Anyone ELSE not make it to Fanning Island?

[tiggersgrl]

I don't have time to write a full review tonight on our 11/3-11/13 Wind trip to Hawaii including Fanning Island ... but I'm curious if anyone went on the Hawaii cruise (ever) and didn't make it to Fanning Island?

 

The jist of it is that NCL left port in Honolulu on 11/3 with an engine down ... they did not get this fixed the entire trip, and so we ended up missing Fanning Island all together (after shucking out $$$ for passports that were REQUIRED), AND, we were late to every other port of call on the itinerary ... due to the fact that the ship could not gain enough speed to make the ports on time ... with the exception of the last day - when we arrived back in Honolulu to go HOME!!! I am outraged, along with plenty of other passengers that were on this cruise.

 

Has this ever happened before? Thought I'd see from you folks before I ask NCL the same question - and compare the answers. :mad:

 

I'll post a full review tomorrow - but I am very disappointed, and will never cruise with NCL again. First cruise ever.

[HollyT]

We did the Star back in Feb. of last year - and didn't do Fanning either. (Due to engine probs, I think.)

 

BUT ... we were quite happy with the lack of Fanning (even though we got passports specifically for this trip as well) because we had two days in Maui.

 

I had absolutely no desire to do Fanning and was quite happy with the way it turned out.

[Dee]

That happened to us too. I assume that you were on the Wind? We were on the Star and there was a problem with one of the engines so the Captain opted to spend extra time in the Hawiian Islands spending 2 days on each island and sailing around Molokai. We also got to spend extra time watching the Kilauia volcano dumping lava into the sea at night. Not many people minded at all. It is too bad that you spent money on the passport and didn't need it but it is good for several years and when you cruise again to a foreign port you can use it then. Plus it is great ID in the airports these days. We take ours along every time we cruise.

Dee

[OrangeAndBlue]

Sorry that you missed Fanning Island. However, cruise lines on that itinerary do not like to miss Fanning Island and will go out of their way to try to make it there. Because of current US law (Jones Act), if they do not it a "foreign" port, it cost them tens upon tens of thousands of dollars in fines to the US government. The fines can be up to $300/person so multiply that by a ship of 2,000 - 3,000 people. It could potentially cost the ship almost $1 million for missing that one port...

 

Also, all cruise lines miss ports of call, not just NCL. Please don't bash one cruise line when you can scan posts on this board and see where people are upset with other cruise lines missing ports. It is one of those unfortunate things that us cruise fanatics have come to live with.

 

I think it's always a good idea to have a passport. It is much easier to travel with than birth certificates.

 

Paul

 

P.S. By the way, you are not missing much at Fanning Island. Trust someone who has been there. By the way, I am about to take my 8th cruise and have been on Princess, NCL, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, and Carnival...

[Catmomma]

I talked to someone who worked on a NCL ship (now worked on POA) that said they missed Fanning twice over the summer due to medical emergencies.

[Globaliser]

I am very disappointed, and will never cruise with NCL again. First cruise ever.

That's a bit of a severe reaction to a breakdown - which can happen to any ship - which stopped you going to a pretty god-forsaken place out in the middle of nowhere which the ship only goes to because legislation requires it to. And as already mentioned, the fines that are imposed when this happens make for a great deterrent against the island being skipped unless it's absolutely necessary.

 

I'd also recommend considering the passports a bonus. I always reckon that it should be compulsory not only to hold a passport, but to use it as often as possible.

[sfbear]

 

 

I'll post a full review tomorrow - but I am very disappointed, and will never cruise with NCL again. First cruise ever.

 

We have been to Fanning Island on the Wind and did enjoy it eventho we spent all of three hours on the Island and were back on ship. Two days going and two days coming plus the day on the Island is a big chunk out of a trip and as mentioned before, only because of our archaic laws. Seems as tho everybody in this string of messages who missed the island really benefitted. I would love to have seen the lava flow in the evening. I wouldn't fully discount NCL because of this event . . . at least you kept cruising and were not put off the ship - -

 

A passport is a good thing to have and certainly seems to be accepted everywhere without any question. Consider this a good investment. Now you have it and you're ready to book a foreign cruise.

