NCL Star passenger revolt

[CroozeNoob]

I absolutely love this thread. I cannot tell the difference between the trolling, and straight Karen-ism. Either this is a horrifically toxic place, or some of you all are hilarious.

[Ken the cruiser]

8 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

I have tried really, really hard not to respond to this thread, because I've never been in this situation.

 

But, as a simple man, if I ever go to Antarctica, it's not going to be a sail-by. You either go there, or you don't. No one who "sails by" Antarctica can say they've been to Antarctica.

 

That’s cool if you want to pay over $1,000 pp/day for an Oceanview cabin for the privilege. For us we were quite happy paying around $300 pp/day (net) for our 30-day Antarctica/SA cruise in a aft-facing suite cruising around the Antarctica Peninsula, to include seeing Iceberg A23a, Elephant Island, and cruising around most of the Antarctica Peninsula to include going into 3 different bays and various channels for 4 days.
 

Starting at post 184 and going from pages 8-11, check out some of the scenery we saw during that time. We also saw some penguins and whales, but really got our up close fix on seeing those as well as a bunch of other wildlife at the SA ports we visited.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2984033-live-from-the-sapphire-30-day-antarcticasa-b2b-jan-20-feb-19/page/8/

 

But for us, whether it’s with NCL or Celebrity, only being able to cruise for 2 days in Antarctic waters just wasn’t worth flying all the way down there for. Those extra 2 days really made the difference.

 
IMHO we can very confidently say we have been to Antarctica twice, once with HAL in 2018 and now with PCL in 2024, both times on cruises that included sailing around the Antarctica Peninsula for 4 days and saw a bunch more than we could ever imagine seeing on any expedition cruise. But then we’re in our early 70s, so what can I say. 😁
 

Edited February 16 by Ken the cruiser

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Yep, those days are getting closer than I'd wish. But if I can't ever do it, I will also say that I've never been to Antarctica. 

 

 

Ah, but if you took one of these "drive-by" cruises, you COULD say you'd seen it.

 

...if the cruise line actually took you there, of course.

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

A few years ago I was on a small expedition ship to the Falklands, South Shetland and the Antarctic Peninsula. At our first meeting with the expedition leader and his team, we were told to take the itinerary that was given to us and toss it out the window. The leader clarified that the itinerary was merely a suggested outline of where we might be headed, but the path and ports would ultimately be determined by Mother Nature and the Captain. We did miss the Falklands and one port was replaced by another due to a storm. However, as this was an extensive expedition with multiple landings and viewings on zodiacs, no one felt they missed out. In fact, a new stop was added to our pleasant surprise. This is the advantage of sailing on the smaller ships to Antarctica, though I understand this might be cost-prohibitive to many.

 

In contrast, the large cruise ships have limited options when the weather turns, even more so in the Antarctic regions. I do empathize with the passengers on the Star who are disappointed and felt misled. 

[Sinbadssailors]

We just returned from an expedition cruise to Antarctica(last weekend) on Seabourn.

 

The problem with this NCL debacle is the same as always - a serious lack of communication. Not communicating the reasons for the change leads to speculation and anger.

 

So truly typical of NCL to not share the details. 

 

Our cruising speed was limited to 10 knots because of ice/safety(it IS late summer there, with a lot of drifting ice sheets and icebergs).

It's quite possible that NCL was planning on a speedier journey to Paradise Bay and simply couldn't do it at an imposed lower speed.

 

A letter in the cabin, followed by a geography presentation of the revised itinerary -- in the theater and broadcast on the TV --- would've been the correct way to handle it.

 

They should've treated it like the big deal it was/is to their paying passengers. Explain in detail and acknowledge the impact on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not radio silence, like they've done something wrong and are afraid of questions.

 

BTW Antarctica is amazing, no matter how you see it - but 4 hours is not the same as 2 days.

[bortman23]

19 hours ago, IAcruising said:

Dude, I think you've gone officially over the cliff on this one.

haha exactly. 

