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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!
Kathy Hoffath says she was convinced to buy a $16,000 diamond at Diamonds International during her Royal Caribbean cruise. Unhappy with that diamond, she exchanged it for a larger, more expensive one in Cozumel. But when she got home, Kathy realized she didn’t want that bigger, more expensive diamond either.
In fact, she didn’t want any diamond at all.
What happens if your travel agent cancels your cruise by mistake and then quits his job? Unfortunately, NCL passenger Margaret Prendergast knows very well — you can quickly lose thousands of your hard-earned dollars.
Margaret had been patiently waiting for Norwegian Cruise Line to process a refund for a cruise it canceled. But because her agent erroneously canceled her cruise several days before the cruise line, it’s a $5,587 refund NCL never intended to send.
When Medicare beneficiaries Maureen Niland and her husband booked their last Holland America cruise, their thoughts were on new adventures — not medical insurance. But tragedy struck just hours after the ship left the port in Ft. Lauderdale. John Niland suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and died.
If you get involuntarily removed from a cruise halfway around the world, does the cruise line owe you compensation?
William Coats believes so. Holland America booted him and his wife from the Westerdam in Korea just days into their 14-day cruise. As a result, they’re out thousands of dollars and he wants the cruise line to pay.
If you buy an unlimited alcoholic beverage package from your cruise line, can it change the terms later? That’s what Joan Barret wants to know.
Sevil Macmot found the view from her guaranteed oceanview cabin aboard Costa Cruises Mediterranea stunningly terrible. She says her dream vacation was ruined when the cruise line assigned her to the cabin with the worst view.
Now Sevil wants to know who selected her for this disappointing cabin with the worst view — and why.
Oh, and she wants a refund, too. But is that a reasonable request?
Could a cruise ship passenger be denied boarding even if they have all of the required documents for sailing?
Lee Bolland says he knows the answer to that question is “Yes” because it happened to him.
Last fall, he and his wife planned to cruise through the Mediterranean on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Epic. The couple flew to Spain to begin their adventure, and all was going well — until it suddenly wasn’t. At the port, NCL employees shockingly denied Lee boarding and abandoned the couple there.
Who is responsible when an agent of a cruise line makes a giant mistake that causes a passenger to miss their voyage? That’s what Linda Combs wants to know.
Her unpleasant experience included not just one but three errors by a Norwegian Cruise Line consultant. And it ended with Linda and her husband standing on the dock as they watched their ship sail away — and the cruise agent ignoring her pleas for help.
So why did Norwegian Cruise Line reject Linda’ refund request?
It’s never a great idea to cruise with just a passport card. If you’ve ever thought about doing it, you’ll want to read this cautionary tale.
Daniel Sellar’s cruise fiasco is an unfortunate example of what can go wrong if you decide to cruise with just a passport card. Things may go just fine. But you should consider what will happen if you miss the boat and need to take a flight to catch up with it. Because although you can cruise with just a passport card, you can’t fly anywhere internationally with one.
You should never rely on an anonymous stranger’s advice about the required ID you need to take your next cruise. Salvatore Friscia knows this all too well. While planning a vacation on Carnival’s Pride, he says an unidentified phone agent gave him the wrong information about the documentation requirements for the cruise. That guidance led him and his wife to show up for the cruise without the correct ID. As a result, the Friscias were denied boarding the ship and missed the entire cruise.
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