Norwegian cancels cruise at only hours notice

[awoltoday]

Ship was never to sail but was tied up at the dock for the month as a floating hotel dry dock repairs were already scheduled to be done in Canada during this time

 

NewWest also contracted for the repos, one of which the OP was booked. And the ship DID sail empty to Victoria.

[mbisson]

Monte pythons ??? You are on top of your game today !!!:D

 

I bet you thought this one would sail, also.

 

That's an old nickname---but this time I was just comparing myself to HulkHogan. ROTFL

We have a lot in common...for instance, his chest size is about the same as my waist size, and we both call our guns, pythons. (OK he has guns, I have spit wads). And my pythons are more like whip snakes

[swedish weave]

I'm sorry...my bad :o...

 

I guess I forgot to mention that there are One Thousand and Seventy One post wonders who are also clueless...:p

 

Shark -- Your recalcitrance is showing !!:D

[mbisson]

Some 11764 post wonders are totally clueless

[erdoran]

OP, please let us know the outcome of this!

[newmexicoNita]

" one post wonders..........." your comments are highly inappropriate.

 

holy Cow, I didn't know we were not suppossed to make comments about "first time posters that report incorrect information" I will remember that in the future and so will seaShark I am sure..

 

Nita

[swedish weave]

OP, please let us know the outcome of this!

 

It never ends !!!!:D NewWest has offered refunds, but the real fight will be over all the other expenses incurred by those who were booked. That will probably take months if not years to resolve.

[newmexicoNita]

Swed

 

I know you and Down-Under have disagreements on other boards but the post he called out was in my opinion, extremely rude and has no place in this thread. Heck, it even set me off seeing a new CC member get treatment like that.

 

I'm good with you though! ;)

 

Sorry, it may sound that way to you, but if you have been around for awhile you would realize these types of posters do pop up ever so often, blaming the wrong person or company for things that they either have no clue about, are not willing to check further or are TROLLS. Don't you think it is a little odd, this person never was on the boards, never asked a question, never did anything until after he/she had a problem and then blamed the wrong company? Maybe you don't, I do.

 

Nita

[swedish weave]

holy Cow, I didn't know we were not suppossed to make comments about "first time posters that report incorrect information" I will remember that in the future and so will seaShark I am sure..

 

Nita

 

Nita -- Let that be a lesson for you. I am certain you will fully comply with the voice of authority, but Shark is a different story.:D He suffers from an uncurable case of recalcitrance.

[swedish weave]

Some 11764 post wonders are totally clueless

 

What a wonderful way to live !!

[juried]

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

[newmexicoNita]

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

 

I don't think many are blaming the victom, just saying the victom is 100% wrong in what they are printing. Do you think NCL liked what happened? Would you like to guess how much money they lost? Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Nita -- Let that be a lesson for you. I am certain you will fully comply with the voice of authority, but Shark is a different story.:D He suffers from an uncurable case of recalcitrance.

 

of course, I always listen to the boss..At least he thinks I do...

[mbisson]

I also feel bad for the OP, but think his anger toward NCL is misdirected

 

BTW-sadly, cruises can be chartered. To some extent, your sailing-my sailing-all sailings are at some small risk, regardless of which cruise line you book with. Best protection is to make sure we buy travel insurance that covers the entire trip. Some cruise insurance will cover only the cruise itself which can leave you hanging for the air & hotels if something happens

 

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

[johnql]

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

I don't think anyone is blaming the OP unless it's to criticize him for posting inaccurate information. The blame lies with NewWest, which is the company that chartered the ship and canceled at the last minute.

 

What alternative could NCL have come up with at the last minute? It was too late to try to rebook the cabins. IMO, they did a great job of scrambling to schedule the drydock renovation.

[lambs2]

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

 

Did you read the ENTIRE THREAD here??? This cruise could not have been purchase directly from NCL because the ENTIRE MONTH had been reserved as a charter!! Their travel agent SURELY should have explained that to them, so if ANYONE is responsible (besides them) it would be their travel agent for not telling them this was a chartered cruise with North West.

