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Norwegian Cruise Line recently denied boarding to a bewildered passenger in Tokyo — she says, solely because of her nationality. But the next day, NCL reversed course and told the woman she was welcome to join the cruise.
Unfortunately, by then, Norwegian Spirit had sailed and was nearly 500 miles away in Kobe.
That passenger, Nastassia Tasruk, contacted Consumer Rescue in a panic. She and her husband wanted to catch up with the ship but were unsure whether they should. And if they didn’t, would the cruise line owe them a refund?
Here’s their unpleasant tale — and what travelers should know about unusual documentation requirements and nationality-based restrictions affecting cruise passengers worldwide.
Booking Norwegian cruise through Japan and South Korea
Back in April, Nastassia and her husband, Ruslan, who live and work in Thailand, decided to take a cruise. Having previously enjoyed cruises with Norwegian Cruise Line, the couple opened up the NCL website to make their choice.
They settled on a 10-night cruise from Tokyo to various destinations in southern Japan, ending in Seoul.
Not only was the itinerary intriguing for Nastassia and her husband, but the price was right as well. For just $3,951, a variety of extras were included — like Wifi, specialty dining, beverage package and a shore excursion credit.
“We planned to enjoy everything the cruise had to offer,” Nastassia explained.
But on the day the couple was set to board the ship, all those plans suddenly became impossible.
Norwegian Cruise Line: You’re denied boarding this ship
When the couple made their way to the cruise terminal in Tokyo, they were a bit fatigued. They had just made the eight-hour journey from Thailand and were looking forward to settling into their cabin.
Reaching the front of the check-in line, Ruslan handed over their passports to a pleasant-looking employee.
“He took one look at the outside of my passport and his face changed,” Nastassia recalled. “The NCL agent told me sternly that I could not board the cruise ship.”
To add insult to injury, the cruise line representative gave Ruslan different news. If he was willing to take the trip without his wife, he was welcome to board Norwegian Spirit.
Sailing off to Korea and leaving Nastassia behind in Japan was out of the question. Instead, the couple spent some time trying to convince the staff at the terminal that Nastassia should be allowed to board the cruise.
But it was no use. An NCL supervisor soon appeared and reconfirmed that Nastassia was being denied boarding because of her nationality. No amount of reasoning or arguing would be able to change the decision.
In frustration, Nastassia and Ruslan took back their passports, gathered their luggage and left the terminal. Behind them they heard music and laughter taunting them from the ship.
The couple booked a hotel, and Nastassia spent the rest of the evening composing a complaint to Norwegian Cruise Line.
At the same time, she also sent a plea for help to Consumer Rescue.
What sort of passport was this passenger carrying?
When I read through Nastassia’s email for the first time, I was skeptical. She told me that NCL had refused to let her board Norwegian Spirit purely because of her nationality. If that were the case, this would be a type of cruise fiasco I hadn’t encountered before. I thought it more likely that she was missing a visa for Korea.
But then I started digging around in the cruise line’s terms and conditions. Suddenly her complaint wasn’t far-fetched at all.
Nastassia was born in Belarus. Although she doesn’t live there, she is a citizen of Belarus.
The passport she was traveling on was issued by Belarus and that was a big problem.
Can a cruise line deny a passenger boarding because of their nationality?
The United States and the European Commission have imposed international sanctions against Belarus for many years due to human rights violations and a fraudulent presidential election in 2020.
In response to those international sanctions, many major cruise lines have adopted strict compliance policies that, in practice, prevent them from doing business with travelers holding Belarusian passports.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s terms and conditions explain (NCL: clause 29):
That section goes on to explain that NCL will refuse to board passengers from the listed countries and regions. Unless… the traveler can prove citizenship or residency of another country.
Nastassia was aware of the sanctions, but she was under the impression her work permit for Thailand fulfilled NCL’s rule.
As it turns out, she was only half right.
Norwegian Cruise Line reverses course, the couple is welcome to board
On the day that Nastassia was denied boarding Norwegian Spirit, it was Sunday afternoon in Tokyo. She had presented her passport with a work permit to show that she was living and working in Thailand with her husband. Ruslan holds a Lithuanian passport and that’s why his boarding privileges weren’t restricted.
The employees at the cruise terminal in Tokyo did not have the authority to make a decision about whether Nastassia’s work papers could fulfill NCL’s residency requirements.
But after turning the couple away, the supervisor there sent a request to NCL’s corporate office requesting a review.
On Monday, in the United States, Nastassia’s situation was reviewed. The executive team gave the green light for her to join the cruise on Tuesday. Ultimately, the couple decided to join Norwegian Spirit. They hopped on a bullet train and made their way to Kobe just in time to catch the ship.
The rest of the cruise was uneventful. But Nastassia had an uneasy feeling throughout the journey. Her initial rejection based solely on her birthplace made her feel a bit like a second class citizen.
And Norwegian Cruise Line had made no mention of compensation for the couple’s inconvenience. Nor had it admitted to making a mistake refusing to allow her to board the ship with the rest of the passengers.
But there was a reason NCL wasn’t apologizing for making a mistake.
It hadn’t.
