NCL dropped a destination weeks before cruising

[cruiseny4life]

Just now, BirdTravels said:

So,,, if they drop a port the day before final payment, would there be any difference???? Even one cancellation??? Probably not. So the distinction is totally irrelevant. Just a lot of hype. 

If we cared about the port? Yes, it would make a difference.

 

We cancelled a cruise, because the ports were changed. Thankfully, in that instance, it was before final payment - well before. Change the itinerary. We just may cancel. Found a new cruise three or four weeks later and booked it instead.

 

Guess what? After final payment, one of the four ports was cancelled due to port congestion. Of course, I'm sure NCL just had no idea ever that the port might be congested prior to final payment. Nah. No way. Not possible. Nothing to do for us. Instead, we went ahead and had a great cruise - not caring to dwell on the port that was cancelled. Plus, we (read I) enjoy sea days, so for me, an extra sea day was wonderful. Worked out in my favor! 

But, it's cruising. So don't count on your ports. We know that now. We didn't know that back then. Thanks to Cruise Critic and personal experience, we've learned some tips to keep our sanity when it comes to booking a cruise. Gosh forbid cruise lines keep their (not legally required to) promises. 

[kitkat343]

35 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Here are the reasons they gave on our Prima cruise from London (Southampton) to Reykjavik

 

Before the cruise they cancelled Zeebrugges for Brugge saying there would be an extremely low tide of 1 foot.

 

During the cruise they cancelled Isafjordur, Iceland due to the dock not being ready yet. They did this every single Prima cruise this past summer.

 

And the port after Zeebrugges was Amsterdam. They told us we would also go there later in the afternoon on what had been scheduled as the Zeebrugges day. That also got cancelled according to them for rough seas.

Currently, the Icelandic government is stating that they hope the dredging work will be completed by this summer.  The Prima is scheduled to dock there again, so hopefully either the dredging will be complete soon or NCL will arrange for outside tenders if their life boats can't be used for tenders.

[yakcruiser]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

It's why, even though I really want to book a 23 day cruise in 2026

On the Joy? I have been looking at that one. They have not been messing with the Panama Canal cruises other than dropping a Central American port or two. I should have added a yet in there somewhere.

[Jordan61]

I honestly wouldn't care all that much except that I know from reading here there is a decent chance we will miss GSC, as well. If we do, we'll end up only visiting two ports instead of four.

 

I like NCL, and I love the Haven, so I won't say we'll never sail with them again. But husband & I were already planning on doing more land-based vacations in the future. If we do cruise again I will most likely try a different line.

[yakcruiser]

32 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

. So the distinction is totally irrelevant. Just a lot of hype. 

Not hype. Very relevant. Some folks who do not get to cruise 7 or 8 times a year due to work or financial constraints choose their cruises very carefully and itineraries are very important to them.

[cruiseny4life]

11 minutes ago, yakcruiser said:

On the Joy? I have been looking at that one. They have not been messing with the Panama Canal cruises other than dropping a Central American port or two. I should have added a yet in there somewhere.

That's the one!! It really is a perfect cruise and starts at our fav place, Great Stirrup Cay! 

[craig01020]

44 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

So,,, if they drop a port the day before final payment, would there be any difference???? Even one cancellation??? Probably not. So the distinction is totally irrelevant. Just a lot of hype. 

Another NCL sycophant heard from.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, kitkat343 said:

Currently, the Icelandic government is stating that they hope the dredging work will be completed by this summer.  The Prima is scheduled to dock there again, so hopefully either the dredging will be complete soon or NCL will arrange for outside tenders if their life boats can't be used for tenders.

I think the operative word here is HOPE. I'm sure NCL at the beginning of the cruise season HOPED the work would be done. But it was not the entire cruise season for that itinerary. Each cruise had the port cancelled, but not until the last minute as they must have hoped the work would be done at some point.

[Ozmodiar]

I like NCL and have cruised with them for years now, but as someone who does like to go on cruises mainly for the ports, and have watched as NCL cruises initially promoted as having interesting and unique itineraries get changed very late in the process, I find this to be a troubling trend for NCL. Especially when it is for ports that are not commonly visited and are part of cruises getting a premium because of the unique itinerary. 

 

The tide schedule, the distance between ports and the related fuel consumption, etc., - all of those should have been accounted for during the planning of the itinerary so are not valid rationales, same with the port feedback. I feel they are flouting the very real need to let cruise lines change itineraries for weather, security, etc. so they feel no financial pressure to risk passenger safety, and are now applying that clause solely to their benefit. That was not the intention of the language in the contract about missing ports, to let the cruise line entice people with one itinerary and then remove ports after final payment for non-emergency reasons.

