Getaway, cancelled port while in board.. Compensation?

Hey

This is the first time where we were in a cruise and the company decides to cancel the port. We're currently doing the Baltic from Copenhagen. On day 2 of St. Petersburg the ship was suppose to set sail around 7. The ship never departed. Didn't receive a daily freestyle paper. Called front desk to find out Helsinki Port was cancelled. Nothing was offered on board. They say no compensation for port cancellation. There also wasn't a proper paper notice of the reason to why it was cancelled. Weather was a bit spotty, light rains. It didn't seem bad enough to not be able to sail.

Anything I can get out of NCL? Call credit card for dispute?

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Hey

 

This is the first time where we were in a cruise and the company decides to cancel the port. We're currently doing the Baltic from Copenhagen. On day 2 of St. Petersburg the ship was suppose to set sail around 7. The ship never departed. Didn't receive a daily freestyle paper. Called front desk to find out Helsinki Port was cancelled. Nothing was offered on board. They say no compensation for port cancellation. There also wasn't a proper paper notice of the reason to why it was cancelled. Weather was a bit spotty, light rains. It didn't seem bad enough to not be able to sail.

 

Anything I can get out of NCL? Call credit card for dispute?

 

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Port taxes/fees only....should be automatic on your final bill

Sorry, but this makes me want to laugh.

As mentioned above, the cruise line will refund your port fees and any excursions you had booked. They owe you nothing else. They have the right to change your itinerary. If you have any doubts about that, check out the posts on ALL the boards regarding the Eastern Caribbean sailings.

I'm not saying they couldn't have handled it better, but you aren't owed anything from them.

You will get a port fee credit on your final account, or in some cases will receive a check at home after the cruise for the port charges for the missed port. That is all you are entitled to. Read your cruise contract!

Cruise lines can change itineraries without compensation to passengers, other than port fees/taxes where applicable.

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Port Fees and Government taxes will be refunded to your on board account. If you have purchased any excursions through Norwegian, they will also be credited to your account.

If poster booked through NCL Europe, is this advice the same? Rules for customer service seem very different between US and European bookings.

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I can understand being upset when a port is cancelled (it has happened to us when there was fear of a coup on one of the islands). It seems reasonable to assume that the cruise line does not cancel a port unless it is prudent/required. Yet people still complain. Compensation for port taxes and fees? Of course. Anything else? Of course not. IMHO

. Nothing was offered on board. They say no compensation for port cancellation. There also wasn't a proper paper notice of the reason to why it was cancelled. Weather was a bit spotty, light rains. It didn't seem bad enough to not be able to sail.

 

Anything I can get out of NCL? Call credit card for dispute?

 

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Proper notice? what can I get? You've got to be kidding? You will get your port taxes back. ALL that you are entitled to. It's interesting you are second guessing the reason, it's actually none of your business. Multiple reasons why and there is no obligation to "notify" you of every detail. You've been notified the port was canceled.

Some insurance companies actually cover this with an "inconvenience payment", but it's actually much higher when the itinerary changes before sailing, not during the trip.

If poster booked through NCL Europe, is this advice the same? Rules for customer service seem very different between US and European bookings.

 

 

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From the UK Terms & Conditions:

The ship also has liberty to deviate from the advertised route and to call (or omit to call) at any port or place to tow and assist vessels and to offer or render assistance to preserve life or property or for any other reason or purpose which in the judgment of the Master of the ship (whether alone or acting on advice from others) is reasonable including, but not limited to, weather conditions, operational matters, the medical condition of anyone on board or the safety, comfort or convenience of guests. Such deviation shall not give rise to any liability on our part and shall not represent a significant change to the holiday.

Hey

 

This is the first time where we were in a cruise and the company decides to cancel the port. We're currently doing the Baltic from Copenhagen. On day 2 of St. Petersburg the ship was suppose to set sail around 7. The ship never departed. Didn't receive a daily freestyle paper. Called front desk to find out Helsinki Port was cancelled. Nothing was offered on board. They say no compensation for port cancellation. There also wasn't a proper paper notice of the reason to why it was cancelled. Weather was a bit spotty, light rains. It didn't seem bad enough to not be able to sail.

 

Anything I can get out of NCL? Call credit card for dispute?

 

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The only thing you are entitled to receive is any port fees associated with that port. Ports get canceled all of the time, and compensation not usually offered, and is not something that the cruise line has to provide. As far as letting you know the reason, it would be nice if they did, but again that is nothing that they have to do.

So what did they do Where did they go. Did they stay in St. Petersburg or just a sea day ?