[IAcruising]

10 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Ah, but if you took one of these "drive-by" cruises, you COULD say you'd seen it.

 

Of course. We've sailed by Cuba, and many places. But I would never say I've been there.

 

I also draw the line with airport connections. I've had layovers in Charlotte, Detroit, Phoenix, Atlanta, etc. But I would never say I've been to those cities.

 

[JasonMochilero]

2 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

Of course. We've sailed by Cuba, and many places. But I would never say I've been there.

 

I also draw the line with airport connections. I've had layovers in Charlotte, Detroit, Phoenix, Atlanta, etc. But I would never say I've been to those cities.

 

Airport transits totally don't count or I'd had been to Qatar, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Miami. I did finally visit Dubai after transitting there 10+ times last year. Probably wasn't really worth it.

 

[edspec]

On 2/16/2024 at 1:34 AM, JulianB said:

Why do you need to set foot on Antarctica? By staying at sea 2,400 people get the chance to see whales, icebergs, penguins all kinds of other amazing wildlife while being a couple of hundred meters off the actual shoreline. By landing you risk the spread of diseases like bird flu and start physical damage. Expedition ships have to take huge precautions to preserve Antarctica, something that is just not practical to do for a ship with thousands of visitors. The more people who see Antarctica for real and see what an amazing place it is will hopefully understand and spread the word that makes it so important we preserve it. On the Star this year there was a full course of lectures and I came back feeling I knew so much more about the place and had seen it up close. It's not just a tick in the box trip.

Really great post. 

 

[PTC DAWG]

14 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Of course. We've sailed by Cuba, and many places. But I would never say I've been there.

 

I also draw the line with airport connections. I've had layovers in Charlotte, Detroit, Phoenix, Atlanta, etc. But I would never say I've been to those cities.

 

You seem to enjoy stating this opinion, I’ll say that,  

[MoCruiseFan]

On 2/16/2024 at 7:26 AM, CroozeNoob said:

I absolutely love this thread. I cannot tell the difference between the trolling, and straight Karen-ism. Either this is a horrifically toxic place, or some of you all are hilarious.

I am already on my 5th bag of popcorn!  🙂

[IAcruising]

3 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

You seem to enjoy stating this opinion, I’ll say that,  

 

Thank you for pointing out that it's just an opinion. Opinions are like leaves on a tree -- there are thousands of them, all fluttering in every possible direction.

 

What disturbs me is when people make blanket statements as if they are fact, and then get upset if someone disagrees with their "fact". That happens far too often.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17 by IAcruising

[UKstages]

people sure do like to use that phrase "blanket statement" around these here parts. i'm not sure everybody knows what it means.

 

frankly, i haven't seen a lot of blanket statements in this thread. i've seen a lot of opinions based on actual lived experiences and on first hand accounts of things that have actually transpired. those would not be blanket statements.

 

i did once review down comforters and bed linens on amazon. and i do remember making quite a few blanket statements at that time. also, my friend linus has been known to make a statement while holding a blanket. 

[DMH15]

On 2/16/2024 at 11:04 AM, Sinbadssailors said:

We just returned from an expedition cruise to Antarctica(last weekend) on Seabourn.

 

The problem with this NCL debacle is the same as always - a serious lack of communication. Not communicating the reasons for the change leads to speculation and anger.

 

So truly typical of NCL to not share the details. 

 

Our cruising speed was limited to 10 knots because of ice/safety(it IS late summer there, with a lot of drifting ice sheets and icebergs).

It's quite possible that NCL was planning on a speedier journey to Paradise Bay and simply couldn't do it at an imposed lower speed.

 

A letter in the cabin, followed by a geography presentation of the revised itinerary -- in the theater and broadcast on the TV --- would've been the correct way to handle it.

 

They should've treated it like the big deal it was/is to their paying passengers. Explain in detail and acknowledge the impact on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not radio silence, like they've done something wrong and are afraid of questions.

