NCL leaves passengers behind in Africa

[MomOTwins]

I remember a time when a couple almost got left behind in Puerto Rico. The worst part was they had left their kid in the club (my kids were in the club at the time too so got to see it unfold and was a stressful situation for kids and counselors alike). When they finally showed up there were some very stern words for them from the captain over the PA system. They arrived in a taxi (we watched them board) so I suspect they had tried to do some kind of adventurous activity out of town like the rainforest and didn't budget enough time to get back. What was especially bonkers was that we were docked in old town Puerto Rico so if the parents wanted to do something on their own there were so many lovely things to explore within 10 min walking distance from the port. I just don't understand people sometimes...

 

[SteveMouse]

That is what I was thinking. This list seems exhausting. I would just pay a little extra and take the ship’s tour. Much easier - it is a vacation!

It's second nature for us. Both my wife and I are project-focused professionals. My father was a ship's captain and I travelled extensively when I was a child. Several of the elements of our guidelines are still highly relevant any time one is in crowds, regardless of how you got to the crowd.

 

[mab2012]

We aren't timid about doing things, but conscious of the environment. In Hawaii, we rented cars on each island, took Rhinos at Kipu Ranch, helicoptered over the canyon, etc. In Norway, rented a car and drove through a number of small towns. In the Carribean, drove ourselves around the Dominican Republic and went across Antigua, Barbados, Saint Lucia, and more. We went up into Provence when docking in Marsaiilles.

We ddi take ship's excursions when going to the Alhambra and Florence- we'd sailed out of Rome that trip. There wasnt a better option for getting into Florence. I was concerned about the timing and communications about internal Spain. I didn't want to get jammed up- it was a 8 hour excursion because of the distance.

We really only stay close to the ship at Grand Turk- we've been there a half dozen times and dob't need to revisit the donkeys. Jack's Shack is a good destination.

Good call on Florence, that port was easily the closest we've ever come to missing the ship. We stopped in Pisa on our way back and the train we meant to take back to Livorno from there, which was already a fall-back train, was at least 45 minutes late. I don't know when (or if) it finally showed, because we jumped on another train. I still don't know if our tickets were valid for that train, but by then I was past caring. And then THAT train was 15-ish minutes late into Livorno, despite leaving Pisa on schedule.

We made the last shuttle back to the port, but it was a little too close for comfort. Still, I would do it again - in the end we made it back exactly because we always leave a healthy buffer, and have backup plans for our backup plans.

And the location makes a difference too. Much as it would have sucked if we missed the ship, it would have been fairly easy to catch up to it at our next stop (Cannes). Extra cost, inconvenience, lost time on the ship, yes. Not ideal. But not a complete disaster, either.

 

[SteveMouse]

Good call on Florence, that port was easily the closest we've ever come to missing the ship. We stopped in Pisa on our way back and the train we meant to take back to Livorno from there, which was already a fall-back train, was at least 45 minutes late. I don't know when (or if) it finally showed, because we jumped on another train. I still don't know if our tickets were valid for that train, but by then I was past caring. And then THAT train was 15-ish minutes late into Livorno, despite leaving Pisa on schedule.

We made the last shuttle back to the port, but it was a little too close for comfort. Still, I would do it again - in the end we made it back exactly because we always leave a healthy buffer, and have backup plans for our backup plans.

And the location makes a difference too. Much as it would have sucked if we missed the ship, it would have been fairly easy to catch up to it at our next stop (Cannes). Extra cost, inconvenience, lost time on the ship, yes. Not ideal. But not a complete disaster, either.

Sounds like a fun day! My points about having cash, ID, cell phone service/charge, and port agent phone number are exactly to not stress too much about fixing a problem should it occur. I've got some mobility challenges, so I'm not gonna run for a train/bus/etc., even if I wanted to.

 

[CarolynU]

o

Dickenson, Port James, and Hawksbill are probably the best/most popular beaches on the island.

Jolly Beach resort is now reopened.

I chose Jolly BY because I absolutely know from first hand experience that it doesn’t shelve.
I can check the others out. I think I’ve already been to Dickinson but I can’t remember. I wish DCL would be specific about their excursion as I’d rather go with them.

 

[cedricandsophie]

about 30 years ago my husband and I, one of his teenage daughters abd her best friend were in a med cruise, on a cruise line no longer in existence. We ported in sorrento. Our table mate, a well traveled airline pilot, talked us into taking a train to Pompeii and then back to sorrento. The girls didn’t want to go so stayed on the ship. When we got back to sorrento he then talked us into a hydrofoil to Capri. We spent a couple glorious hours there (never miss Capri if you have a chance). We caught the hydrofoil back to sorrento arriving at least an hour before the ship was leaving. As we came around the bend into the harbor, there was no ship! When we docked and ran over to where the boats had been to take passengers back and forth, there were 3 other passengers waiting including the ship doctor and his girlfriend and a member of the cruise staff. They had been waiting for us. . Apparently because of high waves, the captain decided to leave early and move to Naples. For those of us still not back, the ship arranged a driver and van to take all of us to Naples to get on the ship there. Whije we weren’t late, it was a scary experience. No passport, little money, kids on board without us. Taught me a big lesson. I’m never less than 2 hours and preferably 3 or more hours back on board before final call. My husband still plays it too close. We often separate at the ship so I can get on for my personal well being. He stays around the port to do something else. Drives me nuts. My anxiety doesn’t stop until I see him onboard. He had to run once, I think in Lisbon, because he decided to see one last church and ended up going in the wrong direction until he found himself a couple miles from the ship and had to quickly retrace his steps. The joys of matrimony!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

