NCL changing itineraries for non-emergency reasons after final payment

[Firstin87]

On 1/17/2023 at 2:05 PM, luv2kroooz said:

Let the buyer beware!!

Ports of call are just suggestions on NCL.

 

There have been more changes in the recent past. They regularly alter itineraries and ports of call in the name of their sail and sustain environmental initiatives, port congestion, etc.

Many of the changes l have seen were announced after final payment date when passengers can not cancel without financial penalty. Some announced at embarkation via letter.

 

Itinerary changes due to weather medevac are outside of the control of the cruise lines and are typically made for safety of all in board. These are understandable, expected changes. 

 

However, NCL chooses to implement their green initiatives on itineraries that are inside of final payment where there is financial impact to booked guests. Additionally, they could carefully plan their itinerary details prior to opening cruises for booking to ensure there are no port conflicts. Often times, the conflicts are created by other NCL vessels. That reflects poorly on NCL.

We are on the Jade in Feb. and were originally going to St. Croix - a unique port we haven't been to since our honeymoon 37 years ago and a key reason we booked (and I know it could be cancelled for weather, etc., so was prepared for that possibility).  After final payment, surprise - St. Croix was cancelled, replaced by a sea day, and they blamed their environmental program.  Makes no sense since they would use less fuel docked for a day than they will at sea.  Plus, if that was the 'real' reason, NCL knew about it well before final payment was due.

 

I'm getting a bit frustrated with this 'bait and switch' for phony reasons. 

[luv2kroooz]

1 minute ago, Firstin87 said:

We are on the Jade in Feb. and were originally going to St. Croix - a unique port we haven't been to since our honeymoon 37 years ago and a key reason we booked (and I know it could be cancelled for weather, etc., so was prepared for that possibility).  After final payment, surprise - St. Croix was cancelled, replaced by a sea day, and they blamed their environmental program.  Makes no sense since they would use less fuel docked for a day than they will at sea.  Plus, if that was the 'real' reason, NCL knew about it well before final payment was due.

 

I'm getting a bit frustrated with this 'bait and switch' for phony reasons. 

Yeah, sorry to hear about this. They certainly did know about it before final payment.  I have never been to St Croix.

 

I don't know, my thought was they want to sail at slower speeds to burn less fuel as opposed to sailing at faster speed which burns more fuel. Who knows.  Notwithstanding, the time for planning efficient itineraries is BEFORE you advertise them and BEFORE you take your client's money.  That ship has sailed!

 

The Jade is a wonderful ship and I hope you have a good time!

 

 

[Travelling2Some]

I would agree that this is a genuine concern with NCL.  On our Panama Canal cruise three ports were dropped, including the day and a half overnight we were to have in Panama City.  We never even docked.  I fully expected them to drop one of the ports (Nicaragua) even though they kept advertising it so I did not feel fooled personally.  But the real kicker was the last minute substitute of Acapulco for Costa Rica "out of concern for our safety".  What a joke.  Acapulco had a Level 4 Do NOT Travel advisory from both the US and Canadian State Departments at the time (which, BTW, invalidates your travel insurance). 

 

Our trans-Atlantic had two ports dropped.  One was legit - the seas were too rough to tender in Horta, Azores.  But they skipped Madeira and told us it was due to "port congestion".  HELLO, we were to be the only ship in port that day.  It's the bare-faced lying that gets to you.   On our Baltic cruise we woke up in the wrong port one morning and they had the gall to tell passengers that the reason all the shore excursions were canceled was the tour operators' fault.  Really?  You don't think it has anything to do with us being in a different city???  

 

They get away with this because most people think their skipped/substituted port(s) are a one off.  The vast majority of cruisers do not follow cruise news or read forums like CC.  They are not able to compare notes or detect a pattern.  We have been cruising other lines more and this is the main reason we no longer consider NCL first, like we used to.

 

 

[Firstin87]

luv2kroooz, thanks for the kind thoughts.  We'll still enjoy our cruise.  Especially looking forward to Grand Cayman for the second time and experiencing the Jade (we've done most of it's sister ships).