 

I do have to admit that I'm beginning to wonder about the age of these NCL ships (Wind, Dream and Crown). Did a Colonial America/Canada trip on the Crown last April and we also had engine trouble during the entire trip and missed one port (Savannah - - the one I was really wanting to visit) in order for us to limp our way back to Philadelphia. That was disappointing. As we look back, we still had an enjoyable cruise.

 

Leaving for South America (Santiago - Antartica - Buenos Aires) on Oceania's Insignia December 17th. Can't wait.

[bssc]

We missing Fanning on the Star back in 2002. There was a boiler accident that seriously injured a crewman. We got another day at sea plus a stop in Kona. We are thinking of going back at some time so we can go to Fanning to say that we have been there.

[tiggersgrl]

Perhaps to some of you my reaction is harsh - however - the captain left the islands knowing there was an engine down. With all his years of experience, I'm sure that he knew what kinds of delays to expect with this kind of problem. One person replied indicating that with a similar problem, their captain opted to spend more time in the islands ... that would have been my vote from the very beginning. Instead, 1700 passengers were sent out to sea for 5 days.

 

There was no medical emergency. I understand the Jones Act - but then why was another captain able to make a change in the itinerary. I will stand behind my opinion that I won't sail with NCL again. A bad decision was made by the person in charge, and I'm not the only unhappy one.

 

Agree that the passports are a good thing to have for future use - my point is simply that they were purchased specifically for this trip. We were told by NCL that we would not be allowed to embark the ship without them.

[WaldosPepper]

One person replied indicating that with a similar problem, their captain opted to spend more time in the islands ... that would have been my vote from the very beginning. Instead, 1700 passengers were sent out to sea for 5 days.

 

- but then why was another captain able to make a change in the itinerary. ... A bad decision was made by the person in charge, and I'm not the only unhappy one.

 

Agree that the passports are a good thing to have for future use - my point is simply that they were purchased specifically for this trip. We were told by NCL that we would not be allowed to embark the ship without them.

It is entirely possible that the Captain had faith that the engine problem could be repaired during your sail, and thus was not expecting to miss any ports of call.

 

It is also entirely possible that the Captain was unable to secure dock or mooring space at any additional ports, or extra time at any of the scheduled ports. Cruiseship space can be booked back-to-back frequently, and adjustments can be difficult to make.

 

Also, of course Passports were required - it was expected that you would be travelling to a foreign port - thus embarkation without them would be forbidden. It is a very unfortunate situation that you experienced the inability to visit one particular port, but events such as this are not uncommon on any cruise line - not just NCL. Before you make the decision to condemn one line, I hope you'll check out the list of "events at sea" on cruisejunkie. It might shock you to discover the frequency and variety of things that go wrong, and you might actually feel relieved that what happened on your trip wasn't worse!

 

Also, as another poster suggested, you might want to check out the threads under other cruise lines and see how many posts there are about similar situations.

[Globaliser]

Instead, 1700 passengers were sent out to sea for 5 days.

Sounds like my idea of heaven, actually. :D

I understand the Jones Act - but then why was another captain able to make a change in the itinerary. I will stand behind my opinion that I won't sail with NCL again. A bad decision was made by the person in charge, and I'm not the only unhappy one.

Even if that's right, why punish the entire cruise line for a bad decision made by one person? Another NCL captain in a similar situation did something you would obviously have found acceptable. Although it's obviously a matter entirely for you, I just wonder whether in writing off an entire cruise line just because of one experience of one bad decision made by one person, you might not be cutting off your nose to spite your face? And as these boards demonstrate, it could just as easily have happened on any other cruise line - no captain is perfect, and every cruise line has their bad weeks.

