Is 25% Enough?

[jiminyC_fan]

Because it is the fault of Mother Nature and not DCL, I feel that they don't owe any compensation other than the refund so full refund and 25% is more than generous.

 

[Bella29]

Now THIS Is customer service! KUDOS to NCL!



Stranded cruisers escape Florida on ... a ship called Escape

That is honestly the best thing I have heard all day. I've been watching the news and worrying about all these out of state passengers whose trips were canceled/cut short and they were dumped at Miami or Port Canaveral with no evacuation experience, plan, or resources. No family or friends living inland to travel to. What are they going to do? Looks like a lot of them were in airports hoping and praying, until the airports shut down and they were forced to find the nearest shelter? It's a nightmare.

Norwegian really stepped up here, very impressive.

 

[mareed]

I'm impacted by this and probably won't be able to use the 25% discount. I already have multiple cruises booked (using all available vacation time) through the end of 2018 and if I rebook them at current prices with 25% discount, I'd pay more than I am now (these were booked opening day with on-board booking). The only way I could use the discount is if they will apply it to existing pricing for an already reserved cruise or allow it to be used in 2019 (dates that won't be available by the end of the booking window ending Oct. 18). Fortunately, I booked a VGT rate on a cruise in a few weeks to replace the cancelled cruise the night they cancelled my cruise because all *GT rates were gone the next day and I wouldn't have been able to book any replacement cruise soon at any price close to my cancelled cruise even with the 25% discount. I don't think that 25% is adequate because in many if not most cases, someone on one of the cancelled cruises could not book any cruise soon at a price close to what they paid. I think they should do like Southwest airlines did which was to allow me to schedule a future date at the same price to essentially replace the trip with pricing intact.

 

[Pens Fan]

Now THIS Is customer service! KUDOS to NCL!

Free cruise to nowhere for displaced NCL passengers...

(sorry, link not allowed so cut and paste below...)

Stranded cruisers escape Florida on ... a ship called Escape
Gene Sloan, USA TODAYPublished 1:13 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2017 | Updated 1:42 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2017

Several thousand cruisers who unexpectedly found themselves in Miami on Thursday without a hotel or a flight home are now escaping the city on ... a ship called Escape.

Norwegian Cruise Line says its two-year-old Norwegian Escape set sail late Thursday from Miami with 4,000 displaced passengers who had been on voyages cut short by the approach of Hurricane Irma.

The passengers had arrived in Miami earlier Thursday aboard Escape and another Norwegian ship, Norwegian Sky. Both vessels are based in Miami and originally had been scheduled to return to the city on Saturday and Friday, respectively, but came back early to avoid sailing through Irma.

Norwegian gave passengers on both of the sailings a pro-rated refund for the part of the trip that was missed because the ships returned early as well as a 25% credit toward a future cruise. But the line also said passengers who couldn't find transportation home on Thursday from Miami or a hotel could sail back out to sea on Escape as it sought refuge from the storm.

Escape will spend the next few days sailing to the west of Florida out of Irma's path.

Norwegian spokeswoman Vanessa Picariello told USA TODAY the company hopes to have the ship back in Miami by late Tuesday but it depends on when the city's port reopens.

A cruise to the Caribbean on Escape that had been scheduled to begin on Saturday has been canceled. Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Carnival and other lines have canceled almost every sailing out of Florida scheduled through Monday.

Cruise lines cancel more sailings as Irma approaches Florida


Norwegian isn't charging the cruisers who headed back out to sea on Escape for their cabins. Passengers also will have access to free food and entertainment while on board.

One of the newest ships in the Norwegian fleet, Escape boasts all the trappings of a major mega-resort, from deck-top fun zones with massive water slides to multiple restaurants, bars and nightspots. The 4,248-passenger vessel also is home to a giant spa with a flurries-filled snow room and elaborate production shows including Broadway's Million Dollar Quartet.

Picariello said it's not certain where the ship will go, but it'll be somewhere safe and away from the storm.

