NCL Epic from Barcelona

[Trimone]

12 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

It's not about THEM cancelling. The cruise will go ahead, just without me XD - It's only UK guests affected and surely with NCL the amount of UK guests will be rather small. My only solace is that the media seemed shocked that the Italian PM extended the rule, so if it was shocking THIS month, it would be absolutely shocking as hell for him to extend it into September.

 

I think I'm confident the quarantine rule will be removed on 30th August, at least for fully vaccinated if not everyone.

If the Italian PM continued the isolation rule in main holiday season, he will do it anytime, it’s about power and small man syndrome, anyone from the EU and the USA can travel without problems, it’s fall out from Brexit…

[Notts1964]

14 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

The issue is you won't know if the quarantine is needed until 30th August when the rules are reviewed and that will be too late to get a refund from NCL as you'll be outside the 15 day peace of mind policy. So you're in the same boat as me. IF you wait, you lose 90% of what you've paid 😞

But surely NCL will have to cancel our whole package, as they won’t be able to fly us in on 8 Sept., transfer us to the ship, and let us cruise if the quarantine rule is still in place. So even if the cruise goes ahead, we should get a refund for the fact they can’t provide the “package” booked. It would be different if we had booked our own flights etc. separate to the cruise, but we purposely didn’t do that.
I’m hoping very much that my assumptions are correct, we wouldn’t have booked otherwise 🙁

[ScratchTheRat]

10 minutes ago, Notts1964 said:

But surely NCL will have to cancel our whole package, as they won’t be able to fly us in on 8 Sept., transfer us to the ship, and let us cruise if the quarantine rule is still in place. So even if the cruise goes ahead, we should get a refund for the fact they can’t provide the “package” booked. It would be different if we had booked our own flights etc. separate to the cruise, but we purposely didn’t do that.
I’m hoping very much that my assumptions are correct, we wouldn’t have booked otherwise 🙁

It won't make a difference sadly, because the flights WILL run, the ship WILL sail. It's the Italian government that require you to self isolate, not NCL. 

 

 

[Trimone]

9 minutes ago, Notts1964 said:

But surely NCL will have to cancel our whole package, as they won’t be able to fly us in on 8 Sept., transfer us to the ship, and let us cruise if the quarantine rule is still in place. So even if the cruise goes ahead, we should get a refund for the fact they can’t provide the “package” booked. It would be different if we had booked our own flights etc. separate to the cruise, but we purposely didn’t do that.
I’m hoping very much that my assumptions are correct, we wouldn’t have booked otherwise 🙁

Correct, if they don’t pay up your credit card company will and charge them, sale of goods act unable to provide the services they sold you.

[ScratchTheRat]

2 minutes ago, Trimone said:

Correct, if they don’t pay up your credit card company will and charge them, sale of goods act unable to provide the services they sold you.

See I'd disagree with that as they sold him flights and a cruise that WILL be provided regardless of whether he can take them or not.

[DCGuy64]

29 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

It's not about THEM cancelling. The cruise will go ahead, just without me XD - It's only UK guests affected and surely with NCL the amount of UK guests will be rather small. My only solace is that the media seemed shocked that the Italian PM extended the rule, so if it was shocking THIS month, it would be absolutely shocking as hell for him to extend it into September.

 

I think I'm confident the quarantine rule will be removed on 30th August, at least for fully vaccinated if not everyone.

It isn't actually UK guests, but rather people coming from the UK, even if only in transit. We are American citizens and were planning to fly to Italy for our cruise via Heathrow, but would have faced the same 5-day quarantine as you lot. Fortunately we were able to change our flight so as to avoid the UK. So even non-UK citizens/residents could face the same fate if planning to come into Italy via the UK. Frankly, I think transiting passengers should be exempt from the quarantine, but they aren't. 😟

[ScratchTheRat]

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

It isn't actually UK guests, but rather people coming from the UK, even if only in transit. We are American citizens and were planning to fly to Italy for our cruise via Heathrow, but would have faced the same 5-day quarantine as you lot. Fortunately we were able to change our flight so as to avoid the UK. So even non-UK citizens/residents could face the same fate if planning to come into Italy via the UK. Frankly, I think transiting passengers should be exempt from the quarantine, but they aren't. 😟

I know, this is the struggle and I'm just annoyed that I will be ONE day past the deadline for cancelling if I choose to wait

[DCGuy64]

Just now, ScratchTheRat said:

I know, this is the struggle and I'm just annoyed that I will be ONE day past the deadline for cancelling if I choose to wait

