How should cruise lines communicate last-minute itinerary changes?

When NCL's Norwegian Sky departed Miami early to avoid a tropical storm, some passengers were stranded at the port. Click here for our coverage: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2737

Could NCL have done a better job communicating the itinerary changes to its passengers? How should all cruise lines handle last-minute correspondence? We want your opinion, so please weigh in on our poll.

When NCL's Norwegian Sky departed Miami early to avoid a tropical storm, some passengers were stranded at the port. Click here for our coverage: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2737

 

Could NCL have done a better job communicating the itinerary changes to its passengers? How should all cruise lines handle last-minute correspondence? We want your opinion, so please weigh in on our poll.

The only problem with the first one is you don't always get the home phone or the spouse gets the call and says what cruise and with whom?

I voted for All of the above but I would change having a person calling all of those numbers. It would be faster and easier for the cruiseline to have a prerecorded message for the notification calls.

Save the live help for answering incoming phone calls from people who need additional information or help with changes.

When NCL's Norwegian Sky departed Miami early to avoid a tropical storm, some passengers were stranded at the port. Click here for our coverage: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2737

 

Could NCL have done a better job communicating the itinerary changes to its passengers? How should all cruise lines handle last-minute correspondence? We want your opinion, so please weigh in on our poll.

When did NCL decide to leave early? I suspect it was too late to notify most passengers.

They do all those things anyway. The problem comes when passengers are unavailable or are already in transit.

It is ALWAYS the passengers responsibility to keep track of schedule changes; cruise ships or airlines.

It is not the companies responsibility to KNOW where you are at all times and whether you are available to receive messages.

Pick up the phone and call. It's FREE.

The only problem with the first one is you don't always get the home phone or the spouse gets the call and says what cruise and with whom?

or..a lot of people don't leave their homes the day of the cruise anymore. Many stay in pre-cruise hotels for one to several days.

In a case like a tropical system, there has to be some common sense on the part of the passenger also.

I voted for all..as long as people register their cell phones, not home phones. Although, the live person idea may not be possible.

Text message to your cell phone with phone number to contact for more complete information or if you have more questions.

What difference does it make if it is a last minute change or even 8 hours before leaving?

What difference will it make to you?

I would rather not know, since maybe it would upset me and there would nothing I could do anyway.

How about asking at the time of booking how the passenger wants to be notified? e-mail, phone ect... and also make sure that the passenger knows that the departure time is subject to change without notice. It is probably in the contract, but I was surprised to hear that they left earlier than scheduled departure--I thought maybe they would delay departure and just sit out the storm; never occured to me that they would leave early!

They do all those things anyway. The problem comes when passengers are unavailable or are already in transit.

 

It is ALWAYS the passengers responsibility to keep track of schedule changes; cruise ships or airlines.

 

It is not the companies responsibility to KNOW where you are at all times and whether you are available to receive messages.

 

Pick up the phone and call. It's FREE.

I am going the same time on RCI in a few weeks and you gotta be on top of it with backuip plans. Wonder if RCI Magesty left early too!!!

I get same day email notification from my TA.

I am going the same time on RCI in a few weeks and you gotta be on top of it with backuip plans. Wonder if RCI Magesty left early too!!!

Neither Carnival nor RCCL left early.

To Verbally notify people of something is invalid if they 'miss the boat". How many times have you tried to get a customer service rep to keep their word only to find out it doesn't matter if it's not in writing in the contract. These folks have doc's that state their departure time and if the cruise leaves early these folks are due any out of pocket expenses and a full refund because the cruise broke the contract.

refund yes(you should read the NCL boards some saying no refund is due)...consequential damages not required but good pr. This time its only 12 people not that many. the consequential damages(getting them home) aren't that much....

I wonder if they have insurance and what it covers.....

shame on those 12 for not flying in a day early...part of the booking process should be to leave the name of the hotel that you're staying at pre-cruise. Calling home won't work, the passenger has already left. I don't have a cell phone and how am I supposed to check email when I don't carry a laptop in transit. Best bet is to call the pre-cruise hotel I'm staying at.

Register Letter that some one must sign:D

I have thought this over for a day.........I'm just not sure there is anything that LOGICALLY can be done to notify (in some cases very soon 5,000 passengers) all the passengers. Some don't have cell phones or leave them at home on vacation, some come in the day before or two days before..........some arrive the day of.........1,000 are scattered over area hotels.........