 

We've cruised enough to know that if you really want to see a port, don't go by cruise ship, plan a direct visit.  Things can and do happen - we've missed ports due to weather before and have no complaint with that.  As so many have said, it's the fake excuses, purposely waiting until after final payment to make  a change that might cause people to cancel, etc.

[PATRLR]

9 hours ago, zqvol said:

If you don’t like how NCL operates there are lots of other cruise lines that will take your business

There are other cruise lines?  Really? 

 

7 hours ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Why did you resurrect a year old thread instead of starting a new one?

Some might argue, why create a new thread when one exists already.  Some forums (the UA forum on FlyerTalk comes to mind) have active mods that will combine a new thread into an existing thread.

7 hours ago, Sherilly said:

Sorry. I couldn't figure out how to start a new thread. I just wanted to check to see if other people were having the same issue. 

@Sherilly No need to apologize, there is no rule against using an existing thread.

[kenzie]

Our St Croix port has also been cancelled next month, replaced by St Thomas as port we have been on so many times. As per the above, after final payment! This and also the cancelling of all the main theatre productions has made me decide that after my next 2 cruises, Feb 24, I will revert back (We are Sapphire) to Princess(we re Elite loyalty but haven't been Princess for a few years due to the entertainment that USED to be better on NCL) , Royal - more expensive but have theatre shows and we may also try MSC. 

[cruiseny4life]

14 hours ago, Sherilly said:

Sorry. I couldn't figure out how to start a new thread. I just wanted to check to see if other people were having the same issue. 

On the flip side of @Panhandle Couple, I am grateful you resurrected this old thread. We need to be reminded that NCL enjoys providing their guests with unparalleled experiences: book a cruise, find out after final payment that due to "environmental" concerns, port congestion, etc. that your cruise is no longer going where you want. 

 

I'm all for cruise lines playing it safe and not traveling through a hurricane to get me to an island oasis when on the cruise. It's the pre-cruise changes that occur just after final payment date that really frustrate me (and heck, none have impacted me). But, as a NCL customer, I know that my day is coming. 

 

As for other posters, like @kitkat343, her constant posts do frustrate me until I realize the public service she is doing to make others aware. I suppose some are ok being jostled about by multi-billion dollar companies. If it weren't for my husband's love of the Haven, I would never step foot onboard another NCL ship (and trust me, I enjoy the onboard experience as much as him). Maybe I'm using him as an excuse...I dunno! 

 

Anyway, I appreciate you responding to this post so everyone can be reminded about what happens with NCL.  

[jimsig]

7 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm all for cruise lines playing it safe and not traveling through a hurricane to get me to an island oasis when on the cruise. It's the pre-cruise changes that occur just after final payment date that really frustrate me (and heck, none have impacted me). But, as a NCL customer, I know that my day is coming. 

 

 

Or even when they change just the day before you are due to leave for no apparent reason.  The day before the Pearl was due to leave Boston for Bermuda in April 2022 they announced that it would leave Bermuda Tue afternoon instead of Wed morning and instead of a day at sea Thur it would stop in Bar Harbor, ME.  As it was so last min some people didn't find out until they arrived at the pier and a few didn't find out until they were on board.  Needless to say some people had to wear the same clothes twice as they were not prepared for a cold weather port.  

 

At least I wasn't cruising until the next week and could prepare.

[kitkat343]

This was the more recent thread on this topic for the people who were unhappy a year old thread was revived if they'd rather post there:

 

 

Edited January 17 by kitkat343

[cruiseny4life]

16 hours ago, jimsig said:

Or even when they change just the day before you are due to leave for no apparent reason.  The day before the Pearl was due to leave Boston for Bermuda in April 2022 they announced that it would leave Bermuda Tue afternoon instead of Wed morning and instead of a day at sea Thur it would stop in Bar Harbor, ME.  As it was so last min some people didn't find out until they arrived at the pier and a few didn't find out until they were on board.  Needless to say some people had to wear the same clothes twice as they were not prepared for a cold weather port.  

