually - the OP didn't specify if the flights they booked through NCL were this program or the BOGO flight deal.

 

However, this page for that service with NCL https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/premium-air  has this statement -

Norwegian Cruise Line will not responsible for any expenses or other consequences resulting from inclement weather, strikes, changes/delays in the ship's schedule or routing made by a passenger, travel agent or airline.

[GeezerCouple]

4 minutes ago, hallux said:

The customer asked for the different flight AFTER they saw what NCL booked for them, after the window where changes to the BOGO promotion are allowed (deviations can be requested until the 75 day pre-cruise deadline). 

 

Those policies apply to the equivalent of NCL's "Premium Air" where NCL just acts as a TA for booking the flights you request.  Actually - the OP didn't specify if the flights they booked through NCL were this program or the BOGO flight deal.

 

However, this page for that service with NCL https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/premium-air  has this statement -

Norwegian Cruise Line will not responsible for any expenses or other consequences resulting from inclement weather, strikes, changes/delays in the ship's schedule or routing made by a passenger, travel agent or airline.

 

Thanks.

Does NCL have something more like what was described for Princess (and??) *other* than the "Premium Air"?

(Again, sorry, we just have had zero experience with cruise-line arranged air or hotel.  I hadn't realized 'til now [duh!?] how different "premium air" is from some - all/most/?? - other arrangements that *do* help if things go sideways...  And of course, I'm not really sure how the other plans, from other lines, *really* work anyway.)

 

GC

[hallux]

34 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Does NCL have something more like what was described for Princess (and??) *other* than the "Premium Air"?

Do you also want them to send someone to travel with you and carry your bags?  I'm sorry that NCL doesn't have the exact same offering another cruise line does...

[EllieinNJ]

I've flown air through Princess' EZ Air program twice, once to Europe and once to Florida.  It is so easy to pick out the exact flights you want, nonstop or connecting, day you want to arrive and depart.  If for some reason your flight changes and the time is not good, you can change it to a more convenient time.  If the price goes down you can cancel and rebook.  All up to 45 days before flight and you don't even have to pay until final payment.  Unfortunately NCL does not offer this so would not take a chance and book my air with them.

[david_sobe]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

No airline that is not an American carrier? What about British Airways. (DW in fact favors them because her late father was an executive with them.) We have also flown Air France with no problem, and would not hesitate to fly with them again. We also flew with Iceland Air, and again no problem and no hesitation to fly with them again.

After a google search, I found that Air Portugal is a government owned airline that the government of Portugal just fired it's CEO.  This is my experience with other government owned airlines.  I stay away.  They are always late and cancel flights constantly.  If you have no time schedule and its not a big deal to arrive days late, then you can save some money.  I cant stand unreliable airlines and most of them are owned by the government.

BREAKING: TAP Air Portugal CEO Fired By Portuguese Government (simpleflying.com)

[GeezerCouple]

15 minutes ago, hallux said:

Do you also want them to send someone to travel with you and carry your bags?  I'm sorry that NCL doesn't have the exact same offering another cruise line does...

 

What did YOU have for breakfast?

We don't even use any cruiseline air program so knock it off.

 

I had a simple question about "how something works", in this case so I could better understand what might be happening to some others who are encountering difficulties.

(Or, it would have been simple for someone interested in answer a question.)

If you object to that, then just sit it out!  So easy. (or not, apparently)

 

GC

[Oakman58]

Lessons learned; don’t rely on air transportation booked through NCL. Don’t rely on NCL to get you to the ship. Don’t rely on trip insurance booked through NCL.  In other words, don’t rely on NCL for anything.

 

Sorry you had your dream trip ruined because you relied on NCL.

[RedwingHockeyFan]

I've never had an issue but, I've also never booked without a day or two deviation.  NCL will book the cheapest flights they can from origin to destination that will get you to the port on time barring delays.  If you prefer to have more control and don't care about the cost savings, then you should book the flights yourself.  If you want the savings but play it safe then pay for the deviation.  It's a poor assumption to think NCL owes you anything because flights were delayed.

 

On my last cruise the comedian kept making fun of cruise passengers.  He would start off by mocking them by complaining about random stuff and then finished the joke by saying "I want something for free"

[DCGuy64]

14 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

With the hundreds of posts on these boards about NCL air travel.  I would never use them.   And surprised people still try to use them. 
and it’s post like these that only confirms it.    

That's largely because, as with most things, the happy customers don't come on here to rave about their experience. I can't remember the last time I went to social media and said "my trip on airline X was great, no complaints." People don't do that, which unfortunately leads people to make the false assumption that most people are unhappy. It's only those who POST who are unhappy, otherwise they remain silent. That being said, I feel compassion for the OP and his experience sounds terrible. What a nightmare.

