US NEWS Family of nine left behind in remote Alaska, charged $9K by Norwegian Cruise Lines

GON

GON

$150 Site Donor 2025
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Messages
10,581
Location
White Sands, NM
Felt bad for the family. Yes, the family made a error by using a independent tour operator, but reading the entire story, hard to fault the family. What a way to spend $30k USD, and return home with COVID. I think the cruise operator offering 20 percent off the family's next cruise is not very sincere.

I have never been or a cruise, and have zero desire to.

https://nypost.com/2024/07/17/us-ne...ska-and-charged-9k-by-norwegian-cruise-lines/
 
No sympathy here. Cruise lines are very specific when they tell you don't miss the ship. Been on a few and watched people in Nassau running down the dock as their ship left them. You usually agree to those terms when you sign the cruise contract.

Also why it can be a good idea to pay the price the cruise line charges for booking your on shore activities. Those usually include a guarantee that you won't be left behind. Yes, it is more expensive for what is usually the same thing, but you can consider the extra paid as insurance.
 
I've been on 2, probably won't be a 3rd. First mistake was doing them on Carnival. Yuck. First cruise, we booked a beach club excursion independently, and it was a very stressful ride back. The beach club was much further away from the port than I thought, and my mind raced, thinking of what might happen if we had a flat tire or a blown radiator hose. On the second cruise, we booked a beach club excursion within eyesight of the ship, so that was fine. I've since discovered that just booking a room at a resort for 5 or 7 days is much more fun and relaxing. I much prefer living on my own schedule on vacation, rather than living on the ship's time clock. I feel bad for those folks, but at the end of the day, they are responsible for themselves in this world.
 
I've been in one Cruise; carnival. Cool experience and expeditions but I hate being cramped on a boat...and all the people and kids...ugh not my style.

However, I've always heard to make sure you only book excursions via the cruise line because of things that happen like this. The family decided not too and expected a whole ship to wait for them because their 3rd party tour company was unreliable. I don't know about Norwegian, but Carnival tells you this at the very beginning of the cruise to make sure you're back on time because they're not going to wait on you. The only thing Norwegian might have done wrong was charge the family the $9000. Everything else was on the family.
 
We've paid the 'Mouse Tax' for the 3 we've been on and it has been worth it. Without sounding elitist, the extra you pay for a Disney cruise keeps most (not all) of the drunken idiots off the boat. That and since most people are there with kids, the 'adult only' areas are usually nice and laid back/empty.

It's an experience we do enjoy, but unless something works to bring prices back down to merely 'ouch' instead of 'here's my firstborn, a kidney, and my left arm' we won't be doing any other cruises.
 
Other than the sea-sickness, I enjoyed the one Celebrity cruise that I was on. I'd go on more if it wasn't for the sea-sickness. We got caught in a storm so bad that a lot of the people that worked on the ship also got sea-sick. One of the things that I liked about the cruise was that it docked in Bermuda for a few days so you weren't constantly on the move. My wife, who had been on cruises before, told me that they ship will not wait if you're late coming back and the ship made it very clear they sail when it's time to sail.
 
GON said:
Felt bad for the family. Yes, the family made a error by using a independent tour operator, but reading the entire story, hard to fault the family. What a way to spend $30k USD, and return home with COVID. I think the cruise operator offering 20 percent off the family's next cruise is not very sincere.

I have never been or a cruise, and have zero desire to.
Click to expand...

That's evident in your travel posts, and I'm on the same proverbial boat, but you gotta admit, there are different kinds of vacation experiences.

Six kids and an elderly grandma doesn't lend itself to independent exploration, or wanderlust. A neat and tidy package is also probably a better, or at least easier, way to see Alaska.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GON
Not a fan of cruise myself but this is on them if they join an excursion run by 3rd party. They would likely have to sue those guys if they screw up and pray that those small fries don't go out of business to avoid paying.

There is a reason to pay more for the official excursion to avoid this kind of risk. If you want your own flexibility and saving money, probably cruise is not the right kind of trip for you. It wasn't for me either, maybe I'll change my mind when I'm 70.

You are expected to caught covid if you go on a crowded cruise, statistic is not on your side. Statistically you will be fine and will recover like catching a cold / flu as well.
 
Went on a cruise, once, to Alaska in fact. The cruise line made it very clear when you needed to be back on the ship and strongly recommended using their preferred vendors for any on-shore activities as this would guarantee that you wouldn't be left behind. If you went out on your own, you were assuming the risk of missing the ship. Simple and very clear.
 
Have been on 12 cruises. Have two back to back coming up- will be going to to Greece, etc., then Transatlantic back to the states- total 70 days. Your either a cruise person or you are not. If you are not because of financial reasons, that's one thing - but don't knock them because you simply can't afford them.
 
Vercingetorix said:
Always carry your passport. Always.
Click to expand...
Too dangerous to always carry your passport- IMHO. Know someone that lost theirs but pretty much agreed it was stolen. A copy of your passport will suffice in many countries- should you need to get a new one. There are countries to where you should carry it however. But Mexico, the Caribbean, etc. Not needed.
 
The cruise company sponsored tours guarantee the ship will wait. We were on a tour, lots of traffic and bus arrived late back to the dock where tender was waiting. The cruise ship staff to handle returning passengers and their ID reader, other things to greet returning passengers were all on the tender with us. Last ones back to the ship. Maybe 30 minutes late.

The ship can easily make up the time but will use a little extra fuel.

The cruise company tours seem to be in the ballpark price wise. We have taken non cruise company sponsored tours mainly when the ones we wanted from the cruise company were sold out.
 
We have booked independent tours all over South America. The key is to make sure the tour operator always drops you off with PLENTY OF TIME LEFT to board your ship.
If port turn around is tight. Example-arrives at at 10 a.m. leaves at 5 p.m. then a ship sponsored tour is the ONLY WAY to go.

While I can afford cruising-I refuse to give the cruise line an extra $100.00 if I can booked the same tour independently for the difference-given plenty of time in port.
 
Pablo said:
I watch the people pour off the boats Juneau to Hilo and Kodiak other ports. Just doesn’t seem pleasant
Click to expand...
20190222001386482496-original-1-2048x1275.webp
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

dave1251
  • Locked
Exxon Mobil
Replies
19
Views
16K
MolaKule
Back
Top Bottom