[Travelling2Some]

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Golly, all they need to get in that reason is "port congestion" and they'll have the big lies all named! 

 

- Fuel optimization

- Guest feedback that they want to skip the port originally booked

- Maritime regulations

- Port congestion (unnamed this time)

 

I just keep saying it...what a trash company. But, a trash company I'm sure I'll book on again. @Travelling2Some I think the customers (including myself) are the idiots as we continue to book NCL, despite their pathetic insistence that itineraries are changed for the above reasons (typically after final payment). 

Totally agree.  And, yes, how could we forget the old "port congestion" excuse.  Especially lame when it is caused by scheduling several of their their own ships on the same day.  On our transatlantic last year they cancelled Madeira claiming port congestion.  We were to be the only ship in port that day according to the harbor authority?  But how many of their unsuspecting passengers would have known that?  

 

As for continuing to book NCL (and being idiots, lol):  For many years we booked NCL almost exclusively.  FAS is a good deal, their deposits are refundable (we have a big family so life is sometimes out of our control) we like to pack light and not dress up and they sail out of Manhattan even in the winter.  So the NCL product fits us very well.  But our last couple of cruises have been on other lines because the itineraries (Europe) were very important to us. 

 

Our last 3 cruises with NCL all had serious itinerary disruptions, mostly for nonsensical or downright deceptive reasons.  (A few were for legit reasons, which is fine.)  So we no longer trust NCL with our more expensive trips where the itinerary is primary.  We are doing the Viva in June (Rome to Lisbon) but have booked with Celebrity for the other half of that trip because the ports on that leg are more important to us.  The Viva is sailing from Rome the day after we arrive on another ship and we have FCC to use up before it expires so we went with it.

 

Going forward I will only book NCL at the last minute out of Manhattan in the dead of winter. Cruises that are about getting out of the cold and relaxation where the ports don''t matter. I think folks who have a more relaxed attitude towards itineraries are either (1) Caribbean cruisers, (2) people who go to the same destinations over and over or (3) people with deep pockets who don't mind if a trip turns into a waste of money. 

 

There's nothing wrong with any of that and I do understand the "who cares" approach, because I feel that way about our cruises that are just a mid-winter break.  Personally, I don't care if I never see another Caribbean island again but I'm happy to go along because the family enjoys it and I enjoy the family.  But far-flung journeys are very expensive and have lots of "moving parts" so itinerary is key.  Major trips involve eye-watering airfare, months of detailed planning and dogged persistence to procure tickets for major league sights. So yes, I would be an idiot to keep trusting NCL with those kinds of "serious" itineraries and I no longer do.

 

Apologies for the very long post!

 

[roddy good boy]

6 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

Totally agree.  And, yes, how could we forget the old "port congestion" excuse.  Especially lame when it is caused by scheduling several of their their own ships on the same day.  On our transatlantic last year they cancelled Madeira claiming port congestion.  We were to be the only ship in port that day according to the harbor authority?  But how many of their unsuspecting passengers would have known that?  

 

As for continuing to book NCL (and being idiots, lol):  For many years we booked NCL almost exclusively.  FAS is a good deal, their deposits are refundable (we have a big family so life is sometimes out of our control) we like to pack light and not dress up and they sail out of Manhattan even in the winter.  So the NCL product fits us very well.  But our last couple of cruises have been on other lines because the itineraries (Europe) were very important to us. 

 

Our last 3 cruises with NCL all had serious itinerary disruptions, mostly for nonsensical or downright deceptive reasons.  (A few were for legit reasons, which is fine.)  So we no longer trust NCL with our more expensive trips where the itinerary is primary.  We are doing the Viva in June (Rome to Lisbon) but have booked with Celebrity for the other half of that trip because the ports on that leg are more important to us.  The Viva is sailing from Rome the day after we arrive on another ship and we have FCC to use up before it expires so we went with it.

 

Going forward I will only book NCL at the last minute out of Manhattan in the dead of winter. Cruises that are about getting out of the cold and relaxation where the ports don''t matter. I think folks who have a more relaxed attitude towards itineraries are either (1) Caribbean cruisers, (2) people who go to the same destinations over and over or (3) people with deep pockets who don't mind if a trip turns into a waste of money. 