 

At least I wasn't cruising until the next week and could prepare.

I'm a little bit more forgiving for those in the moment changes....if the reason is safety. If it's a general fuel consumption (aka environmental), port congestion, etc. not so much. In any case, I'm glad you had a week to get prepared! 

 

I wear the same clothes multiple times while onboard, so that part wouldn't phase me! 

[jimsig]

10 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I'm a little bit more forgiving for those in the moment changes....if the reason is safety. If it's a general fuel consumption (aka environmental), port congestion, etc. not so much. In any case, I'm glad you had a week to get prepared! 

 

I wear the same clothes multiple times while onboard, so that part wouldn't phase me! 

 

It was, according to the email "unforeseen circumstances."

 

It wasn't just one cruise changed it was a total of 4 (IIRC) all in the month of April. From May on the cruise was scheduled to stop in Bar Harbor for almost the entire season.  A lot of people on our cruise booked it specifically because it didn't go to Bar Harbor and had the extra time in Bermuda which would mean more time in warmer water on Wed on the way back to Boston.  The change meant that Wed was not a pool day as we were almost 15 hours north or where we were supposed to be. 

Edited January 19 by jimsig

[Travelling2Some]

After the multiple disruptions on our last 3 cruises with NCL, I am now suspicious enough that I will check the ports' websites directly for arrivals/departures before making final payment.  Some of those sites can be inaccurate occasionally, but they have no motive to lie and they may give a heads up on changes that passengers are not being told of.  Anyone can dream up wonderful itineraries but it is actually delivering them that counts.

[PartyPlannerLady]

On 1/16/2024 at 2:23 PM, Sherilly said:

We are scheduled to leave on January 27th from Port Canaveral. We received an email today, January 16th that our itinerary has changed. It seems that NCL flipped the itinerary, plus changed our port in Jamaica from Ocho Rios to Falmouth. My husband and I are both Jamaican, so we know the port cities well. There's no comparing Ocho Rios to Falmouth. There's nothing to do in Falmouth! Such a disappointment! 
 

We've travelled more than a handful of times on Royal Caribbean with absolutely no issues. I'm wondering if this is a NCL thing? If so, this will be our first and last NCL cruise. 

You agree to this being a possibility on ALL cruise lines.  Read your cruise contract under itinerary deviations.  It is NOT an NCL thing.

[mugtech]

24 minutes ago, PartyPlannerLady said:

You agree to this being a possibility on ALL cruise lines.  Read your cruise contract under itinerary deviations.  It is NOT an NCL thing.

Possible on all cruise lines, but NCL has perfected the last minute, lame excuse routine.  Sure the contract says you can skip all the ports and are not  owed a damn thing.  Just proves the whole industry sucks.

[complawyer]

sherilly. if you're both from jamaica, what's the difference in ports. while there may be nothing to do in falmouth, other than the falls, there's not a whole heckova lot to do in ocho rios . been there a couple of times, we honeymooned in montego pay over 50 years ago.  if youre so disappointed in the switch, stay on board and enjoy what the ship has to offer. and you should be grateful ncl is taking you somewhere, you could have ended up with an unwanted sea day, although to me that's not half bad.

[complawyer]

we've lost out on taipei, hanoi, berlin and edinburgh. while sad and  disappointing, i was able to get over the trauma, and continued to enjoy the  other ports of the cruise. 

 

2 different cruises, by the way.

[SoloAlaska]

3 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

After the multiple disruptions on our last 3 cruises with NCL, I am now suspicious enough that I will check the ports' websites directly for arrivals/departures before making final payment.  Some of those sites can be inaccurate occasionally, but they have no motive to lie and they may give a heads up on changes that passengers are not being told of.  Anyone can dream up wonderful itineraries but it is actually delivering them that counts.

I always do this but mostly to see what other cruise ships may be in port. It really helps in choosing excursions when you know how busy a city might be. 
 

