A reader of Cruise Law News brought to our attention that Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe recently tweeted:
"Le Gouvernement a signé aujourd’hui un protocole d’accord avec Carnival Cruises pour la construction d’un resort sur l’Ile de la Tortue."
Translated, this says that Haiti and Carnival have struck a deal to develop a resort on
Reuters reports that Royal Caribbean’s CEO Richard Fain recently sold 94,850 shares at average price of $62.38 for a total value of $5,916,743.00; and exercised options for 51,143 shares at $7.27 per share for a total value of $3,190,300.00.
CEO Fain holds over a million shares of his cruise line’s stock. Reuters says he holds
Media reports say that Royal Caribbean Cruises Chief Operating Officer (COO) Adam Goldstein sold 42,152 shares of his cruise company’s stock yesterday.
The shares were sold at an average price of $61.68 for $2,599,935.36.
COO Goldstein still owns 370,724 shares of Royal Caribbean stock, valued at $22,866,256.
Royal Caribbean announced its earnings results on Thursday.
News sources in Canada are reporting that Royal Caribbean barred a woman from cruising with her family after she admitted that she was pregnant but didn’t have a note from her doctor stating that she was fit to travel.
Global Toronto states that Michelle Ligori, her husband and their two sons were booked aboard Royal Caribbean’s
It’s been a while since I awarded my "Worst Cruise Line in the World" award. Quite frankly, I became tired of giving it to Carnival and Royal Caribbean every month. But a reader of Cruise Law News just sent me a story of little Nicolas Colucci, age 5, who underwent emergency surgery after doctors found a "a large cancerous tumor growing inside his liver." He is now undergoing chemotherapy.
The Lil’ Mama website explains that the Colucci family bought a family cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) that was scheduled for June 1, 2014. The family asked NCL to reschedule their cruise to another date. NCL refused. NCL wouldn’t bend their corporate policies regarding medical emergencies – not even for a child battling cancer. You can read about the dreadful story here.
This is not the first time that NCL has acted in such a heartless manner.
A couple of years ago, I wrote about a man from Key Largo who purchased a NCL cruise on the Norwegian Sky leaving from Miami. But his brother died, and the funeral was in Georgia on the day the cruise ship sailed. So he notified NCL, asking for a credit on a future cruise. NCL said no. He asked for his cruise to be donated to charity (Make-A-Wish). NCL said no.
Now comes the sick part. NCL then re-sold the cabin to someone else. Yep. NCL got a double profit due to the death of a guest’s brother. Really sick.
NCL is active on Twitter @CruiseNorwegian, so I tweeted a reference to the article.
No response.
NCL’s "Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Passenger Services," Andy Stuart, is also active on Twitter @nclandy. So I tweeted him "Double cruise profit for death? Say it aint so Andy!"
No response.
NCL should have permitted a child with cancer and parents go on a once-in-a-lifetime cruise. Or make a small donation in memory of their customer’s brother. But to double sell the cabin under these circumstances? It’s cruel, greedy and outrageous.
Last year, I wrote again about NCL. A grandmother who drives disabled kids to school booked a cruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel for her family and grandkids at the cost of over $4,000. Then Superstorm Sandy struck, submerging her home under four feet of water. The storm ravaged her home, leaving her with nothing. She asked NCL to reschedule or refund her cruise. NCL said no way.
She appealed to NCL CEO Kevin Sheehan but the cruise line and its CEO wouldn’t make an exception. Absolutely no refund or rescheduling. Heartless.
Yesterday, I attended a hearing before Senator Jay Rockefeller entitled "Improving Consumer Protections for Cruise Passengers." Cruise passengers testified regarding all types of harsh conduct by cruise lines who hide behind the unreadable fine print in their one-sided, passenger tickets. At one point during the hearing, Senator Rockefeller exclaimed that he was "fed up" with the cruise lines and their "callousness."
NCL is all smiles when it sells a family a "cruise of a lifetime." But when death, disaster or a medical emergency strikes, it shows its true colors.
NCL may have a great marketing image, but it can be your worse enemy in a time of true need.
Have a thought? Leave a comment below or join the conversation on our Facebook page. And let NCL know what you think by contacting them below:
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NCL Corporation Ltd.
7665 Corporate Center Drive
Miami, Florida 33126
Corporate: (305) 436-4000
Andrew Stuart
Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Passenger Services
astuart@ncl.com
(305) 436-4000
Andrew Stuart’s twitter account: @nclandy
Kevin Sheehan (photo right)
Chief Executive Officer
ksheehan@ncl.com
(305) 436-4000
NCL Twitter: @CruiseNorwegian
July 26 2014 Update: According to a FOX NEWS station today, a "CEO of a popular cruise line reached out to the Colucci family to offer them a free cruise. The CEO asked that his cruise line not be named because he said he was genuinely touched by their story and didn’t want any publicity for his gesture."
So who was the CEO? Which cruise line did the right thing?