It is rare that it happens.........I just don't think there really is anything that can be done.

How they react to it, if passengers are left behind........will strengthen or weaken them from a PR standpoint.

Isn't this a situation where, if the passengers had purchased insurance - - it would have been taken care of?

I cannot imagine someone cruising during hurricane season without insurance.

Get to the ship earlier than 2 hours before scheduled leaving. Why get there so late.

Not me I am there early - they will never ever leave without me.

Apparently, these 12 passengers decided to gamble. Arriving at the last minute for a cruise out of southern Florida, especially during "hurricane season" is no different from going to Vegas or AC and placing a bet at the roulette table. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't.

In particular, from what I can tell, Monday morning, there were no appreciable flight delays from NY area airports to Miami. So, for example, if the NYC passengers who missed the sailing, would have taken a 7:00am or 8:00am flight, they wouldn't have missed the sailing. In fact, if they would have taken a flight which would have landed at noon, they wouldn't have missed the sailing.

I know cruisers who boast they never arrive at the cruise terminal until just an hour or so before the ship’s scheduled departure. Personally, I think that’s crazy.

Airline flights can be delayed, and often are. Traffic to the terminal from the airport can be tied up. An accident driving to the cruise terminal can occur.

My rule of thumb is to arrive at the port of embarkation for a domestic cruise at least one day, and preferably two days early. For a cruise departing from an international port of departure, I recommend arriving three days prior to embarkation. That has the added benefit of giving cruisers a chance to explore the port city as well as ensure they will be on board when their ship sails.

People have been badmouthing what NCL did for these passengers, on boards across the Internet. While for marketing sake, NCL could have offered more compensation, NCL had no obligation to offer any refund or reimbursement whatsoever. My take is that these cruisers could have lost much more than just the cost of a useless round trip flight between their homes and Miami without the goodwill of NCL. Along with arriving at least a little early to ensure one makes their sailing, their story makes clear the need for cruise passengers to purchase travel insurance covering their cruises.

Travel insurance would have covered their cruise fare losses, but it can help more. I’ve been on longer cruises where passengers who missed the sailing flew on to the next port to complete the cruise. These cruisers’ travel insurance covered the prohibitive cost of the airfare for their “last minute” flight to the next port, and the cost of their overnight hotel stay.

As to the ship leaving early, the captain had to take into account the safety of the passengers and the ship. I'd rather the captain err on the side of safety, were I on the cruise, than worry about passengers who were cutting it too close. Look at the stats here, 99.4% of the passengers made the sailing. The ship altered more than just the time of sailing. Due to Fay's size and heading, the captain had to alter the ship's itinerary too, and clearly by leaving two hours early, the itinerary change was facilitated.

My hubby and I have been on over 40 cruises throughout the world. The solution is to ARRIVE A DAY BEFORE your cruise and get on the ship when embarkation begins (about noon to 1PM). Free Lido lunch is served.

Why people would show up at the "last minute" confounds me. The cruise ship airline package booking usually arrives on the same day. We try to book our airfare separately (usings frequent flyer points when we can).

We enjoy spending the "extra" night in the debarkation city. In fact, we usually meet some CC folks for dinner the night before the cruise. Another opportunity to "meet and greet".

I have no sympathy for those folks who "missed the boat", nor do I blame the cruise line for leaving early. Passenger safety should be their number one concern when bad weather is forecast.

Get to the ship earlier than 2 hours before scheduled leaving. Why get there so late.

 

Not me I am there early - they will never ever leave without me.

Exactly.

The only way I would miss the ship, would be if the previous week's cruise didn't come in.

I voted for all of the above. However, I know a lot of people rely on the cell phones today and have text messaging. So I would also send a text to the cell phone IF a cell phone number is given.

I voted for all of the above. However, I know a lot of people rely on the cell phones today and have text messaging. So I would also send a text to the cell phone IF a cell phone number is given.

you don't know if a number is a cell phone number anymore. and I think the anti spam act doesn't allow broadcast text messages to cell phones without a separate agreement(because there is a charge for text messages)...Cell phone companies can do it because they do it for free. Also many older cell phones don't have text message capability and many people haven't figuired out how to use them anyway....(you know the joke about the light blinking 12:00 on the VCR)