One of the people in the Seabourn FB pages just mentioned (in relation to the news circulating about this NCL cruise issue) that on a recent central American cruise they were on a Seabourn excursion was 1 1/2 hours late getting back to the ship. The ship did wait for them. 1 1/2 hours is quite a long time for a ship to stay waiting for passengers even though it was a Seabourn excursion they have a cut off where they have to leave due to getting to the next destination. You do however stand a much higher chance of the ship waiting for you if you're on an excursion booked through the cruise line. That said for at least Seabourn it is common for the well-traveled (which many are) to take 3rd party tours. Typically speaking though on Seabourn excursions they try to have a Seabourn representative on the tours as a generality.

On our cruise last July we stuck with all Seabourn excursions except one excursion was an included one with the travel company we went with. Technically not a 3rd party as it was all arranged and paid for including tips with the representative from the travel company on the ship (whom her and her husband go on the tour) but in essence acted like one.

**removed hyperlinked words

 

[brentm77]

about 30 years ago my husband and I, one of his teenage daughters abd her best friend were in a med cruise, on a cruise line no longer in existence. We ported in sorrento. Our table mate, a well traveled airline pilot, talked us into taking a train to Pompeii and then back to sorrento. The girls didn’t want to go so stayed on the ship. When we got back to sorrento he then talked us into a hydrofoil to Capri. We spent a couple glorious hours there (never miss Capri if you have a chance). We caught the hydrofoil back to sorrento arriving at least an hour before the ship was leaving. As we came around the bend into the harbor, there was no ship! When we docked and ran over to where the boats had been to take passengers back and forth, there were 3 other passengers waiting including the ship doctor and his girlfriend and a member of the cruise staff. They had been waiting for us. . Apparently because of high waves, the captain decided to leave early and move to Naples. For those of us still not back, the ship arranged a driver and van to take all of us to Naples to get on the ship there. Whije we weren’t late, it was a scary experience. No passport, little money, kids on board without us. Taught me a big lesson. I’m never less than 2 hours and preferably 3 or more hours back on board before final call. My husband still plays it too close. We often separate at the ship so I can get on for my personal well being. He stays around the port to do something else. Drives me nuts. My anxiety doesn’t stop until I see him onboard. He had to run once, I think in Lisbon, because he decided to see one last church and ended up going in the wrong direction until he found himself a couple miles from the ship and had to quickly retrace his steps. The joys of matrimony!

My stomach dropped just reading that experience. It would be the kids on board that would cause me panic. Otherwise, our philosophy in the Med was that we could handle being on our own if we were left behind due to an emergency. But, we always take our passports with us in places like that, despite the cruise line saying not to. I wouldn't go anywhere in Europe without my passport on me, so I don't see why going on an excursion is any different there. I trust myself to protect my passport more than the cruise line.

Thank goodness my wife an I are on the same page about not cutting in close though. We tend to get back 2-3 hours early, which still leaves us a full day and even gives us more time on shore than 90% of the excursions Disney offers. I would feel perfectly comfortable shopping at the port closer to all aboard, but I would need to be within a short walking distance.

 

[SteveMouse]

The unexpected can and does happen. There was an earthquake when we on St. Lucia a number of years ago. We were on a non-ship excursion tour with the premiere operator of such things at the time. One of the bridges we'd come over was not passable on the way back. We ended up on a really complex route to get back to the ship. We were in plenty of time, but we did lose a little beach time and a stop at a small church. No one complained.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

about 30 years ago my husband and I, one of his teenage daughters abd her best friend were in a med cruise, on a cruise line no longer in existence. We ported in sorrento. Our table mate, a well traveled airline pilot, talked us into taking a train to Pompeii and then back to sorrento. The girls didn’t want to go so stayed on the ship. When we got back to sorrento he then talked us into a hydrofoil to Capri. We spent a couple glorious hours there (never miss Capri if you have a chance). We caught the hydrofoil back to sorrento arriving at least an hour before the ship was leaving. As we came around the bend into the harbor, there was no ship! When we docked and ran over to where the boats had been to take passengers back and forth, there were 3 other passengers waiting including the ship doctor and his girlfriend and a member of the cruise staff. They had been waiting for us. . Apparently because of high waves, the captain decided to leave early and move to Naples. For those of us still not back, the ship arranged a driver and van to take all of us to Naples to get on the ship there. Whije we weren’t late, it was a scary experience. No passport, little money, kids on board without us. Taught me a big lesson. I’m never less than 2 hours and preferably 3 or more hours back on board before final call. My husband still plays it too close. We often separate at the ship so I can get on for my personal well being. He stays around the port to do something else. Drives me nuts. My anxiety doesn’t stop until I see him onboard. He had to run once, I think in Lisbon, because he decided to see one last church and ended up going in the wrong direction until he found himself a couple miles from the ship and had to quickly retrace his steps. The joys of matrimony!