[erdoran]

Some factual info here:

Travel Weekly article and appropriate comments & venting!

 

Also, the official statement:

STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF NEWWEST SPECIAL PROJECTS

 

February 2, 2010. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is with regret that Newwest

 

Special Projects LP is announcing the cancellation of its charter of the Norwegian

 

Star. The cancellation includes the pre cruise, scheduled for 6-10 February from

 

LA to Vancouver, the post cruise, scheduled for 2-6 March from Vancouver to LA

 

and Vancouver stay for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. We sincerely

 

apologize to the guests who have booked with us for this inconvenience.

 

Newwest will be issuing refunds. Guests who have booked should contact us at

 

877.254.2010 or 780.450.1555.

 

 

FAQ

 

 

How many staterooms were available on board the ship?

 

 

1108 staterooms were for sale, including the pre, post and Vancouver portion of the

 

charter.

 

 

Will Newwest issue a refund for passengers?

 

 

Yes, Newwest will refund money to passengers in a timely manner. Passengers who

 

had booked with us should contact our Edmonton office at 877.254.2010 or

 

780.450.1555.

 

 

Will Newwest assist guests’ in finding alternative accommodations?

 

 

Yes, we will make every effort to assist in finding alternative accommodations for guests

 

attending the Olympics.

 

 

Why did Newwest cancel the charter?

 

 

Newwest made the decision to cancel the charter due to slower than expected sales,

 

along with expenses associated with the charter that were higher than anticipated.

[mktt]

Sorry, it may sound that way to you, but if you have been around for awhile you would realize these types of posters do pop up ever so often, blaming the wrong person or company for things that they either have no clue about, are not willing to check further or are TROLLS. Don't you think it is a little odd, this person never was on the boards, never asked a question, never did anything until after he/she had a problem and then blamed the wrong company? Maybe you don't, I do.

 

Nita

 

 

I was a one post wonder before going on my nightmare Jade cruise. All of my posts are on that topic.

 

I'm not a troll though. I've been reading these boards for almost 4 years and have been a registered member for 2 years. I never posted because:

1) I don't like bingo

2) I'm in my 30s

3) I enjoy ship run excursions and don't mind paying the premium.

4) I have no clue who any of the maitre d's are on any of the 5 cruises I've been on nor do I care

5) I have no delusions about entertainment and food on a ship. If I want to see a good show I'll go to Broadway, Chicago or Toronto. If I want a good meal I'll go to a great restaurant staffed by a great chef. On a ship, I just want to be comfortable and have fun, while I rest between ports.

6) I loathe sea days.

 

Basically I have very little in common with the people that post here all the time, so I had nothing to add.

 

That's not to say this board is useless to me. I gleaned very interesting and valuable info about Barcelona Hotels.

The ports of call boards have provided good info for islands I was visiting for the first time (Bonaire for example).

 

I didn't add to any discussions until I had something to add. Who's to say there aren't more one post wonders like myself?

 

I appreciate that you and your colleagues have a difficult job managing the tone of this board. It's the same on other cruise line's boards. I think though that if HCF's statement in the Jade Virus thread was taken to heart that the masses would be more aimable to being herded in the direction you'd prefer.

Once you start questioning someone's opinions and experiences from the safety of your office/den etc. they get defensive. I know...I've been in that situation over the past few days while people tried to downplay the crisis on the Jade...that I experienced.

 

 

This is HCFs post I'm refering too... #56 in the Virus thread

 

"This post is meant to share my personal experiences on the 1/24/2010 sailing on the NCL Jade for those who are thinking of taking their Mediterranean cruises in the near future. Please have the courtesy to refrain from offering your opinions to dispute or judge my reality if you were not on this cruise."

[SeaShark]

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

 

Actually...I thought the posters here were defending the victims...as there are so many.

 

 

The people that booked rooms are victims of NewWest's cancelling and leaving them stranded.

 

NCL is also a victim....NewWest chartered their ship and then cancelled at the last minute...leaving them stranded.