[tiggersgrl]

Well we didn't spend the thousands of dollars that we did to get part of our trip. I am the type of person that expects to get what she pays for. Obviously I must be in the minority though. It was not only my money and my vacation that was affected by this bad call. You should get what you pay for. I did not pay for 5 straight days at sea.

[tiggersgrl]

I do want to put a positive note out here about our cruise. We purchased the Photo Package Deal that NCL offers. On our cruise it was $149.99. We came home with almost 30 professional pictures (most of them 8x10's). They were charging $19.95 each for an 8x10 - so that was waaaaaaaay worth the money spent on the package in our opinion.

 

The photographers do a great job, and the pictures are good quality too. :)

[Globaliser]

Well we didn't spend the thousands of dollars that we did to get part of our trip. I am the type of person that expects to get what she pays for. Obviously I must be in the minority though. It was not only my money and my vacation that was affected by this bad call. You should get what you pay for. I did not pay for 5 straight days at sea.

To get this into perspective, you did pay for a 10 night cruise and you did get a 10 night cruise. It wasn't the 10 night cruise that you had hoped to get, and you didn't like what you got as a replacement after things started to go wrong.

 

But the first rule of all travel is that it can go wrong, and you can't expect that you will always get what you hoped to get. When it does go wrong, sometimes people make good decisions and sometimes people make bad decisions (and sometimes people have different views about whether a particular decision is good or bad).

 

Isn't this the appropriate way of looking at it? I understand your personal disappointment, but frankly something like this could happen to anyone on any ship on any cruise line. If you're going to be very upset about everything that can go wrong on a ship on the ocean, then every cruise line will disappoint you at some stage. Given how often things do change on ships, maybe cruising's not the right type of travel for you?

[sterling2]

We were on a Princess cruise a few years ago and missed both Grand Cayman and Cozumel due to winds preventing us from tendering and/or docking. I actually heard people comment that with a different captain we could have made it. Stuff happens. There are absolutely no guarantees about anything when you cruise.

 

Sue

[bruins12]

Unfortunately when taking a cruise, the reality is this happens...unforseen mechanical issues and "Act's of God" are uncontrollable...This has nothing to do with NCL.

 

Now, I am not disputing how NCL handled the situation....I am sure there were opportunites for NCL to some alliviate some of the customer's frustration and chances are they "dropped the ball"...and we all know they are terrible in this area....

 

Those people who can't accept the possibility of having their "intinerary" changed at short notice, may want to consider a land based vacation, in order to remove this source of frustration. Given this, one needs to consider if cruising is is a good fit for them...

[breeding]

OK I'm a brand new cruiser and we don't leave until June first on the Wind so I'm sure the engine will be fixed by then. Our family has spent many nights looking over all the things to do at each port and finally have it sort of narrowed down to just a few. During the holidays we are going to be discussing with family members what we are doing and if we have chosen to rent a car and do something on our own or a ship excursion. Now my question - what happens if you don't make a port if you buy the excursion through NCL is it refunded? If you buy it not through NCL is there any way to get a refund? Do they offer other excursions after the plans change while you are already cruising? This may make up our minds on wether to go with the ships excursions or not. Is there any way to rent a car after you get to a port and how long would that take? I'm going to ask on the Hawaii board also what exactly we could do just on foot but if anyone has any suggestions I would love to have them. We are not shoppers so other than shopping! Is there snorkeling or things to do just by walking? I don't care what we see this is so exciting and I am learning sooooo much from these boards I'm going to have a blast no matter which way things turn out. Thanks for any advice!!

[tiggersgrl]

They tried to re-schedule as many excursions as they could, but unfortunately, some they were not able to, and they were cancelled all together. If you miss the excursion because they miss the timing, you get an automatic refund to your stateroom account (as long as you book thru them). I don't know how it works if you don't book thru them.