I love this

 

[LAS2AMS]

That is what I was thinking. This list seems exhausting. I would just pay a little extra and take the ship’s tour. Much easier - it is a vacation!

It often isn't "a little extra." But if it makes a family of four feel better to pay $200 for RT transfers to Waikiki Beach when they could Uber for $20 RT total -- because what happens if the Uber gets into an accident! -- than so be it. Life is full of false sense of security.

 

[Lesverts]

The article is a bit sensationalized or the people involved were not the brightest. Just looking at logistics, there shouldn't have been much difficulty to book a flight to Lisbon and onwards from Lisbon to Dakar or to Libreville and onwards to Dakar. Gabon is a straightforward eVisa. And if you are on that cruise you'd already have the necessary visas for Senegal and the Gambia.

And 'duty of care'? I think every person who has ever been on a cruise ship knows the rules about rejoining the ship and ports. Personal responsibility.

 

[cvjw]

It often isn't "a little extra." But if it makes a family of four feel better to pay $200 for RT transfers to Waikiki Beach when they could Uber for $20 RT total -- because what happens if the Uber gets into an accident! -- than so be it. Life is full of false sense of security.

Did you read the list that my comment was referencing? It was an extensive list of 12+ items that the poster did before/on non cruise booked excursions. It was definitely not just grab an Uber to save a few bucks.

 

[serenitynow]

Why is this news? Break the rules, suffer the consequences.

 

[MsChristy12]

Back to the original drama about these NCL passengers...the key words...YOU WERE LATE! I don't even know why this makes the news. It happens all the time among many cruise lines...why are these people special? If this was a flight you have to catch, who calls the pilots and tell them to hold the plane for you? It's the same thing people...gates are closed, that's it. This is an extremely expensive and painful lesson for these passengers. Glad they made it back home okay though, a lot worse could have happened.

 

[RedHead0186]

Back to the original drama about these NCL passengers...the key words...YOU WERE LATE! I don't even know why this makes the news. It happens all the time among many cruise lines...why are these people special? If this was a flight you have to catch, who calls the pilots and tell them to hold the plane for you? It's the same thing people...gates are closed, that's it. This is an extremely expensive and painful lesson for these passengers. Glad they made it back home okay though, a lot worse could have happened.

I think because they got "stranded" in Africa and it took them so long to get back to the ship. Not saying I agree with the coverage of this, just answering your question of why.

 

[MsChristy12]

I think because they got "stranded" in Africa and it took them so long to get back to the ship. Not saying I agree with the coverage of this, just answering your question of why.

Possibly. It is true that you hear about people missing the ship all the time in the Caribbean, not so much in Africa...

 

[brentm77]

I think because they got "stranded" in Africa and it took them so long to get back to the ship. Not saying I agree with the coverage of this, just answering your question of why.

Even putting it as "stranded in Africa" is strange and smells of intent to make it sound more sensational. It would be a little strange to say "stranded in South America, or "stranded in Europe," instead of "stranded in Argentina or Germany.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The article is a bit sensationalized or the people involved were not the brightest. Just looking at logistics, there shouldn't have been much difficulty to book a flight to Lisbon and onwards from Lisbon to Dakar or to Libreville and onwards to Dakar. Gabon is a straightforward eVisa. And if you are on that cruise you'd already have the necessary visas for Senegal and the Gambia.

And 'duty of care'? I think every person who has ever been on a cruise ship knows the rules about rejoining the ship and ports. Personal responsibility.

The people involved did an interview on Today and they are pretty entitled. They actually said something about the cruise line following rules and policy "too rigidly" and that NCL needs to understand that they (passengers) are the customers (basically, customer is always right).

I have a hard time feeling great sympathy for them here, because they were told the all-aboard and missed it, and have backed into how the cruise line was wrong.

 

[MsChristy12]

The people involved did an interview on Today and they are pretty entitled. They actually said something about the cruise line following rules and policy "too rigidly" and that NCL needs to understand that they (passengers) are the customers (basically, customer is always right).

I have a hard time feeling great sympathy for them here, because they were told the all-aboard and missed it, and have backed into how the cruise line was wrong.

Ugh!! I have the same sentiment especially people like them that are so entitled! Hope their lawyer fees are worth it!