 

 

 

I think what bothers people is one victim blaming another victim instead of blaming the one party that everyone knows was responsible.

[swedish weave]

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

 

The OP is not the only victim. NCL was also left holding the bag for millions unless the entire transaction was insured. Even then, they may face losses if the insurance company or New West takes advantage of the bankruptcy laws.

 

Re your question about your cruise being at risk --- That is why insurance is available for those who cannot or don't want to risk the loss.

 

NCL's reputation is not at stake here unless the incorrect information such as that posted by the OP becomes widespread.

 

The blame game is not pleasant for those who get into the line of fire, and you are not helping by wrongly pointing the finger at NCL.

[awoltoday]

I, for one am shocked and disappointed that the majority of my fellow cc members are blaming the victim regarding this debacle.

The words buyer beware come to mind but how was the OP to know that his cruise was at risk?

It makes me wonder, is MY cruise at risk too? As the buyer should I get written confirmation that something like this cannot happen to me?

This makes no sense to me at all .... Why would NCL put their reputation at stake? And not come up with an alternative?

Perhaps we are not getting the whole story.

But me personally... I feel awful for the OP.

Juried

 

Yes, yours is also at risk. Thousands of things can go wrong on a vacation. That is what travel insurance is for.

 

But, I agree that we may not be getting the whole story AND I feel awful for the OP. I also hope the OP had travel insurance.

[jimd909]

" one post wonders..........." your comments are highly inappropriate.

 

That's what the little red triangle is for at the top right of each post. If you don't like something, click it and tell CC why you don't like it. ;) Maybe if enough people start doing it... just sayin'.

[terrymtex01]

I could honestly not care one way or the other that this was the OP's first posting. We have all had our first posting at some point. What I am shocked and amazed at is that the OP would blame NCL for not notifying them of the cancellation when it was the charter company that canceled the booking. You can spend all day saying what would be nice or what would be good customer service, but at some point you have to come back to reality. Reality is that the charter company was responsible to notify it's customers (the OP) of the cancellation, that was not NCL's job. You can say that NCL should have done this or NCL should have done that, but as with what most everyone else has said, it was the charter company that caused all of this and their responsiblility to inform the customers.

[juried]

Yes, yours is also at risk. Thousands of things can go wrong on a vacation. That is what travel insurance is for.*

 

But, I agree that we may not be getting the whole story AND I feel awful for the OP. I also hope the OP had travel insurance.

 

This is so wrong on so many levels.

How is the OP to blame for any of this?

 

So, should I call Expedia and inquire if my cruise is chartered and therefore at risk of cancellation? As far as travel insurance is concerned... I always thought it was to insure against illness or missed flights, to protect the traveller NOT the cruiseline.

Why would I possibly buy insurance to protect the cruiseline? It makes no sense at all.

I'm sure NCL has their own insurance for Liability, breech of contract, etc.

Does anyone know if the TA is required to disclose if a cruise is chartered?

I do not feel bad for NCL, they are in business to make a profit and there is always some risk involved. As I'm certain they are aware.*

I doubt that the OP endevoured to take any such risk. He booked and paid for a cruise that was taken from him without notice or even a follow up return call.

It's outrageous.

[Planer's Edge]

This is so wrong on so many levels.

How is the OP to blame for any of this?

 

So, should I call Expedia and inquire if my cruise is chartered and therefore at risk of cancellation? As far as travel insurance is concerned... I always thought it was to insure against illness or missed flights, to protect the traveller NOT the cruiseline.

Why would I possibly buy insurance to protect the cruiseline? It makes no sense at all.

You are not buying insurance to protect the cruise line. You are buying insurance to protect your investment. Things happen in travel all the time. In 29 cruises we have had to make claims twice and one was for the complete cost of the cruise (including airfare and prepaid hotel) due to a last minute cancellation. That in itself paid for every premium we have ever spent for all of our cruises.

 

That is why it is also a very BAD idea to buy insurance from the cruise line. when cruise lines were going bankrupt. If you bought your travel insurance from them how could they pay you. Remember back in the 90's when cruise lines were failing.

 

PE