Here’s a clue:
Last year, NCL abandoned a grandmother (and her grandchildren) after she bought a NCL cruise when her home was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. NCL CEO refused to reschedule his customer’s cruise. But Royal Caribbean stepped up to the plate and gave the family a free cruise. Read the story: Norwegian Cruise Lines Abandons Sandy Victims, While Royal Caribbean Steps Up to the Plate!
July 27 2014 Update: The story goes viral. First a national Fox News station covers the story and then the U.K.’s Daily Mail (the largest online newspaper in the world) covers it. Bad Karma for NCL.
July 29 2014 Update: The public relations fall-out continues. Opposing Views ran a story. TravelPulse also covered the story. Gawker wasn’t too subtle with its headline Cruise Line Screws Over Family of 5-Year-Old With Cancer. PRNews wrote Norwegian Cruise Line Drowning in Bad PR. Huff Post Parents Parents Outraged Cruise Line Won’t Reschedule Their Trip In Light Of Son’s Cancer Diagnosis. Anti-Jared wrote a letter to the NCL CEO.
All of this reminds me of one of my favorite sayings – "Karma is a bitch only when you are."
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
Continue Reading Norwegian Cruise Line Wins Worst Cruise Line in the World Award
At the hearing today before Senator John (Jay) Rockefeller regarding the “Cruise Passenger Protection Act (S.1340): Improving Consumer Protections for Cruise Passengers," three women told the committee their horrific experiences on cruise ships.
All of their accounts involve the common theme of a lack of basic consumer protections. Laurie Dishman was a victim of rape, Amanda
One of the dangers which cruise passengers face is incompetent medical care provided by non-U.S. doctors and nurses. And when these go wrong in the high seas, most cruise passengers don’t realize that the cruise lines are not legally responsible for the malpractice of the cruise ship medical team.
One of our ten most outrageous
This afternoon, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced the witness list for its Full Committee hearing this Wednesday, July 23, 2014, at 2:45 p.m. titled “The Cruise Passenger Protection Act (S.1340): Improving Consumer Protections for Cruise Passengers.”
Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Hearing Start Time:
Earlier this month, we talked about the efforts of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) to slow down or block the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) "mega cruise development" on Harvest Caye in Southern Belize.
You can read our article here.
It seems that Belize’s Department of Environment (DOE),under pressure from Miami-based NCL, rushed the massive
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The China Post reports that a female passenger disappeared from a cruise ship, during a cruise to Japan, which returned to Taiwan yesterday.
The woman, whose last name is Hsieh, age 53, was aboard the Costa Victoria. She was supposed to leave the ship in Keelung Harbor, but did not. The Coast Guard said that
Senator John D. Rockefeller has scheduled another hearing to address legislation designed to protect cruise passengers. The hearing is scheduled for next week.
The hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2014 at 2:30 PM before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in 253 Russell Senate Office Building in Washington D.C. (Some media sources erroneously report
I have received inquiries from passengers about a man overboard from Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas last month. The incident seems to involve a passenger who jumped into the water early one morning. He was promptly rescued. Most people are asking why hasn’t there been any news account of the incident?
One passenger provided
In less than three days after Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández declared that guns are prohibited in Roatan and the Bay Islands, a young man was gunned down early on Sunday morning.
Teledifusora Insular reports that Henry Alexander Almendarez Orellana was shot by two men in the early morning hours of July 13th.
The crime reportedly
Cruise Critic reports that a unspecified propulsion problem is slowing the Celebrity Silhouette down, causing it to shorten time spent in certain port of calls.
Celebrity does not specify the nature of the problem or indicate when the problem will be fixed.
A Celebrity Cruises spokeswoman provides this gobbledygook explanation: the “slight restriction” on the
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The La Prensa newspaper in Honduras reports that President Juan Orlando Hernández approved legislation last night at a cabinet session to declare that guns are prohibited in Roatan and the Bay Islands.
The article is entitled Gobierno de Honduras declara desarme en Islas de la Bahía.
The newspaper says that the initiative is part of
Carnival’s handling of the most recent disappearance of a person overboard, a chef from India, has been a mess.
The Carnival Spirit is in violation of the 2010 Cruise Vessel Safety and Security Act. Like all other Carnival cruise ships, the Carnival Spirit has no automatic CCTV man overboard system onboard. The technology exists
USA TODAY / 10 BEST announced the winners today in the "10Best Readers’ Choice New Media Award for Best Cruise Blogger."
An initial list of 20 cruise bloggers was selected by a panel of experts. The experts were USA TODAY Cruise Log blogger Gene Sloan, long-time Cruise Diva Linda Coffman, Doug Parker with Cruise Radio
Carnival Cruise Lines announced today that smoking will be prohibited on stateroom balconies effective October 9, 2014.
Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson Vance Gulliksen said that the new policy is in response to comments by the majority of its customers.
It’s about time.
In 2007, our client Lynnette Hudson, testified before Congress after her father died
