However, midway through the trip, the itinerary changed to no longer include a cruise along mainland Antarctica, reducing the total time spent in Antarctic waters, and Midler said the voyage no longer meant that she and thousands of other crew members He said it was no longer the price he paid. He said an update to the cruise line’s app changed the name and removed Antarctica from the title, but the operator provided only a vague explanation.
Under the new schedule, the ship will no longer call at Paradise Bay, off mainland Antarctica, but will instead sail through Admiralty Bay, part of the South Shetland Islands. Although technically part of Antarctica, the replacement site is located more than 320 miles north of the original location.
In track and field, with the help of his daughter, Midler uploaded her anger on TikTok under the name @ruinedvacation. Her first video shows a crowd of passengers gathering to get answers from her, with security guards urging people to calm down. The videos went viral, with the first one garnering her 3.4 million views.
“As far as all of us are concerned, a major part of this trip was taken away after we boarded the ship, so it was completely ruined,” she said in an email. She said “hundreds of people” are very upset, and many are discussing whether they can get some compensation through insurance, cruise lines or class action lawsuits. Staff said emails were sent and printed notices were supposed to be displayed, but Midler said neither she nor many passengers received them.
Her experience is the latest reminder that cruise lines can and do change course before or during a cruise.multiple operators canceled voyage Recently, there have been attacks on ships by Houthi militants in the Red Sea. Itineraries often change significantly depending on the weather.in extreme exampleCruise, who was scheduled to visit the Bahamas from New York, will now go to New England and Canada in December.
Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement that the operator “will strive to maintain the original itinerary whenever possible, but changes may be made to optimize the itinerary or to address specific circumstances.” Stated.
The company cited two reasons for the change during the Feb. 4 cruise. Norwegian said the changes were “to improve the guest experience” and would allow passengers to spend more time in the Falkland Islands.
“Additionally, due to recent regulatory requirements in the region, ships are operating at reduced speeds, which also impacts original itineraries,” the company said.
Norwegian did not specify which regulatory requirements it was referring to. new slowdown It was introduced from this season, which runs from November to March.There was an agreement to drive slowly in certain areas. Reached in 2021 by International Antarctic Tour Operators AssociationHowever, member states only agreed last year to include South Shetland in the speed limit zone. The company did not respond to questions about whether the official description of the trip had been changed to remove Antarctica from the title.
“We’ve paid too much, we’re too smart, we’re too angry, and we’re just going to order a cocktail and sit down and watch our money go into Norwegian Cruise Line’s pockets,” Midler said in the video. I can’t accept the fact that it’s gone.” She spent about $13,000 to go on the trip with her husband, she said, after saving money for a “very long time.”
Travelers who took part in the ship’s Feb. 18 voyage complained on social media and in the Washington Post, saying they were also informed by email. Their travel schedule will be changed. Instead of the previously scheduled two days in Antarctic waters, including Paradise Bay, the ship will spend one day sailing along Admiralty Bay and Elephant Island. Norwegian did not respond to questions about future sailings. Passengers do not disembark from the ship in Antarctica.
“They cut our Antarctic cruise time in half,” Karen Bieberman of Mays Landing, New Jersey, said in an email about her voyage, which departs from Buenos Aires on Sunday. She said a message she received from the cruise line said updates were made to “optimize the itinerary or respond to specific circumstances” and that the changes “enhance the guest experience.” said.
“Well, it doesn’t optimize the itinerary for me, nor does it improve my experience. Quite the opposite,” she wrote. “I no longer think of this as an Antarctic cruising experience.”
What are passenger rights?
Passengers say they have not received the fares they paid for, but travel and legal experts say there is little chance of getting their money back.
“The key thing with NCL, as with other cruise lines, is that the ticket contract essentially gives NCL almost absolute rights to change the itinerary,” Michael Winkle said. Mr. Mann said. lawyer People suing cruise companies. Weather and regional conflicts are typical reasons for change.
“So cruise passengers don’t have any rights? That’s pretty much what the contract says,” he said, but if the itinerary change was caused by some sort of mechanical error. said that “hypothetically” a case could exist.
“Practically speaking, that doesn’t mean you can’t sue over your relationship with a guest,” he says.
Stephen PlattA professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando said cruise ships often change itineraries mid-voyage to avoid bad weather.
But he said NCL’s explanation for the change was unusual. He described the company’s claims that passengers were still experiencing Antarctica as “duplicitous.”
“Technically speaking, they went somewhere in Antarctica, but not where they were originally supposed to go,” he said. “It certainly didn’t match the customer experience or expectations.”
He said the company was not legally obligated to compensate passengers. However, as a gesture of goodwill, cruise lines should offer them credit for future cruises, which is a win-win for all parties.
Stephen Benna, Travel Insurance Comparison Site Spokesperson square mouse, states that travel insurance policies designed specifically for cruisers may include itinerary change benefits. This plan covers prepaid tours and shore excursions affected by cruise lines’ decisions to reroute their ships. Refunds range from $200 to $500.
He said the policy does not cover cancellations at ports of call or mid-voyage. It also does not protect cruisers who decide to cancel future trips due to itinerary changes.
“This is not considered a covered reason under a standard trip cancellation plan. Even if it happened a while ago, there is no reason to [departure time], it does not prevent you from participating in the trip. It’s more of an unenjoyable situation, and that’s not grounds for cancellation. ”
A “once in a lifetime” cruise
bridget quinn webber cruise travel agency Having been to Antarctica twice, she said the trip was one of the most expensive and unpredictable places one could visit, but said the destination was “amazing”. The voyage must last at least 10 days, she said. “It’s just that it takes time to get there.”
“For most people, it’s also a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so they want to see as much as possible in one trip,” she said.
Destinations often change at the last minute, so it’s best practice for operators to have a rough idea of where the ship is going, said Kevin Moore, who worked in Antarctica and is now an aerospace engineer. . travel advisor This is a company that sells small ship expedition cruises to the continent.
“We cannot commit to specific locations that any ship will visit, as this is highly dependent on favorable conditions, suitable ice conditions, wildlife movement, and the location of other ships,” he said in an email. ” he said. “So promising a specific location just leaves everyone disappointed.”
Many of the cruises he sells are ships with fewer than 200 passengers, rather than the 2,300-plus that Norwegian Star can carry, to the South Shetland Islands, mainland Antarctica, and other islands in between. They spend 4 to 7 days in the waters between them. .of south shetland islands It is part of the British Antarctic Territory.
Mr Moore said both Paradise Bay and Admiralty Bay were “amazing places” with plenty of glaciers, wildlife and iceberg potential, but missed Antarctica and decided to go near the South Shetland Islands. He admitted that it was a shame that he only went so far.
Despite her dissatisfaction with the itinerary, Midler said she enjoyed her stop in Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands on Wednesday. On a “stunning, sunny day”, she said, she saw dolphins, sea lions and penguins, had a beer in a local pub and ate fish and chips in a cafe.
“We have tried so hard to have a good time and I think we will have some funny memories when we look back on it,” she wrote. “We certainly feel very disappointed, disappointed and angry.”
