Dawn passengers left “stranded” on African island

[dmwnc1959]

17 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I'm not denying anything. I've booked independent excursions, too.

 

My point is that whatever negative publicity this will generate, NCL will continue to fill their ships and as a possible side effect, people might be less likely to book the independent excursion if (in the back of their mind) people remember this story. 

People have short attention spans, and this news story will be forgotten the next time there’s another bomb dropped or massive snow storm in April. Climate change and war have that effect on news.
 

Yes, NCL will continue to fill their ships, and cancel ports of call that they never had any intention of going to, and people will continue to experience poor Haven experiences, and complain about bad food, and all of the other threads that happen on cruise critic, 

 

And NCL will continue to fill their ships.

 

😎

Edited April 2 by dmwnc1959

[Momnipotent]

I'm surprised the all aboard time is only 30 minutes before departure time. On Oceania it's always 1 hr.

We usually take private tours but in third world ports like that it's not worth the risk. 

All the news articles are lacking information about the timing of the various events that happened, I'd like to know more. 

Story of a stop in Mombasa, Kenya in 2015. We did a private tour, no problem. The ship had a tour to Nairobi, this was right when the Pope was visiting Nairobi. The road for the return bus trip to the port was a nightmare traffic jam that lasted 3 days. The bus was full of elderly travelers, couldn't get off the bus because of security concerns, no toilets, armed guards. Departure time was supposed to be 6pm I think. The bus finally reached the ship around midnight and we departed. What a nightmare for them. 

[graphicguy]

I've done "non-sponsored" excursions unaffiliated with any cruise line.  They were pretty risk free....mostly personal taxi guides.  Always given strict instructions to have me (us) back to the ship at least an hour before all aboard time (preferably 2, just in case...).

 

Non-sponsored tour?  Taking a tender?  No tour operator responsibility?  Nope!

 

Again, waiting to hear what the tour operator has to say.  Why isn't anyone interviewing them?  Or, are they incommunicado since this whole thing started?

[dmwnc1959]

3 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

100% agree. Typically entitled, "I'm the victim," 0% responsibility passengers. NCL did nothing wrong and I hope those people get zilch.

It has already been reported at NCL plans on reimbursing these passengers for all of their expensive getting back to the ship. 
 

‘Norwegian noted the passengers were responsible for making their own travel arrangements to rejoin the ship.’
 

“Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal," a cruise line spokesperson said. "We remain in communication with the guests and are providing additional information as it becomes available."

[cltnccruisers]

1 minute ago, graphicguy said:

I've done "non-sponsored" excursions unaffiliated with any cruise line.  They were pretty risk free....mostly personal taxi guides.  Always given strict instructions to have me (us) back to the ship at least an hour before all aboard time (preferably 2, just in case...).

 

Non-sponsored tour?  Taking a tender?  No tour operator responsibility?  Nope!

 

Again, waiting to hear what the tour operator has to say.  Why isn't anyone interviewing them?  Or, are they incommunicado since this whole thing started?

Might have lawyered up.  They are everywhere.  Can't swing a cat without hitting one or two.  That or they have been interviewed but what they said didn't fit the media narrative.

[WonderMan3]

I find it amusing that in the midst of apparently transiting through multiple African countries over the past few days, likely in one of the most stressful situations of their lives, trying to catch up to the ship these folks have found plenty of time to talk to and be interviewed by multiple media sources. Guess we know where their priorities lie…

[dmwnc1959]

13 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

If a port was not safe for passengers to debark then the cruise line would not go there.

So, the blanketed warning statistics and quoting of safety levels in Caribbean and Mexican ports, those are seemingly worthless based on the fact that cruise lines go there ALL the time. 🤔

[Boatdrill]

8 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

It has already been reported at NCL plans on reimbursing these passengers for all of their expensive getting back to the ship. 

 

8 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

“Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal," a cruise line spokesperson said. 

 

NCL is reimbursing them only for the Gambia to Senegal portion, not their entire "adventure" which began in Sao Tome. This makes perfect sense, 

since the ship wasn't able to get into Gambia, which was the scheduled port after Sao Tome. 