A work permit doesn’t prove residency or citizenship
Although Nastassia is living and working in Thailand, and has no plans of returning to Belarus, she is not a permanent resident or citizen there. Her citizenship remains Belarusian.
The terms and conditions of the NCL contract explain exactly what a passenger needs to prove citizenship or residency.
Nastassia had none of those forms of ID and so the port staff were correct to deny boarding to her. In fact, the terms of the contract say that NCL could refuse her boarding — and keep their cruise fare as well.
There appears to be some flexibility in the enforcement of the application of those terms in the cruise contract. As Nastassia is not living in Belarus and was able to prove that information, the cruise line’s headquarters made the decision to allow her to sail.
But I thought Norwegian Cruise Line might offer some goodwill gesture to the couple because of additional details in their paper trail.
The good news: Norwegian will provide a $900 future cruise credit
Nastassia was not unaware of the sanctions or the rules for cruising with a Belarusian passport. In fact, she had taken a Norwegian cruise through Europe with the same documents a year earlier.
However, in June 2025 additional sanctions were imposed against Belarus. The couple became concerned that those might cause her documents to be more closely scrutinized. So Ruslan sent several requests to NCL customer service requesting clarification and pre-approval for his wife’s boarding.
Those emails went unanswered and unfortunately, we know what happened next.
I reached out to our executive contacts at Norwegian Cruise Line. Given that the couple had made efforts before the cruise to get clarification and they had missed three days of the trip because of the confusion, I thought the team might want to provide some type of goodwill gesture.
I was right.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for reaching out. After looking into this case, our Guest Services team has reached out to the guests to provide them each with $450 in future cruise credits. The credits have been applied to Ruslan Mandziuk and Nastassia Nastassia’s respective Latitudes accounts.
Thank you,
Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson
So in the end, NCL issued the couple $900 in future cruise credits. Hopefully, their next cruise will be smooth sailing all the way.
Related: We flew the whole way to New Zealand to be denied Norwegian Spirit
How to avoid getting denied boarding your cruise
Of course, if you regularly read this site, you might think passengers getting denied boarding their cruises is a common occurrence. It isn’t. Fortunately, passengers getting turned away at the pier is relatively rare.
Here’s what you can do to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
Related: Awful mistakes cruise passengers make (my column at Fodor’s Travel)
1. Do your research before booking your cruise:
Unfortunately, there are circumstances in which a traveler may not be eligible to take certain cruises. For instance, some cruise ships still sail to Cuba, but U.S. citizens aren’t permitted onboard. And as we’ve seen in today’s case, sanctions against some countries make it difficult — even impossible — for passport holders of those regions to cruise.
Additionally, destinations may require visas that are unique to your home country. If you’re traveling with someone in your party who doesn’t share the same birth place, passport or residency status, their documentation requirements may be vastly different from your own. It’s critical that cruise passengers are aware of their own personal requirements for traveling.
2. Escalate your questions before booking:
The responsibility for knowing what you need to successfully board your cruise lies entirely with you. Every cruise contract makes it clear that if you do not have the correct documentation for your itinerary, you’ll be denied boarding. Not only that, but the cruise line has no liability to you. You’ll end up without your cruise and without the money you spent on it. That’s a devastating double whammy!
For this reason, it is crucial that you clarify all the details of your eligibility to board the ship and enter all the destinations on your itinerary before you book the cruise. If you don’t have clarity — and a confirmation from the cruise line — that you’ll get the green light to sail on embarkation day, then you must escalate your questions.
If you need help reaching a real person at your cruise line who Consumer Rescue knows has a history of helping customers, send your request to Your Research Valet, and we can give you that up-to-date contact information.
3. Book with a trusted travel advisor or cruise consultant:
The benefits of booking a cruise (or any other trip) with a professional travel advisor are vast. Primarily, you have a knowledgeable, built-in advocate (a little like me, your chief fiasco fixer) from start to finish. If you have questions about your eligibility to cruise or fly to a destination, your travel advisor can find out for you before booking your trip.
Not only that, but professional travel advisors carry Errors and Omission insurance. So if they make a mistake (as all of us do from time to time), and it impacts you financially, you’ll be protected.
You can find a vetted professional travel advisor who specializes in your mode of travel at VeriVacation (from the American Society of Travel Advisors)
Although a cruise consultant isn’t a professional travel agent, I mention this option for a reason. If a cruise line’s cruise consultant makes a mistake, cruise lines generally will protect you. (See: A cruise consultant made many mistakes here, will NCL help?)
Have you ever been denied boarding a cruise? Tell us about it in the comments! We’re here to help
The bottom line
Being denied boarding at the pier for a much-anticipated dream vacation is devastating. I know, not from personal experience, but from fielding hundreds of pleas for help from cruisers it has happened to over the years.
Nearly all of these cruise fiascos could have been avoided with a little pre-cruise homework. The best defense against something like this happening to you is to make 100 percent certain, before you head down to the port, that all your (cruise) ducks are in a row.
Of course, if you hit a cruise hurdle you can’t clear, Consumer Rescue is here to help. Send your request for help, and I’ll be happy to investigate with my team. Our assistance is always fast, friendly – and free of charge. (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Founder of Consumer Rescue)