 

There's nothing wrong with any of that and I do understand the "who cares" approach, because I feel that way about our cruises that are just a mid-winter break.  Personally, I don't care if I never see another Caribbean island again but I'm happy to go along because the family enjoys it and I enjoy the family.  But far-flung journeys are very expensive and have lots of "moving parts" so itinerary is key.  Major trips involve eye-watering airfare, months of detailed planning and dogged persistence to procure tickets for major league sights. So yes, I would be an idiot to keep trusting NCL with those kinds of "serious" itineraries and I no longer do.

 

Apologies for the very long post!

 

I’m a loyalist…sometimes to the point of the absurd! I also really, really hate change. However, you have given me a lot to consider. Most of my bucket list places are to far flung, exotic locations. Based on my own experiences with NCL and what I’ve read in these boards, I should look at other lines.

[Travelling2Some]

5 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

So,,, if they drop a port the day before final payment, would there be any difference???? Even one cancellation??? Probably not. So the distinction is totally irrelevant. Just a lot of hype. 

We cancelled our booking (actually two bookings as it was part of a B2B) the same day they admitted (finally) that they were cancelling Bar Harbor.  So there is your "even one cancellation".  Before final payment is absolutely key.  Why?  Because there are plenty of places to go and plenty of other ways to get there.

[Travelling2Some]

6 minutes ago, roddy good boy said:

I’m a loyalist…sometimes to the point of the absurd! I also really, really hate change. However, you have given me a lot to consider. Most of my bucket list places are to far flung, exotic locations. Based on my own experiences with NCL and what I’ve read in these boards, I should look at other lines.

I know. It is sad 😞  We have waited all our lives to retire and see the world.  Got waylay-ed by Covid and failing health will likely rear it's ugly head soon. We always preferred NCL but since they are playing games we have to book with more reliable lines.

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

I know. It is sad 😞  We have waited all our lives to retire and see the world.  Got waylay-ed by Covid and failing health will likely rear it's ugly head soon. We always preferred NCL but since they are playing games we have to book with more reliable lines.

I hope someone from NCL reads these boards and realizes that there are people who will cancel or even not consider NCL because of these issues.

 

And from another senior couple, wishing you good continuing health in your senior years.

[Levanah]

And from yet another senior couple, we are watching these port cancellations carefully.  We have cruised with NCL exclusively, but there are still destinations/ports we want to see.  We are still healthy, but as seniors, our cruising window is closing.  If we have to move to another line to see the places we want to experience, we will do so.  Even as we have made it to Sapphire.  

 

I do hope NCL is listening.

[QuestionEverything]

Oceania, part of the NCL company, is well known for removing ports.

In 2024, the corporate messaging was that all port times would be reduced by 1 hr minimum for the same BS environmental..

I travel only for the ports.

I am done with Oceania because every voyage has a minimum of 1 or 2 ports that are cancelled early or during the voyage for "weather".

News flash NCL, Oceania - with the AIS ship and port app, any guest can see what the weather is going forward, what ships have just arrived or are at pier.

I know what ships are supposed to be at each of my ports, so I know who got there and whom did not, Oceania.

Oceania cancelled Nuuk on Greenland on my last August trip. So we spent 2 days going back and forth in the ocean. Humm.

The AIS showed the approach to Nuuk had good waves but there was no messaging that a ship could not anchor in the bay.    

We showed many guests the AIS app and it became well appreciated by guests.

Yes there are circumstances where a ship can not approach, anchor or dock.

I spent many years on many Great Lake ships as a guest of the line, so I am well aware of wind sheer, currents etc. 

But all this NCL and Oceania PC messaging is garbage.

 

[craig01020]

On 4/28/2024 at 8:46 PM, RenoDuck said:

Besides the problematic, but allowable under their contract, swapping / cancelling ports after final payment, their communication leaves a lot to be desired from timeliness and truthfulness.  This seems to becoming a regular occurrence and will make me think hard before booking future NCL cruises for more unique itineraries.

I agree. I had a 9-day Baltic cruise booked with NCL for next May, but I have rebooked with a 12-day on Carnival just for the reasons you stated.

[TYTY]

18 hours ago, yakcruiser said:

Not hype. Very relevant. Some folks who do not get to cruise 7 or 8 times a year due to work or financial constraints choose their cruises very carefully and itineraries are very important to them.

That's a perfect statement!

[Laszlo]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:33 AM, Ruttrowg said:

Our cruise in May was supposed to stop in British Virgin Islands. An email came saying due to fuel costs and recent surveys they are dropping this destination and giving us a mere $100 credit. Another day at sea instead of going to this destination. 
 

Can they pull a stunt like this weeks before sailing?

