Cruise Fiascos

Cruise Fiascos: Dramatic Tales and Essential Tips

Dive into the dramatic world of cruise mishaps with our “Cruise Fiascos” category. These articles from the Consumer Rescue case files recount real-life stories of unexpected and often chaotic events that have befallen cruise ship passengers. From being banned from future cruises to dealing with onboard disputes, these cautionary tales are both entertaining and educational. Alongside each story, you’ll find practical tips and guidance to help you avoid similar situations, ensuring your next cruise is smooth sailing. Learn from cruise ship passengers’ experiences and make your cruise adventures trouble-free.

If you have a problem with a cruise line that you can’t resolve, contact the Consumer Rescue advocacy team. We’ll investigate and help you, too! Our assistance is always fast, friendly, and, best of all, free of charge!

Princess Cruises pricing mistake, Sun Princess wrong pricing for cruise, Princess canceled mistake fare, Cruise lines don't honor obvious fat-finger rates, Cruise pricing errors

Princess Cruises increased the cost of my trip by $10,000. Is this legal?

July 18, 2025July 31, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Princess Cruises recently accidentally published a fare for a 21-day Mediterranean sailing that was too good to be true. Literally. The mistakenly displayed price – caused by human error – rang in at just a fraction of the cruise’s actual cost.

That fat-finger rate was only briefly available on the Princess website, but word spread quickly across the Internet. That alert caused an immediate flutter of unusually high booking activity, and the cruise line noticed. For all of the elated would-be cruise passengers who snagged this dream deal, bad news was on the horizon.

Forced travel insurance for Princess Cruise refund, Crown Princess customer problem, Vacations to Go agent forced cruise passenger to buy insurance, refund wanted

My cruise agent made me buy travel insurance I don’t need. Can you help?

October 11, 2024July 24, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Your cruise agent can’t legally require you to buy the travel insurance product he or she is selling. So why does 82-year-old Marla Caplan say that is precisely what a consultant did after booking her latest cruise?

That’s the question of the day.

Carnival Cruise Line's Legend skips Greenland, canceled Greenland port stop, Cruise line cancels Greenland

Our Carnival cruise missed Greenland. Why won’t this agent refund our excursion?

April 21, 2025July 1, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Hundreds of Carnival Cruise Line passengers were disappointed recently when their ship completely missed Greenland, the main attraction. But that disappointment turned to rage when a quasi-travel agent refused to refund their canceled shore excursions to the island.

Can she really do that?

Carnival Cruise Line, a cruise ship on the horizon

Our Carnival cruise ended with a shocking roaming charge! Can you help?

November 28, 2024June 9, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Cesar Resendiz and his wife thought a Carnival cruise would be the perfect way to celebrate their anniversary. What they didn’t think about was putting their mobile phones in airplane mode during their ten days onboard the ship. That oversight led to a shocking $2,349 roaming charge they discovered only after disembarking from Carnival’s Venezia.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Viva, NCL refund problem, get passenger's money back

Norwegian Cruise Line sent my refund to my enemy. How can I get it back?

June 29, 2025April 19, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Lynette Hampton was looking forward to a trip aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Viva with her friend Gloria. That is until the two had an irreversible falling out, which caused Hampton to cancel her part of the cruise. Things only got worse between them when NCL mistakenly sent a portion of Hampton’s refund to her newly minted enemy — and she refuses to give it back. Now what?

Carnival Cruise Line's Celebration, Carnival banned a child from taking a cruise forever, Cruise news.

What if your child was banned from taking a Carnival cruise forever?

July 28, 2025March 12, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Would Carnival Cruise Line really ban a nine-year-old child from cruising for the rest of his life? The answer for one family is “absolutely.” Does the punishment fit the crime? You decide.

Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Solving cruise ship passenger problems, Cruise fiascos and fixes

Where are the earrings I bought on my Royal Caribbean cruise? Help!

August 15, 2024February 17, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

While jewelry shopping aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, cruise passenger Robin White purchased a beautiful pair of earrings. The gems were to be shipped directly to her home in time for her wedding day, which was just weeks away.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and White walked down the aisle in an alternative pair of earrings. So what happened to the $1,600 baubles that she bought?

Carnival Cruise Line's Spirit sailing on the sea.

I forgot my ID and missed my $2,402 Carnival cruise! Will I get a refund?

April 22, 2025January 9, 2024 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Gabriele Fehr and her husband planned to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary in the Caribbean aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Spirit. But in the end, they missed that special Carnival cruise and only their luggage took the $2,402 voyage.

Norwegian Cruise Line denied boarding, missing visas, no cruise refund, NCL mistake

Norwegian Cruise Line didn’t tell us we needed visas! Who is responsible here?

August 21, 2025December 11, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Sherry Ramhit says a Norwegian Cruise Line consultant made a mistake that cost her family over $12,000 — and ruined a dream vacation. She insists the agent assured her that visas were optional for their Alaska cruise aboard NCL’s Encore last August. Unfortunately, they definitely were not optional.

cruise mistakes, Flying on same day as cruise and packing passport in luggage, cruise ship sailing away, missed cruise

How two little mistakes can end in tears at the cruise terminal

February 22, 2025November 14, 2023 by Michelle Couch-Friedman

Two mistakes – and one delayed flight – led Tom Watson to arrive at the Miami cruise terminal without his passport. With just minutes to look for the document, time ran out. He and his wife were denied boarding the cruise, and the ship sailed without them.

Watson places the blame on Viking for their missed cruise, and wants a full refund. But who is really responsible here?

This tale highlights the danger of flying on the same day as your cruise is set to begin. Although it may seem convenient to fly into your embarkation city and transfer straight to the ship, even a slight flight delay can have devastating consequences.

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