A family that missed their all-aboard time during a cruise to Alaska was charged almost $9,000 by Norwegian Cruise Line due to the incident.
The charge was for fees incurred by the family for violating US Customs and Border Protection policies, and was for $971 per person. The family of 9 had missed the return time while in Ketchikan.
The family was forced to pay the fee, but NCL did later confirm that it would refund the charge and that it was also refunding other out-of-pocket expenses for the family. As a gesture of goodwill, the family also received a 20% discount on a future cruise.
That’s despite the fact that the cruise line was not at fault for the family missing the ship, but instead it was the fault of a local tour company.
The family had used the operator to see a lumberjack show, but then when they tried to use the company’s bus to return to the port, they were told it was full and to wait for another.
The company never sent another bus, and so the family had to urgently contact the cruise line and the port authority who did send a van, but it was too late.
Apparently, the tour operator was not checking who had booked with the ship, and so was allowing anyone onto the bus.
While most of the family were given their passports back, one had been left on the ship and so the family couldn’t travel to meet the ship in the next port of call.
They eventually managed to get home, although they said they had issues with cancelled flights and had to travel via various cities.
NCL claims that they were able to help the family make their travel arrangements so that they could get home.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