The irony, only 1 day separates definitely getting a refund/FCC vs losing out. Have NCL offered any guidance? I'll tell you something secret, though: they aren't actually checking to see where you came from. I know this from several sources, one being a woman I work with whose brother went to France just recently. Ditto someone I interacted with on TripAdvisor. While the government in Italy officially says you must quarantine for 5 days if coming from the UK, the border patrol agents aren't enforcing it. It's basically on the honour system in the first place, no one in Italy will be following you around to make sure you do it. Furthermore, the Italian Ministry of Health says that anyone leaving Italian territory within 36 hours doesn't have to quarantine, anyway. So if you were to fly to Rome or Milan and leave Italy on a cruise ship, no one would be any the wiser. I'm not suggesting you break the rules, only that the rules are only being lightly enforced in the first place, and you could simply argue that you weren't staying in the country, anyway.

[Trimone]

22 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

See I'd disagree with that as they sold him flights and a cruise that WILL be provided regardless of whether he can take them or not.

If they were sold the holiday from the U.K.site or phone number for U.K. customers NCL are responsible, read the sale of goods act 1979 enclosed:

 

[Notts1964]

I think I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best, now we’re booked. If we can’t go due to quarantine, I’ll just have to fight to get a refund.

nervous now 🙁

[ScratchTheRat]

54 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

The irony, only 1 day separates definitely getting a refund/FCC vs losing out. Have NCL offered any guidance? I'll tell you something secret, though: they aren't actually checking to see where you came from. I know this from several sources, one being a woman I work with whose brother went to France just recently. Ditto someone I interacted with on TripAdvisor. While the government in Italy officially says you must quarantine for 5 days if coming from the UK, the border patrol agents aren't enforcing it. It's basically on the honour system in the first place, no one in Italy will be following you around to make sure you do it. Furthermore, the Italian Ministry of Health says that anyone leaving Italian territory within 36 hours doesn't have to quarantine, anyway. So if you were to fly to Rome or Milan and leave Italy on a cruise ship, no one would be any the wiser. I'm not suggesting you break the rules, only that the rules are only being lightly enforced in the first place, and you could simply argue that you weren't staying in the country, anyway.

 

The 36 hour rule only applies to those transitting through Italy in a private vehicle.

[ScratchTheRat]

43 minutes ago, Trimone said:

If they were sold the holiday from the U.K.site or phone number for U.K. customers NCL are responsible, read the sale of goods act 1979 enclosed:

 

That's not what I am getting at though.

 

NCL sold them a flight and a cruise. Those flights and cruises are the product and both will exist and be available, thus NCL have held up their part of the contract. If the passenger cant access those services because of Italian law, it's not NCL's fault.

[Trimone]

28 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

That's not what I am getting at though.

 

NCL sold them a flight and a cruise. Those flights and cruises are the product and both will exist and be available, thus NCL have held up their part of the contract. If the passenger cant access those services because of Italian law, it's not NCL's fault.

So if a company sells you a product and it gets lost in transit, who’s fault is that, it’s the same thing?

[DCGuy64]

51 minutes ago, ScratchTheRat said:

 

The 36 hour rule only applies to those transitting through Italy in a private vehicle.

Yes, that's correct. Our plan, had we not been able to change our flights, would have been to rent (hire) a car, drive it to Trieste and get on the ship. We would have traveled in a private vehicle and left the country within 36 hours. They just didn't want people traveling on public transit or in buses and taxis. A hired vehicle would have satisfied the requirement.

[SpainAlien]

4 hours ago, Trimone said:

If the Italian PM continued the isolation rule in main holiday season, he will do it anytime, it’s about power and small man syndrome, anyone from the EU and the USA can travel without problems, it’s fall out from Brexit…

For goodness sake! Nobody over here actually cares about Brexit, it's all over and done with.  It's more likely to do with your continuing bad infection rates  https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/.   Get them under control and the restrictions will be lifted.

 

[SpainAlien]

2 hours ago, Trimone said:

So if a company sells you a product and it gets lost in transit, who’s fault is that, it’s the same thing?

It's more like the company sells you the product and delivers it to you but you can't open the package because you don't have any scissors to cut the tape. Whose fault would that be?

 

[MichiganBound]

I really feel bad for NCL and the other cruise lines.  Every other day its something new due to the evolution of the pandemic.  So hard to plan/schedule anything.  They're really in a no-win situation with all this stuff.  Folks that have cruises booked for the balance of 2021 should maintain maximum flexibility and understanding.  The only guarantee is things will change and evolve.  Just go along with it and consider the whole pre-cruise process part of the adventure.  If its all too stressful for you, cancel the whole thing as soon as possible.