 

BTW Antarctica is amazing, no matter how you see it - but 4 hours is not the same as 2 days.

Great post.  
 

so blessed to have been able to experience being able to visit Antarctica myself on an excursion while cruising SA.  ONCE IN A LIFETIME, for sure.   

[Mike07]

10 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Thank you for pointing out that it's just an opinion. Opinions are like leaves on a tree -- there are thousands of them, all fluttering in every possible direction.

 

What disturbs me is when people make blanket statements as if they are fact, and then get upset if someone disagrees with their "fact". That happens far too often.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In your opinion have you ever really "been to" CruiseCritic.com?

[icft]

7 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

In your opinion have you ever really "been to" CruiseCritic.com?

 

I've been in their jail. Does that count?

 

I love running into random deep philosophical discussions. What's the meaning of life? What's the meaning of "been to." Finding answers to these timeless questions is man's highest purpose. 😇

[fshagan]

On 2/13/2024 at 5:48 PM, Turtles06 said:

No, it doesn’t really “change the scope of the change.”  This was not an expedition cruise with landings on the Continent. It was a “drive by” (scenic cruising), with Paradise Bay (which is stunningly beautiful) being a highlight. (Big cruise ships don’t have “stops” in Antarctica.) The new itinerary, as I understand it, will not have scenic cruising off the Continent; that would be a huge change from the original. I don’t blame people on board for being upset.  

 

Would it be comparable to missing cruising in Glacier Bay on an Alaskan cruise then?

[Mike07]

36 minutes ago, icft said:

 

I've been in their jail. Does that count?

 

I love running into random deep philosophical discussions. What's the meaning of life? What's the meaning of "been to." Finding answers to these timeless questions is man's highest purpose. 😇

 

 

Winning arguments on the Internet is the sole meaning of life.

[icft]

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Winning arguments on the Internet is the sole meaning of life.

But is that "meaning" or "purpose?"

[Back to school]

Please stop🤣 This topic is now closed to further replies

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, Back to school said:

Please stop🤣 This topic is now closed to further replies

Is your purpose to gain the power to close threads? 🤣

[JulianB]

Would love to hear from anyone who has just finished this cruise as to how it ended up and did you have a good time in the end. Your first hand comments I think would be useful and could compare them to my experience on the Star in January.

 

[pete_coach]

On 2/16/2024 at 7:52 PM, IAcruising said:

 

Of course. We've sailed by Cuba, and many places. But I would never say I've been there.

 

I also draw the line with airport connections. I've had layovers in Charlotte, Detroit, Phoenix, Atlanta, etc. But I would never say I've been to those cities.

 

Semantics.

You would never have been on Antarctica, the continent, either.  Just sailed by it or on one of the more than 1000 islands around it.

Also, if you ever had layovers or connections at LAX, you were in, in fact, Los Angeles.

To help the confused, perhaps NCL  (and others lines) change the name of the cruise as being to the Antarctic "Region"?

Edited February 18 by pete_coach

[Turtles06]

8 hours ago, fshagan said:

 

Would it be comparable to missing cruising in Glacier Bay on an Alaskan cruise then?

 

The main issue is that is appears from the new itinerary that the ship will not be cruising by the continent of Antarctica (apologies if I'm wrong about that).  Certainly weather issues, mechanical issues, and restrictions imposed by regulatory authorities can affect an itinerary.  I'm not sure why some businesses don't understand that when there is bad news, it's best to be upfront about why; they generate more ill will by not being forthright with their guests and customers.

[PATRLR]

On 2/16/2024 at 12:04 PM, Sinbadssailors said:

The problem with this NCL debacle is the same as always - a serious lack of communication. Not communicating the reasons for the change leads to speculation and anger.

 

So truly typical of NCL to not share the details. 

Exactly.  I've made similar statements in the past.  NCL simply doesn't consider quality communication to it's guests to be a priority.  It's something in their culture.