7 ports on my TA and we only missed one due to a storm. Biggest issue was the lack of communication. They changed course almost 24 hours before officially announcing what was happening. 

[QuestionEverything]

On 1/17/2024 at 12:19 AM, Firstin87 said:

luv2kroooz, thanks for the kind thoughts.  We'll still enjoy our cruise.  Especially looking forward to Grand Cayman for the second time and experiencing the Jade (we've done most of it's sister ships).

 

We've cruised enough to know that if you really want to see a port, don't go by cruise ship, plan a direct visit.  Things can and do happen - we've missed ports due to weather before and have no complaint with that.  As so many have said, it's the fake excuses, purposely waiting until after final payment to make  a change that might cause people to cancel, etc.

100%.

Fed up with the dropped ports lies by the cruise lines, last bull cruise Oceania dropped a key port in Greenland.

I cruise for the ports.

So now moved all my travel $ to land based.

I may cruise again for relaxation, but my trust in cruiselines is 0 these days.

Oh cruiselines, shut up about the environmental file, that is a con to swindle guests.

[cruiseny4life]

13 hours ago, jimsig said:

 

It was, according to the email "unforeseen circumstances."

 

It wasn't just one cruise changed it was a total of 4 (IIRC) all in the month of April. From May on the cruise was scheduled to stop in Bar Harbor for almost the entire season.  A lot of people on our cruise booked it specifically because it didn't go to Bar Harbor and had the extra time in Bermuda which would mean more time in warmer water on Wed on the way back to Boston.  The change meant that Wed was not a pool day as we were almost 15 hours north or where we were supposed to be. 

Ok! That's a whole lot different. I'd be more forgiving (and possibly more than slightly) if the cruise lines gave the real reason. Just tell me you need to save money to make up your bottom line. I know y'all need money to pay your ballooning debt from the shutdown. There was no bailout since y'all fly a flag of convenience. Just own up and tell us the truth. 

Sorry about your itinerary swap! I suppose they didn't want to do it so close to final payment as it would look more disingenuous.

 

5 hours ago, QuestionEverything said:

100%.

Fed up with the dropped ports lies by the cruise lines, last bull cruise Oceania dropped a key port in Greenland.

I cruise for the ports.

So now moved all my travel $ to land based.

I may cruise again for relaxation, but my trust in cruiselines is 0 these days.

Oh cruiselines, shut up about the environmental file, that is a con to swindle guests.

Land-based is the only guarantee you'll get where you want to go so you're smart. Cruising helps me whet my appetite for new destinations to explore. For instance, we went to the Azores on our Transatlantic and thankfully we made the port. The Azores are my new favorite place! My husband and I are already planning a much longer trip just to the Azores based on how amazing the place is! 

 

I'm loving your last line. It's a giant con the industry is playing. Cruising will never, ever be the environmentally conscious choice. No matter what the industry claims. Passengers know this and are ok harming the environment for the experience. There is no way of getting around this. Of course that airplane ride to the Azores won't be environmentally friendly either. Ahh, the conundrums of this every day modern world we live in. 

[SoloAlaska]

2 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Ok! That's a whole lot different. I'd be more forgiving (and possibly more than slightly) if the cruise lines gave the real reason. Just tell me you need to save money to make up your bottom line. I know y'all need money to pay your ballooning debt from the shutdown. There was no bailout since y'all fly a flag of convenience. Just own up and tell us the truth. 

Sorry about your itinerary swap! I suppose they didn't want to do it so close to final payment as it would look more disingenuous.

 

Land-based is the only guarantee you'll get where you want to go so you're smart. Cruising helps me whet my appetite for new destinations to explore. For instance, we went to the Azores on our Transatlantic and thankfully we made the port. The Azores are my new favorite place! My husband and I are already planning a much longer trip just to the Azores based on how amazing the place is! 

 

I'm loving your last line. It's a giant con the industry is playing. Cruising will never, ever be the environmentally conscious choice. No matter what the industry claims. Passengers know this and are ok harming the environment for the experience. There is no way of getting around this. Of course that airplane ride to the Azores won't be environmentally friendly either. Ahh, the conundrums of this every day modern world we live in. 