Edited April 2 by Boatdrill

[dmwnc1959]

1 minute ago, Boatdrill said:

 

 

NCL is reimbursing them only for the Gambia to Senegal portion, not their entire "adventure" which began in Sao Tome. 

So, there is some ‘admission of guilt’ by NCL. 

[thedarklord]

Just now, Boatdrill said:

 

 

NCL is reimbursing them only for the Gambia to Senegal portion, not their entire "adventure" which began in Sao Tome. 

 

Just now, dmwnc1959 said:

So, there is some ‘admission of guilt’ by NCL. 

No, I don't think there's any admission of guilt by NCL with that.  NCL told them to get to Gambia at their own cost to rejoin the ship there which they did.  When it turned out the ship couldn't dock at Gambia due to weather, NCL has covered the cost from Gambia to the next port - that feels reasonable, as that isn't down to the individuals being late, that's down to a decision by NCL, the passengers have done their part.

[dmwnc1959]

19 minutes ago, Ashlynkat said:

Or take extra security precautions like NCL did and stay on schedule so the ship doesn’t stay in a high piracy zone any longer than it needs to? 

I find it extremely reckless that any cruise line would schedule a ship through a high piracy zone. There are plenty of other places in the world that will not put your passengers at risk, or require a military escort and the onboarding of extra security and ammunition. Sounds like a money grab by NCL. 

[marrashadow]

Prior to this story I was reading a blogger review about this cruise and she stated due to the once in a lifetime vibe of the cruise many people were not being smart cruisers. They were so caught up in the trip that they were ignoring staff instructions failing to listen to announcements ect. making it difficult for crew. So I'd guess this is the same. If they do go for a lawsuit it happens in Florida which in the past has been very pro NCL passenger contract. Meaning if its explicitly stated you are not getting an exception. Most I see, are supporting NCL and as stated this does happen all the time all over the world. It is passenger responsibility to get to designated areas on-time. I've seen it happen in Alaska and in France. How fair is it for an entire ship to lose out on their trip for a few irresponsible folks. The fact the are playing to the media should not matter.

Someone will start a go fund me for them and they will get money back. I don't think they should but people are suckers.

[beastlet]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Doesn’t matter. That’s what the vast majority of the public will see. That NCL has failed.

 

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I’m not an NCL cheerleader, I’m not an NCL shareholder, and I’m not an NCL corporate shill. And in the court of non-Cruise Critic public opinion, NCL is guilty. 
 

GUILTY. 

You overestimate the attention span of the public. In 5 minutes there will be another story and everyone except cruisegeeks like us will have forgotten this.

Remember a few years ago, a family all over the news because they hadn't bought the cruise insurance and their kid was diagnosed with leukemia and they couldn't make the cruise and wanted their money back or a credit? All over the news. I bet very few people remember it now., And same situation. Family thinks they're special and should get a special exemption when they chose not to buy the insurance and instead took the risk. Their child being diagnosed with leukemia was sad and tragic,  but isn't different than if their child had gotten appendicitis which is less sad, less tragic, but also would have made them miss the cruise. 

[Boatdrill]

8 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

So, there is some ‘admission of guilt’ by NCL. 

Not at all. It's a goodwill gesture, and the right thing to do.

The passengers were required to get to the next port of call (Gambia) at their own expense, 

and they did so. It wasn't the passengers'  fault that the ship couldn't get in,  and had to move on to the next scheduled port.  

Edited April 2 by Boatdrill

[dmwnc1959]

1 minute ago, thedarklord said:

 

No, I don't think there's any admission of guilt by NCL with that.  NCL told them to get to Gambia at their own cost to rejoin the ship there which they did.  When it turned out the ship couldn't dock at Gambia due to weather, NCL has covered the cost from Gambia to the next port - that feels reasonable, as that isn't down to the individuals being late, that's down to a decision by NCL, the passengers have done their part.

Still, not the hardline abandonment NCL would like to think by saying it all falls back on the passenger at their expense. 

