Would Norwegian Cruise Line ban a passenger just for complaining about itinerary changes? The answer likely depends on how the passenger delivers their grievance. One former NCL customer recently discovered that his complaint about a port cancellation on an upcoming cruise wasn’t well received.
And that’s an understatement.
In fact, today, this cruise passenger doesn’t need to worry about any itinerary changes at all. Norwegian responded to his complaint by canceling his cruise and banning him for the rest of his life.
Now he’s asking if Consumer Rescue will bring his apology to NCL and get his cruise reinstated.
But what did this cruise passenger actually do to receive such a harsh punishment from NCL?
That’s the question for today.
An annual Norwegian Cruise Line sailing to Mexico
Every November for several years, Alex M. and his fiance have sailed on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Bliss to Mexico. This year, three other couples planned to join them, and they were really looking forward to the seven-night cruise.
“We always sail on Bliss. The same cruise, the same cabin, the same ship,” Alex told me. “My fiance and I have become friendly with all the crew members. This year, two of our friends who are going have never been to Mexico.”
That’s why, Alex says, he became particularly perturbed when NCL sent him an email announcing an itinerary change. Originally, their fall cruise had four ports of call in Mexico: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Ensenada.
As we continue to optimize itineraries for enhanced port and shore excursion availability for the ultimate vacation experience, and fuel efficiency, as part of our commitment to the environment and sustainability efforts, we have adjusted the itinerary [of your cruise].
… As such, while we will no longer visit Ensenada, Mexico, we are pleased to share that we have extended our visits to Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.
Norwegian Cruise Line
After a long day at work, Alex says this announcement from NCL just hit him all wrong. He picked up the phone and called the cruise line. Then he began to let the representative know exactly what he thought of this port cancellation.
Making that impulsive call to the cruise line would prove to be a giant mistake that Alex would soon regret.
Asking Norwegian Cruise Line for an explanation – and compensation
Alex says he wanted the NCL representative to explain why the cruise line had changed the itinerary. Every year they had taken the exact same cruise and that’s what they wanted to do this time too. If Norwegian wasn’t able to give their group the cruise they booked, he suggested compensation was in order.
Well, the [Norwegian Cruise Line] agent just told me that the cruise line could change any itinerary. Then she said we weren’t getting any kind of compensation for the canceled port. She said I better stop cursing at her. All I had said up to that point was this is bull**** a few times. But then things really escalated after she scolded me. I admit I got mouthy but it was at the end of a long day.
It’s unclear whether Alex hung up on the NCL agent or vice-versa but one of them did. Alex figured he would call back after he had time to cool off and a good night’s sleep.
However, the next day, before he had time to call back, the executive office of Norwegian Cruise Line called him. At first, Alex thought the cruise line was about to make amends for changing their itinerary.
The stern voice on the phone was about to clear up his massive misconception about the purpose of NCL’s call.
Fact: NCL will boot you for verbal abuse
A bit shocked, Alex listened as the NCL executive informed him that the cruise line doesn’t tolerate verbal abuse of its employees. The executive team had listened to the call between Alex and the phone representative and made their decision.
NCL had canceled Alex and his fiance’s cruise and refunded their fare. But there was more. Alex had earned himself a place on the Do Not Sail list. He would be banned from future cruises with NCL and its partners, for the rest of his life.
With nothing more to discuss, the executive thanked Alex for his time and hung up. While Alex sat in stunned silence wondering how he was going to break this news to his fiance… and his friends.
At first I was in shock like … Really ??? I’m a loyal Norwegian Cruise Line passenger. We’re friendly with the crew on that ship. We’re nice people.
The next day I called back and apologized and asked them to please reconsider. This is a yearly thing for us, and we’re going with friends and family … but still… no matter what I said, it didn’t matter to them. I’m banned for life for VERBAL ABUSE.
After he hung up, Alex says he couldn’t believe there was nothing that could be done. So before he broke the news to his friends and family that he’d managed to get booted off the ship before the cruise even began, he went to the internet for help.