[SeaShark]

1 hour ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

What did YOU have for breakfast?

We don't even use any cruiseline air program so knock it off.

 

I had a simple question about "how something works", in this case so I could better understand what might be happening to some others who are encountering difficulties.

(Or, it would have been simple for someone interested in answer a question.)

If you object to that, then just sit it out!  So easy. (or not, apparently)

 

GC

 

If you objected to his post you could have, following your own advice, "just sat it out", no?

 

Some things are easier to say, then they are to do.

[SeaShark]

41 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

That's largely because, as with most things, the happy customers don't come on here to rave about their experience. I can't remember the last time I went to social media and said "my trip on airline X was great, no complaints." People don't do that, which unfortunately leads people to make the false assumption that most people are unhappy. It's only those who POST who are unhappy, otherwise they remain silent. That being said, I feel compassion for the OP and his experience sounds terrible. What a nightmare.

 

Add to that the fact that when you do say something positive that you are attacked and mocked as a "cheerleader" it becomes even clearer as to why there are only complaints.

[hallux]

15 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Add to that the fact that when you do say something positive that you are attacked and mocked as a "cheerleader" it becomes even clearer as to why there are only complaints.

So much THIS.  I used the NCL promotional airfare once, and knew what I was possibly going to get as a result of having done research or read the boards.  At the time it was 'free or reduced' not BOGO. I got almost exactly the flights I expected to get and other than an unsuccessful attempt to get on an earlier flight home (attempting on the day of the flight) instead of having to take the red-eye I had zero issues.  I even did a one day deviation to arrive the day before embarkation.

 

All 3 of my NCL cruises have been excellent.  I sail again in 10 days, I'm curious how the recent changes will impact my experience.

[DCGuy64]

29 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Add to that the fact that when you do say something positive that you are attacked and mocked as a "cheerleader" it becomes even clearer as to why there are only complaints.

I know, tell me about it. It often seems that whether someone wants to praise or demonize the cruise line, contrary opinions aren't welcome. *sigh*

[mjkacmom]

13 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

Is this for real?! I thought the whole point of NCL AIR was that they take all the risk in either a) getting you to the cruise on time or at the next port, b) you’d get your money back. Is this not correct? If not, why not?

No, the whole point of NCL air is that it’s a good deal, saving a lot of money. Flights are expensive so folks gamble to get a good deal.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, david_sobe said:

After a google search, I found that Air Portugal is a government owned airline that the government of Portugal just fired it's CEO.  This is my experience with other government owned airlines.  I stay away.  They are always late and cancel flights constantly.  If you have no time schedule and its not a big deal to arrive days late, then you can save some money.  I cant stand unreliable airlines and most of them are owned by the government.

BREAKING: TAP Air Portugal CEO Fired By Portuguese Government (simpleflying.com)

So, you are saying because one country's airline is bad, all country's airlines are bad? Southwest airlines over the recent holiday season totally screwed their passengers. Should someone then come to the conclusion that all private US carriers are bad based on that experience?

[julig22]

2 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

That's largely because, as with most things, the happy customers don't come on here to rave about their experience. I can't remember the last time I went to social media and said "my trip on airline X was great, no complaints." People don't do that, which unfortunately leads people to make the false assumption that most people are unhappy. It's only those who POST who are unhappy, otherwise they remain silent. That being said, I feel compassion for the OP and his experience sounds terrible. What a nightmare.

And rarer yet would be a post from someone who booked their own flights and then missed their cruise.  I've been fortunate in that my NCL flights have worked out well, no surprises, pretty much flights as expected. But twice my return flights have had issues - and I was in exactly the same situation as those who'd booked the exact same flights themselves.

As to using an "American carrier".... United cancelled the flight I was on from Capetown.  And rebooked many of us for a flight 6 days later???  Although a 6day all expenses paid vacation was tempting, I found another flight, no different than if I'd booked it myself.

And then there's Southwest...

 

[cruiseny4life]

7 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

So, you are saying because one country's airline is bad, all country's airlines are bad? Southwest airlines over the recent holiday season totally screwed their passengers. Should someone then come to the conclusion that all private US carriers are bad based on that experience?

All American domestic carriers are pretty low on the customer experience list. I think I'd prefer an airline run by government, than one run by private business. 

 

No airline gets an A for their top tier product:

 

 

Barely a B for airlines serving those choosing extra legroom:

 

 

And finally, mostly C's for those serving the herd in the rest of the seats:

 

 

Source: https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2022-north-america-airline-satisfaction-study