I would have never thought of the Azores for a trip before but am also completely in love with the place now. Such an incredible place I can’t wait to go back for a longer trip also.

[Sherilly]

9 hours ago, complawyer said:

sherilly. if you're both from jamaica, what's the difference in ports. while there may be nothing to do in falmouth, other than the falls, there's not a whole heckova lot to do in ocho rios . been there a couple of times, we honeymooned in montego pay over 50 years ago.  if youre so disappointed in the switch, stay on board and enjoy what the ship has to offer. and you should be grateful ncl is taking you somewhere, you could have ended up with an unwanted sea day, although to me that's not half bad.

The best thing about Falmouth is that it's halfway between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. The last time we took a cruise that had a port in Falmouth, we ended up going to Doctor's Cave in Montego Bay. Yes, Dunn's River Falls is over-hyped, but there are other things to do in Ocho Rios. I don't think I would want to stay on the ship when it docks literally in my home country. I at least have to get off to get some escovitch fish! C'mon, you can't beat the food it Jamaica! IJS

[complawyer]

there are other things in jamaica that are terrific, but the cc censors wont let me discuss.

 

short story. we were in jamaica for our honeymoon, and i hired a cab driver to take us around for a few days. it was less than a month before i was supposed to go to vietnam. he knew about the war, but never actually met anyone who was being sent there. he offered to hide me out in the mountains, if i wanted to go with him

[Sherilly]

4 minutes ago, complawyer said:

there are other things in jamaica that are terrific, but the cc censors wont let me discuss.

 

short story. we were in jamaica for our honeymoon, and i hired a cab driver to take us around for a few days. it was less than a month before i was supposed to go to vietnam. he knew about the war, but never actually met anyone who was being sent there. he offered to hide me out in the mountains, if i wanted to go with him

Great story! You could have stayed. 🙂 Blessings to you. I love a good Jamaican story!

[QuestionEverything]

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Ok! That's a whole lot different. I'd be more forgiving (and possibly more than slightly) if the cruise lines gave the real reason. Just tell me you need to save money to make up your bottom line. I know y'all need money to pay your ballooning debt from the shutdown. There was no bailout since y'all fly a flag of convenience. Just own up and tell us the truth. 

Sorry about your itinerary swap! I suppose they didn't want to do it so close to final payment as it would look more disingenuous.

 

Land-based is the only guarantee you'll get where you want to go so you're smart. Cruising helps me whet my appetite for new destinations to explore. For instance, we went to the Azores on our Transatlantic and thankfully we made the port. The Azores are my new favorite place! My husband and I are already planning a much longer trip just to the Azores based on how amazing the place is! 

 

I'm loving your last line. It's a giant con the industry is playing. Cruising will never, ever be the environmentally conscious choice. No matter what the industry claims. Passengers know this and are ok harming the environment for the experience. There is no way of getting around this. Of course that airplane ride to the Azores won't be environmentally friendly either. Ahh, the conundrums of this every day modern world we live in. 

Love your last paragraph.

Oceania for example - cut a minimum of 1 hr off every port for all cruises in 2024 and 2025 under the "environmental" bull S lie.

I have reported this thread on the Celebrity and Oceania forums to ensure guests are aware of this NCL scam.

I am fed up with cruise lines and their deliberate and malicious attempt to frankly defraud the customer. That is what it is.

 

[Liljo22]

1 hour ago, QuestionEverything said:

Love your last paragraph.

Oceania for example - cut a minimum of 1 hr off every port for all cruises in 2024 and 2025 under the "environmental" bull S lie.

I have reported this thread on the Celebrity and Oceania forums to ensure guests are aware of this NCL scam.

I am fed up with cruise lines and their deliberate and malicious attempt to frankly defraud the customer. That is what it is.

 

Confused why you posted it to the Celebrity forums.  Did they cancel ports also?