 

If you are thinking of booking a cruise for 2021, I would try and go for something that starts and finishes in your home country...if that's possible.  The less border crossing and testing you have to do the better.  Each time during a trip that you have to get tested, increases the chances you are going to come up with a positive test that could mess up the whole vacation.

 

[TashaB]

22 minutes ago, MichiganBound said:

I really feel bad for NCL and the other cruise lines.  Every other day its something new due to the evolution of the pandemic.  So hard to plan/schedule anything.  They're really in a no-win situation with all this stuff.  Folks that have cruises booked for the balance of 2021 should maintain maximum flexibility and understanding.  The only guarantee is things will change and evolve.  Just go along with it and consider the whole pre-cruise process part of the adventure.  If its all too stressful for you, cancel the whole thing as soon as possible.

 

If you are thinking of booking a cruise for 2021, I would try and go for something that starts and finishes in your home country...if that's possible.  The less border crossing and testing you have to do the better.  Each time during a trip that you have to get tested, increases the chances you are going to come up with a positive test that could mess up the whole vacation.

 

Excellent advise!  

[soloscientist]

8 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

It isn't actually UK guests, but rather people coming from the UK, even if only in transit. We are American citizens and were planning to fly to Italy for our cruise via Heathrow, but would have faced the same 5-day quarantine as you lot. Fortunately we were able to change our flight so as to avoid the UK. So even non-UK citizens/residents could face the same fate if planning to come into Italy via the UK. Frankly, I think transiting passengers should be exempt from the quarantine, but they aren't. 😟

I had no idea about the Italy quarantine and transiting the UK until now. I’m transiting LHR on 9/4 for from the US and now have to look at changing my flight. 

[podgeandrodge]

And now their 5th September sailing from Barcelona has just disappeared off their website.  Customer service don't know why.  How can a company just remove sailings and not post information to potential and current customers.  It's very poor.  8th Sept from Rome still showing on site, but "fully booked".

[Trimone]

13 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

And now their 5th September sailing from Barcelona has just disappeared off their website.  Customer service don't know why.  How can a company just remove sailings and not post information to potential and current customers.  It's very poor.  8th Sept from Rome still showing on site, but "fully booked".

The daily offers email hasn’t arrived for a couple of day’s? 
Im able to do an upgrade offer on the 5th September ?

[podgeandrodge]

So aft

7 minutes ago, Trimone said:

The daily offers email hasn’t arrived for a couple of day’s? 
Im able to do an upgrade offer on the 5th September ?

Thanks Trimone.  When I rang them they said they couldn't explain why it was off the website.  I have since gone through the "chat with an agent" and they told me:

 

"September 5th has still very little inventory but we do have rooms left"
"Only too book direct to not oversell - We are not selling full capacity, when a sailing is no longer in the system is because is no longer available to book online.We have never added the sold out option only if categories are gone, looking at the sailing there is only a very few cabins left, no longer inside or oceanview available."

 

So it seems like the sailing is safe.  But it would be great if NCL could find a way to block bookings without suggesting sailings were gone!

[Trimone]

31 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

So aft

Thanks Trimone.  When I rang them they said they couldn't explain why it was off the website.  I have since gone through the "chat with an agent" and they told me:

 

"September 5th has still very little inventory but we do have rooms left"
"Only too book direct to not oversell - We are not selling full capacity, when a sailing is no longer in the system is because is no longer available to book online.We have never added the sold out option only if categories are gone, looking at the sailing there is only a very few cabins left, no longer inside or oceanview available."

 

So it seems like the sailing is safe.  But it would be great if NCL could find a way to block bookings without suggesting sailings were gone!

Was that Tim?

[podgeandrodge]

1 hour ago, Trimone said:

Was that Tim?

?  Do you mean the name of the agent?  It was a lady called Macie.

[DCGuy64]

12 hours ago, soloscientist said:

I had no idea about the Italy quarantine and transiting the UK until now. I’m transiting LHR on 9/4 for from the US and now have to look at changing my flight. 

We got "lucky," and I say that in quotations because when I called the airline to explain what was happening with Italy, the representative said our flight to LHR had been cancelled. Since they cancelled and not me, they were able to rebook us with no change fee and no increase in price. I'd give your airline a call and see what they can do. Good luck! ☺️