"At this point the plan is to go west," she said. "We're making every effort to have at least one port of call. If not, it will be a cruise to nowhere and everyone will have a good time."

As of 11:00 a.m. ET Friday, Irma was about 405 miles southeast of Miami and moving to the west-northwest at 14 miles per hour. It had maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour.

The National Hurricane Center projects that Irma will be near the Florida Keys and the southern Florida Peninsula on Sunday.

The fleet and home ports of Norwegian Cruise Line, by the numbers

I read on Cruise Critic that in addition to letting displaced passengers from the NCL Escape and Sky sail to safe waters on the Escape, they also allowed NCL employees to board the Escape (NCL is based out of Miami). Kudos to them!!!

As my pervious post noted, I think the future cruise discount ANY cruise line offered is completely irrelevant. But I can't help but to applaud NCL for their efforts of getting both their passengers and employees out of harms way. Disney arrived at PC on Thursday which was great. I sincerely hope that most of their passengers were able to change their travel arrangements to accommodate the early arrival. But for those that couldn't??? I can only hope they will be safe. I just wish DCL had offered the option of staying on board if they couldn't make safe arrangements to go home as NCL did.

 

[LSLS]

For us on the dream, the 25% is more for the chaos than the storm. It was a very strange trip. We were in the dark about Irma the first 2 days until it was announced we were heading back early. When we left, Irma was a disorganized 2 or 3. We had to buy internet to find out it was now the strongest storm in history, something they never mentioned (we were only told we were heading back because of the storm). All nightmare before Christmas stuff was cancelled (a main reason we went, daughter loves Halloween and nightmare), we had a pirate menu but no pirate night, pirate fireworks on trick or treat day, no pirate show. They never told anyone where the final meal was (do we go to the last restaurant or the one we were supposed to go to on wednesday). We never got an answer about our port parking (we paid for 4 nights, only got 3). I also know a lot of people were ending up stranded and not getting a ton of help. We also had to watch the news in hope that something would be said about what we were driving into on the highways or what the evacuations were. Cutting it short didn't bother me, the seeming disorganization did. I felt for the customer service people, and I felt the staff tried hard, but it was a mess.

 

[mevelandry]

I read on Cruise Critic that in addition to letting displaced passengers from the NCL Escape and Sky sail to safe waters on the Escape, they also allowed NCL employees to board the Escape (NCL is based out of Miami). Kudos to them!!!

As my pervious post noted, I think the future cruise discount ANY cruise line offered is completely irrelevant. But I can't help but to applaud NCL for their efforts of getting both their passengers and employees out of harms way. Disney arrived at PC on Thursday which was great. I sincerely hope that most of their passengers were able to change their travel arrangements to accommodate the early arrival. But for those that couldn't??? I can only hope they will be safe. I just wish DCL had offered the option of staying on board if they couldn't make safe arrangements to go home as NCL did.

It's awesome. Carnival has done this with 2 or 3 of their ships too (keeping passengers and embarking more staff). It's good to know that the cruise line you chose to sail with wants to keep you safe.

I think I read somewhere that DCL cruisers were offered a room with a lower rate?

 

[Dug720]

It's awesome. Carnival has done this with 2 or 3 of their ships too (keeping passengers and embarking more staff). It's good to know that the cruise line you chose to sail with wants to keep you safe.

I think I read somewhere that DCL cruisers were offered a room with a lower rate?

There are no passengers on the 2 affected DCL ships. Crew only.

 

[vacationer1954]

allow me to schedule a future date at the same price to essentially replace the trip with pricing intact.

Travel insurance can be purchased so that it would give you that in cases like this, but it is more expense. A lot of us are traveling on a budget and we don't all want to pay more for cruises that include that more expensive treatment, so it is good that we have a choice: We can pay less and take this risk or we can pay more and have the insurance company take the risk.

 

[Geomom]

It's awesome. Carnival has done this with 2 or 3 of their ships too (keeping passengers and embarking more staff). It's good to know that the cruise line you chose to sail with wants to keep you safe.