Thats nothing, a number of years ago we were going to Bermuda from NYC. We get to the pier, park, bags check, go thru security only to find out we are not going to Bermuda. We are going to Florida and the Bahamas. We made it to Florida for a day in Port Canaveral and that was it. We were supposed to go to Nassau, nope.... someone screwed up and they had too many ships. We were also suppose to stop at GSC... nope, too windy. So we had a very slow 3 day cruise back. Lots of very angry people. Granted we had a hurricane, however two other cruise line made it to Bermuda without any problems and had perfect weather. 

 

We got $50 per cabin OBC

Edited April 30 by Laszlo

[lepidoptera]

NCL has been my line of choice-I’ve sailed solo on them at least once a year since 2017. I’ve mostly done longer special itinerary cruises. I’ve been okay with paying a premium as a solo sailer for an interesting itinerary.
 

It has gotten to the point that I believe NCL is selling cruises to places that they know they won’t go. It has made me think twice about booking on NCL for any trip itinerary is important to me. I did book a cruise for this year after final payment-because it was more a get a way where itinerary was not super important and it worked with my schedule best. I did much more shopping around than I normally do. 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

1 hour ago, lepidoptera said:

It has gotten to the point that I believe NCL is selling cruises to places that they know they won’t go. 

I’ve had this exact same thought and thought I was just off the rails with some crazy conspiracy theory.

 

I don’t….think…they are but it has been happening quite a lot and I’ve wondered.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Thats nothing, a number of years ago we were going to Bermuda from NYC. We get to the pier, park, bags check, go thru security only to find out we are not going to Bermuda. We are going to Florida and the Bahamas. We made it to Florida for a day in Port Canaveral and that was it. We were supposed to go to Nassau, nope.... someone screwed up and they had too many ships. We were also suppose to stop at GSC... nope, too windy. So we had a very slow 3 day cruise back. Lots of very angry people. Granted we had a hurricane, however two other cruise line made it to Bermuda without any problems and had perfect weather. 

 

We got $50 per cabin OBC

That sounded like a PVSA violation until you wrote the word hurricane. That will get the violation nullified.

[Travelling2Some]

8 hours ago, QuestionEverything said:

Oceania, part of the NCL company, is well known for removing ports.

In 2024, the corporate messaging was that all port times would be reduced by 1 hr minimum for the same BS environmental..

I travel only for the ports.

I am done with Oceania because every voyage has a minimum of 1 or 2 ports that are cancelled early or during the voyage for "weather".

News flash NCL, Oceania - with the AIS ship and port app, any guest can see what the weather is going forward, what ships have just arrived or are at pier.

I know what ships are supposed to be at each of my ports, so I know who got there and whom did not, Oceania.

Oceania cancelled Nuuk on Greenland on my last August trip. So we spent 2 days going back and forth in the ocean. Humm.

The AIS showed the approach to Nuuk had good waves but there was no messaging that a ship could not anchor in the bay.    

We showed many guests the AIS app and it became well appreciated by guests.

Yes there are circumstances where a ship can not approach, anchor or dock.

I spent many years on many Great Lake ships as a guest of the line, so I am well aware of wind sheer, currents etc. 

But all this NCL and Oceania PC messaging is garbage.

 

Great post.  They get away with their nonsense because the vast majority of passengers take their excuses at face value and have no idea how to fact check them.  It all comes from above and is deliberately planned to save money at our expense.  You will only get blank looks from Guest Services.  I doubt they know much of anything.

[craig01020]

10 hours ago, Levanah said:

And from yet another senior couple, we are watching these port cancellations carefully.  We have cruised with NCL exclusively, but there are still destinations/ports we want to see.  We are still healthy, but as seniors, our cruising window is closing.  If we have to move to another line to see the places we want to experience, we will do so.

Same here. It's too bad because many other cruise lines have such unimaginative itineraries. On the other hand, it's nice that you can count on going where they say they will go.

[Travelling2Some]

9 hours ago, craig01020 said:

I agree. I had a 9-day Baltic cruise booked with NCL for next May, but I have rebooked with a 12-day on Carnival just for the reasons you stated.

We had a really odd thing happen on our Baltic cruise on the Dawn last year.  One morning we wake up and the ship is in the wrong port.  No warning, no explanation.  Then it got even odder when they announced that all excursions were cancelled and said that the local tour providers were at fault.  REALLY??? Did they expect us not to notice that we were not at the right port?  It's just downright weird how they take barefaced lying to absurd levels.  The real reason had to be more understandable unless the captain got lost?