[cltnccruisers]

2 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

So, the blanketed warning statistics and quoting of safety levels in Caribbean and Mexican ports, those are seemingly worthless based on the fact that cruise lines go there ALL the time. 🤔

We check the State Dept warnings for all of our cruises.  Only had 1 Level 4 a few years ago.  Ship still stopped there.  We wandered the port area but that was it.  Have had several Level 3, which is basically "Watch your back" with no issues.  The only incident we ever had was in St Maarten several years ago.  We were beyond Back Street where we don't normally go.  My wife was window shopping about 15 feet ahead of me.  Two kids on a scooter came the other way.  The passenger got off and started towards my wife.  I got between them and used my best drill sgt voice to 'question his intentions'.  That ended that.

[gowilk]

1 minute ago, dmwnc1959 said:

So, there is some ‘admission of guilt’ by NCL. 

hardly an admission… jest normal business, i would expect that….what about the 2500 people who have potentially missed excursions in cote d ivore because of the eight individuals who think that the world should wait for them…cruise ships are VERY firm on this policy universally.

[cltnccruisers]

7 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

So, there is some ‘admission of guilt’ by NCL. 

Hmmm... more like just a little damage control.

[dmwnc1959]

2 minutes ago, beastlet said:

 

You overestimate the attention span of the public. In 5 minutes there will be another story and everyone except cruisegeeks like us will have forgotten this.

Remember a few years ago, a family all over the news because they hadn't bought the cruise insurance and their kid was diagnosed with leukemia and they couldn't make the cruise and wanted their money back or a credit? All over the news. I bet very few people remember it now., And same situation. Family thinks they're special and should get a special exemption when they chose not to buy the insurance and instead took the risk. Their child being diagnosed with leukemia was sad and tragic,  but isn't different than if their child had gotten appendicitis which is less sad, less tragic, but also would have made them miss the cruise. 

Sort of like the very recent news story of a travel agent who stiffed 50 people (?) Then boarded the ship, leaving them on the pier. That news story is pretty much forgotten. 

[beastlet]

22 hours ago, njkate said:

St Petersburg Russia? That’s a horse of a different color, last place someone needs to be stranded 

This was years ago, before the Ukraine invasion. 

[cltnccruisers]

6 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I find it extremely reckless that any cruise line would schedule a ship through a high piracy zone. There are plenty of other places in the world that will not put your passengers at risk, or require a military escort and the onboarding of extra security and ammunition. Sounds like a money grab by NCL. 

Read somewhere that this is a repositioning cruise.  As such, there may not have been a lot of options on the route.

[marrashadow]

According to news story they are not reimbursing all expenses just the expense from Gambia to next port as the ship missed that port and had granted re-embarkation for it. So the expenses it took to get there are still on them and now SC couple is stating they aren't sure they want to re-board. Idiots!

[DCGuy64]

23 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

It has already been reported at NCL plans on reimbursing these passengers for all of their expensive getting back to the ship. 
 

‘Norwegian noted the passengers were responsible for making their own travel arrangements to rejoin the ship.’
 

“Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjur, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal," a cruise line spokesperson said. "We remain in communication with the guests and are providing additional information as it becomes available."

If NCL elects to reimburse passengers, even though it has no liability whatsoever and is in no way required to, I'm sure that won't stop the haters on here who will still somehow say NCL is evil and should be boycotted, sued or burned at the stake. 🤣🤣

[cltnccruisers]

7 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Sort of like the very recent news story of a travel agent who stiffed 50 people (?) Then boarded the ship, leaving them on the pier. That news story is pretty much forgotten. 

I remember that.  Mostly elderly folks.  I think he got arrested.

[Boatdrill]

By the way, high praise and many thanks to the captain for his commitment to the safety of his ship, crew and passengers. There is no doubt he was in touch with NCL Marine Operations back in the US and they made the decisions together. If I was in his shoes, there would be no way I would allow an unfamiliar foreign vessel to pull up next to mine to return late passengers in a part of the world known for piracy.  I would have no way of knowing who else is on that boat.  Unless it was SEAL Team Six, no one could change my mind.