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So what did they do Where did they go. Did they stay in St. Petersburg or just a sea day ?

 

 

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It would be interesting to know, since you can't just get off the ship in Russia. You either need to have your own visa (which I think most folks don't get) or be booked on an NCL tour or with a licensed private tour operator. No one would have had tours booked for an unscheduled port day...

Yeah, I've only received compensation for mised ports once and it was on the Getaway Transatlantic this year. I think it was $50 obc per person if I recall besides the port fees, etc. But they missed a port because of weather, had a disasterous port in France, and then mechanical issues causing us to miss another port. People were at boiling point. So compensation for one port isn't going to happen I'm afraid. And I'm sorry for some of the seemingly harsh attitudes people have here. It's just this gets asked a lot.

Be glad you missed helsinki and not another port like our cruise on the 23rd... We missed Stockholm and that was a real bummer. We got our port fees and taxes back.

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Yeah, I've only received compensation for mised ports once and it was on the Getaway Transatlantic this year. I think it was $50 obc per person if I recall besides the port fees, etc. But they missed a port because of weather, had a disasterous port in France, and then mechanical issues causing us to miss another port. People were at boiling point. So compensation for one port isn't going to happen I'm afraid. And I'm sorry for some of the seemingly harsh attitudes people have here. It's just this gets asked a lot.

Have never gotten anything but port fees. I am sorry OP missed Helsinki as I enjoyed that port although it was not spectacular. Seems to me there is a communication problem. The two times we've missed ports (NCL and HAL), the captain came on the speaker and explained why it had to be done. As everyone has said, excursions and port fees refunded. Lucky you to get OBC!

We had Nassau cancelled on Epic. Port fees/Excursions refunded and, in pre-UBP days, 45 minutes where they served free rum punch. One announcement that we were cancelled due to high winds.

On situations like this, Captain may do something nice like opening the free bar for a few hours to smooth things out. Wait and see.

In January 2015 our last port was cancelled due in the Caribbean on NCL Gem not being able to operate at full speed and everyone received $100 onboard credit in addition to refunded port charges for that portion.

Last year on the Jade TA we had to bypass Bermuda due to some storm brewing up in the north of Bermuda. I think they refunded us a few dollars but we had to fork out buying another bag and paying extra baggage fees when we flew back to Bermuda!! Storm happen.

This time on the Getaway TA we'll be stopping in Bermuda overnight so hopefully this time we'll be able to offload our dirty laundry and shopping to take them home and then travel light home at cruise's end.

I hope to see the Getaway on Saturday when we arrive in CPH and stay in an apartment - hope the apt has views of Oceankaj.

Unless you have very good binoculars and/or are high in the building I doubt you will see Oceankaj. It is about 8Km from the centre of the city and not particularly easy to get to.

Hey

 

This is the first time where we were in a cruise and the company decides to cancel the port. We're currently doing the Baltic from Copenhagen. On day 2 of St. Petersburg the ship was suppose to set sail around 7. The ship never departed. Didn't receive a daily freestyle paper. Called front desk to find out Helsinki Port was cancelled. Nothing was offered on board. They say no compensation for port cancellation. There also wasn't a proper paper notice of the reason to why it was cancelled. Weather was a bit spotty, light rains. It didn't seem bad enough to not be able to sail.

 

Anything I can get out of NCL? Call credit card for dispute?

 

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This happened to us twice and we got a credit on our account at the end of the cruise for the port charges. It wasn't much and might even go unnoticed but we did get it. The only time we have not gotten anything back when ports were cancelled was missing private islands. I am a bit surprised they didn't give you a reason for cancelling the port, but I am sure there was one. As for not seeming that bad, this is something we can't judge. The captain can. Yes, it is disappointing, but if you think you deserve anything other than your port charges credit, I can't imagine why?

If poster booked through NCL Europe, is this advice the same? Rules for customer service seem very different between US and European bookings.

 

 

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Should be in this case.

We were on Jade earlier this year when one of our ports in the fjords was cancelled due to snow not clearing. The credit appeared as refundable OBC on iConcierge almost as soon as they knew the port was cancelled.

Unfortunately it is an aspect of cruising that for a myriad of reasons ports can be cancelled. Once we make that realization it is easier. Sure, I have been disappointed but I knew that was a possibility going in.

If a port was a make it or break it for me I would not cruise there, I would fly there.

So OP, I am sorry for your disappointment. But no, the cruise line owes you only a refund of your port fees. Even though you did not learn the reason, there had to be a good one.

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