 

We didn't rent a car or anything, but at some of the ports, we just walked around to see things. There are historical sites to visit, public beaches, etc. if you don't have an excursion planned.

[Host CMLA]

Well we didn't spend the thousands of dollars that we did to get part of our trip. I am the type of person that expects to get what she pays for. Obviously I must be in the minority though. It was not only my money and my vacation that was affected by this bad call. You should get what you pay for. I did not pay for 5 straight days at sea.

As someone else said, you paid for a 10 day cruise and that's what you went on. If you can't accept that missed ports are always a possibility on any cruise with any cruise line, I suggest you never cruise again. Then again, things can go wrong on any type of vacation. How can you have a good time if you're willing to throw your hands up in the air and swear off certain types of travel when something happens? If you travel enough, eventually you'll have sworn off all travel.

[cruisingfromMN]

Well we didn't spend the thousands of dollars that we did to get part of our trip. I am the type of person that expects to get what she pays for. Obviously I must be in the minority though. It was not only my money and my vacation that was affected by this bad call. You should get what you pay for. I did not pay for 5 straight days at sea.

 

Last March on the Star we did not make it to Fanning Island which was a HUGE disappointment to us. We had been there before and loved it! In fact, we specifically picked this same cruise again because of Fanning Island. That said, check your cruise docs because they cover all options about missing a port, changing itinerary etc. etc. It does not change the disappointment and I fully understand because it happened to us. But when your vacation involves a cruise, there are many times things change and you have to accept the possibility or in this case the reality. A change of itinerary is not unique to NCL as other posters have said. I am sorry you were disappointed too. Fanning Island was truly a unique experience.

[cruisin-Trish]

Breeding

Don't wait until you get to the ports in Hawaii to rent a car! Several of the ports were out of cars if you didn't have one reserved and/or if your name wasn't on the list of renters you weren't allowed on the shuttle to go to the rental locations! You can reserve a car from Alamo without using a credit card.

[Big L]

We have booked to go on the Wind 1/5/05, mainly because on our last cruise on the Wind, we didn't get to Fanning Island due to medical emergencies. I will be contacting NCL in December to see if they can confirm that the engine problems have been sorted. If they can't guarantee this, do you think I can get a refund and book another cruise?

 

To travel from the UK is 19 hours flying time and I certainly wouldn't fly for this long to be on a crippled ship.

[jlines]

On our 11 day Wind cruise we were down an engine also, another one became disabled, and the winds were very strong - yet we did make Fanning Island if only for 2 hours. As a result we only got 1 day on Maui but we did get to sail by the volcano at night.

 

As far as a rental car - we reserved cars in every port before leaving home and used a cell phone to confirm from the ship. Alamo knew about the ships delay and had our reservation automatically moved for the next day. This was a wonderful surprise as I had called to see if we could still have a car for the next day so they must assume that if you only want a car for 1 day on a day when a ship is in port you must be from the ship.

[Estcstgrl]

:mad: We were also on the 11/3 sailing of the Wind. I agree with Tiggersgrl that we paid for a 10 day cruise with 4 sea days and the remaining days in ports. What we got was 5 sea days, missed ports and when we did make the ports we were hours late. Our group was really looking forward to the stop in Fanning Island. Instead all we got was a view of the island. This "engine" problem seems to be an ongoing thing on the Wind. They are having problems again on the sailing this week and I understand this has been going on since last spring. Yes the ship is clean, crew is wonderful, but I really wanted to see Hawaii. I and many passengers feel we did not get what we paid for. This was our 5th cruise. Our first on the Wind. I will never sail on the Wind again.

[agehman1]

We were on the initial cruise for the NCL Hawaii to Hawaii itinary. We didn't make fanning island because someone had a heart attack and ended up going to Christmas island because of a landing strip. When we got there the tide was out and they could barely get the tender with 6 persons on board scraping bottom. We ended up with 5 days at sea straight. NCL said "oh well".

 

Alan