That’s when he came across an article that I’d recently published about all the ways cruise ship passengers get banned forever.
Not even one banned-for-life-cruise passenger in that article got unbanned by contacting our team. When a cruise line makes the drastic decision to ban someone it doesn’t waiver. But Alex still hoped we might be able to get him back into the good graces of his favorite cruise line.
Asking Consumer Rescue to deliver an apology to NCL
When I first read through Alex’s request for help, he still appeared agitated about the cancellation of the Ensenada port. Not only did he want to apologize for his outburst but he also wanted to make NCL’s harsh punishment public.
If I wanted to just float in the ocean I would go to my house in Maui and rent a boat to float on the ocean or go float in my pool in the backyard. To cancel a stop and not have a reason or explanation to why is ridiculous.
[Me getting banned for life] just for wanting answers needs to be made public because this is a harsh punishment. Can you help?
Unfortunately, for Alex, I knew instantly that we wouldn’t be able to help him. I’ve mediated hundreds of cases between Norwegian Cruise Line and its passengers over the years.
I know their team to be fair, kind-hearted and even-handed in most cases when things go wrong on their end.
I’ve also known the NCL team to offer goodwill gestures for cases in which they weren’t required to do so.
But in this situation, I could find no compelling reason to bring this case in front of the NCL team. We receive hundreds of requests for help every month. Not all of them are suitable to take to mediation. In fact, the customer is not always right.
In this case, Alex had let his temper get the best of him. I could not vouch for him with the executive team at Norwegian Cruise Line.
Explaining cruise itinerary changes and turning down this case
Of course, I felt terrible that this couple was going to miss their annual cruise with their friends. But the fact remained that Alex’s verbal abuse of the NCL agent was not something that the cruise line was willing to overlook. Nor, in my opinion, should it.
In reality, it doesn’t matter why NCL changed your cruise’s itinerary because your contract says you’re buying a trip on the cruise ship, not to a guaranteed specific location. Of course, most of the time, the itinerary remains as advertised, but there are times when it doesn’t. In fact, I’ve seen Caribbean cruises turn into New England cruises at the last moment because of the weather. The key to happy cruising is to be flexible — enjoy the ship and all it has to offer and your friends and family cruising with you.
I know the executive team at NCL will not change course on this decision because you did do something that they have determined is a reason to ban a passenger from their line. It sounds like the employee felt threatened and intimidated, and I’m sure the call was recorded.
I wish I had better news. But I really don’t see any way that this could be reversed.
Michelle Couch-Friedman, consumer advocate
In the end, Alex says that’s ok. He just booked a Virgin Voyages cruise to replace his lost NCL sailing. But he hopes other passengers will take his experience as a cautionary one: Maybe it’s not a good idea to call your cruise line in anger at the end of a long day.
Unfortunately, if you do, that call could have long-term consequences.
Cruise passengers aggressively complaining about itinerary changes – everywhere
Recently there is no shortage of national news reports and viral TikToks featuring cruise passengers complaining – sometimes aggressively – about itinerary changes. In fact, in one memorable video, Carnival Cruise Line passengers formed an angry mob aboard Vista chanting, “Give us our money!” as crew members tried unsuccessfully to calm the crowd.
That happened after the captain announced instead of the Caribbean, engine troubles would only allow the ship to go to the Bahamas. Despite being offered the choice to get off the cruise before it set sail with a 100 percent refund or receive a small onboard credit, the group, in a darkened showroom, escalated their demands.
In another incident, Norwegian Cruise Line passengers took to the internet in real time after their Antarctica cruise deviated from its course. It still made it to the islands off the coast of The White Continent. But NCL’s customers were quoted in a plethora of media outlets demanding refunds and compensation for being “scammed.”
This despite the fact that they did, indeed, see Antarctica during their cruise – just a different part.
Where did that cruise ship go?