I think I read somewhere that DCL cruisers were offered a room with a lower rate?

I read that some cruisers were put up at Disney World Pop Century Resort at a 40% discount.

 

[cruisehopeful]

They don't need to give anything. Trip insurance is a thing for a reason. Because Disney wants to provide excellent service, they are going over and above what they need to do. They certainly don't need to do anything at all.

 

[mevelandry]

There are no passengers on the 2 affected DCL ships. Crew only.

I know. I was talking about cruisers who were brought back early.

 

[Dug720]

I know. I was talking about cruisers who were brought back early.

Ah. You meant on land? It wasn't clear since it was said right after commenting about ships allowing passengers back on.

Yes, as I understand it they were offered rooms at a discount - at least at POP.

 

[LSLS]

Ah. You meant on land? It wasn't clear since it was said right after commenting about ships allowing passengers back on.

Yes, as I understand it they were offered rooms at a discount - at least at POP.

If that is the case it certainly wasn't for everyone. We actually booked a stay at the pop and paid normal price.

 

[DWillowBay]

The lines don't have to offer anything; they are refunding the cost of the cruise. Maybe the concerns should be directed to those who have lost their lives due to Irma and those in the direct path, rather than how much more you can get from the cruise line.

THIS!!!

 

[pogmog]

Seriously!!! People are just never happy...it's a no win situation! Disney is fair in what they offered guests and what they did to keep people safe and to get the ship and crew out of harms way. Be happy you had the time to get off the ship and make arrangements to get home out of a very dangerous situation. Pray for the people that live in Florida and on all the beautiful islands that have been devastated by this storm.

 

[Minnie & Daisy]

Rebooking your same cruise for next year may cost more, but maybe that is what the extra 25% is supposed to cover!?

 

[Meg1031]

I read that some cruisers were put up at Disney World Pop Century Resort at a 40% discount.

This actually makes me a little upset and goes back to he lack of communication on the cruise that was pointed out earlier. I was able to change my Monday flight to Friday in order to get back before the storm so I needed to stay the night somewhere Thursday. I booked a room at Pop at full price. I wish there was some indication that a discount on a room was possible. It would have really helped.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This actually makes me a little upset and goes back to he lack of communication on the cruise that was pointed out earlier. I was able to change my Monday flight to Friday in order to get back before the storm so I needed to stay the night somewhere Thursday. I booked a room at Pop at full price. I wish there was some indication that a discount on a room was possible. It would have really helped.

Did you ask? Generally that's how discounts are found.

 

[Bella29]

Seriously!!! People are just never happy...it's a no win situation! Disney is fair in what they offered guests and what they did to keep people safe and to get the ship and crew out of harms way. Be happy you had the time to get off the ship and make arrangements to get home out of a very dangerous situation. Pray for the people that live in Florida and on all the beautiful islands that have been devastated by this storm.

The scope and magnitude of this storm make it difficult on many people for many reasons. Someone may not be dealing with personal total devastation, but it's ok for people to be stressed and disappointed and whatever at the hassles they are dealing with in addition to having compassion and empathy for the people that live in the direct storm path. You don't have a monopoly on concern here and you don't get to decide what other people's opinions are. If I was dumped off my vacation into a huge evacuation zone with no planning, no local resources, and no flights out, I'd be upset. That seems 'fair' to me.

 

[Meg1031]

Did you ask? Generally that's how discounts are found.

That's why I'm only a little upset, as some of the blame goes on me for not asking. I've been very lucky as this has been the only time I've encountered a major problem with Disney so I didn't know to ask. As someone who has had to deal with angry customers when things outside our control happens I also am usually very reluctant to complain or ask for special things in these kind of situations. My thinking at the time was that I was looking at insanely large lines at guest services to use a phone to book a room when I could just go online and get a room in 5 minutes. I now know when something goes wrong it's worth standing in line an hour to talk to someone rather than just fix it myself.