How does Norwegian handle cruise cancellations?

[zitsky]

Feel free to point me in the right direction if there is an existing thread.  There is an active discussion about a specific cruise but one of the posters has made it clear that comments or questions from others are not welcome.

 

As a new cruiser on NCL, I am curious how they handle cruise cancellations.  If your flights are in business or first class and were made well in advance, I could see ending up with coach seats, if you can find anything at all.  If this were to happen I would get on the phone with my TA.  I can't imagine waiting for an hour to talk to customer service on the ship.  Yes I did buy trip insurance and I read the conditions.  But you never know how good your insurance is until you need it.

[herdingdogmom]

Guest services on the ship will not make any travel arrangements for you unless it is an unusual situation with charter flights like on the Jade currently.  Travel insurance only reimburses you after you have paid for additional flights or hotels.  Your travel agent can help you book flights via phone or online if you are onboard already.  Last year with the Star adrift at sea adventure in Australia, we booked our own flights and hotels in order to make our original flight home from New Zealand.

[zitsky]

Sure that all sounds reasonable.  I'm not counting on NCL to get me home.

[littlelulu01]

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

these threads on cc can be helpful with regard to insurance.  A broker can also be helpful.  Many folks opt for insurance plans independent of the cruise line.  

 

It’s hard to envision all the potential issues that can arise.  I try to book a cruise that can turn into another type of vacation should cruise be canceled after airfare purchase and try to arrive a couple days early in case of flight delay. 

 

Most of the time everything goes off just as planned but there is a certain burden on me to plan for some what if’s.  

[CincyJen]

We were booked on the Norwegian Star last March.  I was flying in from Cincinnati to meet the ship in LA, same day.  Although it had a 98% on-time record, the Delta flight was delayed +4 hours and, had I taken the flight, would have missed the ship in LA. I had insurance through NCL. Wasn't crazy about the resolution, which only gave us 75% of the value of the cruise we had booked toward a new cruise, but it is what it is.  I would have been a nutso case had we not purchased the insurance.  And now I'm sailing on the Bliss in a spa minisuite cabin in five days, for about $1200 more total on top of the insurance missed cruise credit. for two people, including gratuities on bev & dining package.

 

At the end of the day, we definitely lost money thanks to Delta's airline issues.  But insurance did at least help us recoup 75% of the cost.

 

Edited November 20, 2018 by CincyJen

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, zitsky said:

Sure that all sounds reasonable.  I'm not counting on NCL to get me home.

Sit back, eat their food. Drink their booze. Wait for the charter flights or book your own - NCL has told you what the will reimburse (center seats in coach). 

 

NCL has been very clear on how they are handling your cancellation. Not sure how CC can help you more that what you got in writing. 

Edited November 20, 2018 by BirdTravels

[BirdTravels]

wrt insurance, most insurance will compensate you for your lost $$$ (some have additional riders for missed ports, etc., but most don't). So if you lost nothing on the cruise fare (since it was refunded) and lost nothing on the airfare because NCL will reimburse you to change your flight, and NCL is paying for your charter back to Miami, most insurance would not pay you anything. 

[zitsky]

17 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

wrt insurance, most insurance will compensate you for your lost $$$ (some have additional riders for missed ports, etc., but most don't). So if you lost nothing on the cruise fare (since it was refunded) and lost nothing on the airfare because NCL will reimburse you to change your flight, and NCL is paying for your charter back to Miami, most insurance would not pay you anything. 

 

Yes.  I don't think anyone on this thread is trying to get something extra.  Insurance reimburses you for out of pocket expenses.

[sverigecruiser]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

wrt insurance, most insurance will compensate you for your lost $$$ (some have additional riders for missed ports, etc., but most don't). So if you lost nothing on the cruise fare (since it was refunded) and lost nothing on the airfare because NCL will reimburse you to change your flight, and NCL is paying for your charter back to Miami, most insurance would not pay you anything. 

 

From what I have heared NCL will pay up to $600 of change fees for airline but many international plane tickets cost much more than that to change. It may also be difficult to find alternative flights with short notice.

 

If it should happen to me I should probably just stay in Florida and wait for my original flight, if I could get a decent room somewhere.