Multiple news outlets gave this crowd lots of air time. Those interviews were designed to make the audience believe that the cruise line cheated these passengers out of their “Once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit Antarctica.” Yet, they did cruise to Admiralty Bay, an island at the northern tip of Antarctica.
But there was never any chance they’d be stepping on land in Antarctica. The Antarctic Treaty forbids any cruise ships with more than 500 passengers from taking anyone from ship to shore.
The truth was in the details: that NCL cruise was always a sight-seeing “drive-by” of Antarctica… and that’s exactly what the ship did.
FYI: If you really want to check Antarctica off your bucket list you’ll need to visit on a small cruise ship(less than 500 passengers). Those are the only vessels permitted to take adventurers to shore – and the only way to claim a true visit to the “7th continent.”
Are these news reports encouraging bad behavior?
The pull quotes attached to many of these sensationalized reports indicate that many passengers have not read their cruise contract.
In the Antarctica fiasco, one woman was quoted as saying “we didn’t go anywhere near the mainland and that’s what we paid for.”
However, that isn’t what she paid for and her comment illustrates a basic misunderstanding shared by many cruise ship passengers. When you book a cruise your exact destination is never guaranteed.
Passengers beware: If your cruise will be ruined if you don’t visit all the destinations on your original itinerary, you should not book the trip.
It seems that the news reports showing these angry mobs are fanning the flames of discontent among cruise ship passengers who experience an itinerary change – and who haven’t read their contract.
I don’t know how many of these passengers we’re seeing in these reports and videos will be permanently banned from the cruise lines they’re complaining about. But I suspect many will find themselves on the Do Not Sail list.
In the past year, I’ve seen a massive uptick in complaints from banned former passengers (and their family members) who have been surprised to learn they’re no longer welcome to cruise with their favorite line. Many of these passengers, like Alex, have found themselves on the outside looking in after making forceful complaints and demands.
Those complaints are often based on the passengers’ misunderstanding of their contract with the cruise line.
What does your cruise contract say about itinerary changes?
You can find almost everything you need to know about your rights as a cruise passenger in your contract. Before your next cruise, have a look at that contract. What you see about itinerary changes might surprise you.
Norwegian Cruise Lines contract of carriage is much the same as every other carrier:
Itinerary Changes
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. Norwegian Cruise Line shall not be responsible for failure to adhere to published arrival and departure times for any of its ports of call. Norwegian Cruise Line may, but is not obliged to, substitute another vessel for any sailing and cannot be liable for any loss to passengers by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement or substitution. ( Norwegian Cruise Line)
What to know about itinerary changes during your cruise
- You’re booking a cruise, NOT a guaranteed destination: Cruise travel is unique in that, unlike air travel, you’re not booking a guaranteed destination. Think of a cruise like a hotel in a floating city. That’s what the cruise line guarantees to you. The individual ports can change for almost any reason, but you’ll always have a comfy bed with tasty food and beverages in that fancy floating city each night. It’s critical that cruise passengers understand that basic fact so that their expectations can be realistically set before boarding. Flexibility is the key to happy cruising.
- Maritime law says the captain controls the ship – not the passengers: Angry mobs, shouting passengers, and demands for explanations are no match for maritime law. The captain controls the ship and is responsible for the safety and comfort of his or her passengers and crew. As the NCL contract of carriage highlights, the captain can, for any reason whatsoever, change course without prior notice.
- Cruise itinerary changes do not lead to compensation: Unless the itinerary adjustment decreases the number of days of your cruise, the cruise line doesn’t owe you compensation. You will receive a refund for any port fees paid for missed stops. Cruise lines sometimes offer onboard credits as a goodwill gesture for itinerary changes. The key word there is “Goodwill.” If you intend to ask for compensation in the form of a goodwill gesture, make sure to be polite.
The bottom line
Cruise lines are fed up with bad passenger behavior. I know this first hand by the escalating number of requests for help we receive each month from banished passengers. If you don’t want your favorite cruise line to add you to their blacklist, don’t take your frustration out on others around you.
