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That’s the question at the heart of a viral video in which a passenger aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line
NCLH,
ship sailing to Antarctica recently expressed her frustration. At issue: NCL had changed the itinerary and the trip would no longer include a key stop to view the icy continent.
“We feel we’re being cheated, we’re being scammed,” said the passenger in the video on TikTok, which has received more than 3 million views since its posting a few days ago.
The passenger, who used the TikTok handle “ruinedvacation,” added that no explanation was given for the itinerary change and that she and many of her fellow travelers had gathered en masse to protest the situation and demand answers from NCL. The 14-day cruise, aboard the Norwegian Star, left Buenos Aires on Feb. 4.
In a subsequent video, the passenger explained that she had since learned the ship would now visit a different area of Antarctica, but she remained disappointed that it wasn’t what she originally expected. She noted that she had heard the itinerary change was not weather-related, but rather stemmed from the fact the ship was under a “go slow” order.
A spokesperson for NCL explained the “go slow” order, telling MarketWatch that “due to a recent regulatory requirement in the area, the ship is operating at a reduced speed … impacting its original itinerary.” The spokesperson added, “While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary or to accommodate certain circumstances.”
Itinerary changes are a reality of cruise travel, say cruise-industry experts and professionals. They don’t necessarily happen every day, but there are plenty of instances of a promised port or two that couldn’t be visited because of weather or security concerns, among other reasons.
In extreme cases, cruise lines might revamp an entire route, such as when MSC Cruises changed a Bahamas and Florida sailing last year into a New England and Canada sojourn because of weather. MSC issued a statement at the time, saying “The only alternative would have been to take the more extreme step of canceling the cruise — and thousands of people’s vacations — outright.”
Still, MSC did provide passengers the option to cancel and apply their purchase to a future sailing. But cruise experts say you can’t expect an operator to offer any compensation or accommodation due to an itinerary change.
“To be clear, the cruise line doesn’t have to do anything” said Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of the Cruise Critic site.
Indeed, when you book a sailing, most cruise lines spell out in their passenger agreements that itinerary changes are possible, even if many travelers may not bother to read the fine print.
For example, NCL says the following in its terms and conditions: “In the event of strikes, lockouts, stoppages of labor, riots, weather conditions, mechanical difficulties or any other reason whatsoever, Norwegian Cruise Line has the right to cancel, advance, postpone or substitute any scheduled sailing or itinerary without prior notice.”
“‘To be clear, the cruise line doesn’t have to do anything.’”
But that doesn’t mean passengers are plain out of luck, either, experts say.
For starters, travelers can still register a complaint with the cruise line. Depending on the circumstances, the company may be willing to offer an onboard credit, a credit for a future cruise or even a full or partial refund.
The point is you don’t know until you ask, says Ashley Kosciolek, who tracks the cruise industry for The Point Guys travel site.
“It’s all very situational, but the squeaky wheel tends to get more attention,” she said.
If you purchased cruise insurance, you may also have some financial protection. That’s especially the case if the itinerary change is announced in advance of the sailing and your insurance allows you to cancel for any reason — a type of coverage that typically costs more than the standard trip insurance but will allow you to skip the cruise and get some money back.
Plenty of caveats apply, however, said Jeff Rolander, director of claims for Faye, a travel-insurance provider. He said policies typically don’t cover cancellations made within 48 hours of embarkation. And even if you are able to cancel, most policies won’t refund any more than 75% of what you paid for the cruise.
As for routing changes that occur during a sailing, there may be instances when insurance kicks in and gives you at least a partial refund, Rolander said. But such situations typically involve instances of terrorism or security alerts forcing a rerouting, not a weather-related change.
Another option to consider, experts say: You can contact your credit-card issuer, presuming you booked the cruise using that payment method. Many cards have some form of travel protection, but it’s worth keeping in mind that ultimately your agreement with the cruise line allowed for an itinerary change, so your card issuer may not be sympathetic.
Of course, another way to deal with rerouting is to try to avoid it altogether by not booking certain types of cruises. Traveling to the Caribbean during hurricane season is one example — when there’s a storm lurking, itineraries can quickly change. And Antarctica sailings are also notoriously prone to being rerouted because of weather and other factors.
So, why do passengers get caught off guard by itinerary changes, leaving them feeling as frustrated as that woman in the TikTok video? They might have skipped reading the fine print so they’re not fully aware of the cruise line’s terms and conditions.
Experts say the problem is likely only growing because cruise travel itself is growing — and many people are taking to the high seas for the first time without an understanding of all the ins and outs of cruising.
Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group, projected last year that 31.5 million passengers would set sail in 2023, putting the industry ahead of its prepandemic numbers.
Which is not to say every rerouting results in passengers being dissatisfied.
Woody Graber, a regular cruise traveler who calls the Miami area home, said he and his family embarked on a Mediterranean cruise in 2018 that was to include a key stop in the Italian city of Naples. But rough weather upended the plan and the ship skipped the port.
Graber said he understood the reality and was glad to be out of harm’s way. Plus, in the end, the situation resolved itself.
“We actually made it back there on another cruise,” Graber said.
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