If you can’t control your temper before you even board the ship, why would a cruise line want to risk taking you out to sea? The answer is: They don’t.
Any kind of abuse of cruise line employees or other passengers, at sea or on land, will not be tolerated. That behavior can get you kicked off your cruise and put you on the fast track to the Do Not Sail list. An added bonus? If you’re banned from one cruise line, that banishment is usually extended to all other partner brands. Don’t let that happen to you. Be kind to others, and enjoy your cruise wherever it takes you! (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Consumer Rescue)
Three cheers to NCL for standing up for what’s right! I hope this guy has learned something.
Yes, I think he did.
So, they canceled her cruise too, probably because they were going to be in the same cabin. But, she herself is not banned. So not guilty by association. That’s good.
I don’t think she is banned. But NCL did cancel their entire cabin.
Thank you for standing up for civility! Also, I’m just learning here about the limit of 499 passengers for a cruise ship to allow access to the Antarctic continent. Luckily, when I went, I chose a 48 passenger ship and we were all able to visit. It was fantastic. We even got to see the huts of the explorers, Scott and Shackleton and eight species of penguin!
I went to Antarctica on a small ship, too… Aurora Expeditions’ Sylvia Earle. I think we had 65 passengers in total. Our ship delivered the scientists to Port Lockroy for the season last year. The buildings were completely under the snow. I enjoyed kayaking down there while the penguins followed along. What an experience!
Pretty bad from everyone. I have only been on a cruise once, and I hate the thought of being on a ship with nowhere to go really, except the buffet, but it’s also an over-reaction from the cruise line. They’re all a bunch of dolts.
I don’t think it’s an overreaction from the cruise line. If I curse out the clerk at the convenience store, I’m probably going to get banned from that store. It’s not like Alex calmly complained about the itinerary change and got banned for that. He somehow expected the person on the other end of the phone to be able to give him an answer as to why the itinerary was changed and when she told hm to stop cursing at her, “But then things really escalated after she scolded me.” He doesn’t have a right to speak to people any way he chooses and expect no repercussions and I for one am happy NCL stood up for their employee. Maybe some others will be deterred from acting this way after hearing this story.
What’s with this sense of entitlement and subsequent temper tantrums? Civility seems to have disappeared. He got exactly what he deserved!
Sadly, he got what was coming to him. Cruise lines are taking less and less from horrible passengers, what with all the fights going on, and recently a woman got a firearm aboard and bragged about it on TikTok!
I was curious, so I checked–it takes just over 4 hours to drive from downtown L.A. to downtown Ensenada in North Baja.
So Alex got permanently banned because an overnight driving vacation was a bridge too far? The only complications is the actual drive, the questions at the border (in both directions) and making sure you have Mexican car insurance on the vehicle being used (and by the way, about 8 years ago, an annual Mexican car insurance plan was about $500 or less).
This advice is excellent- “Maybe it’s not a good idea to call your cruise line in anger at the end of a long day.”
It’s never a good idea to call and berate a customer service rep.
People forget that they’re calling other people who often have zero control over whatever change they’re upset about. In this case, I’m glad NCL is backing up their employee.
I’m also curious about the change of itinerary in this specific case. Skipping Ensanada isn’t really doing much in terms of fuel savings, so I wonder if there was a scheduling issue with other lines in port that day.
I suspect it has to do with safety… In the latest warnings about Mexico in September, the US State Department issued a “Do Not Travel” warning to Baja California due to kidnapping risk and high crime.
I have been cruising for 40 years and cannot count the number of ports that have been cancelled. Most were weather related, a couple in France due to port strikes, a few for mechanical reasons and two for reasons that were never given. We simply laughed and went on with life. Missing a port is not the end of the world. This man went overboard with his complaints. The ban in this situation was well deserved.
Wow this guy is a grade A jerk and I’m convinced he learned nothing. He still thinks he’s the victim here. I don’t side with corporations too often but NCL absolutely made the right call here.