Drug busts on NCL cruise ships have been big news for the past month.
First there was the arrest of five galley workers on the Norwegian Sun who were apprehended in Tampa when they smuggled 7 kilos of cocaine from Roatan.
Two of the arrested NCL ship employees were from St. Lucia along with two
A NCL crew member employed aboard the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship was arrested yesterday when he attempted to smuggle cocaine aboard the ship when it was docked in Roatan, according to the Teledifusora Insular television station.
The television stations reports that the NCL ship employee, identified as Keneth Antonio Salas Taylor (age 35), a Nicaraguan galley
Adweek reports that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is searching for a new advertising agency. The Martin Agency has handled NCL’s "creative and media business" since 2011.
NCL reportedly spent $33 million in 2014, down from $45 million in 2013.
Adweek says that NCL’s plans to change its advertising agency "comes amid a search by competitor
Several readers have contacted me complaining about Norwegian Cruise Line’s new charges on certain cruise ships (Breakaway and Getaway).
One passenger wrote: "Ncl started (secretly) charging $7.95 for room service now?!? . . . enough is enough . . . So to go up from $0 to $8 is huge. I’ve never been
What’s the easiest way to move cocaine from Colombia to the United States? Taking it through the jungle in Honduras and then through Belize or Guatemala to Mexico and then across the border to the U.S.? No, that’s too much work. How about just putting it on a U.S. based cruise ship in the Caribbean
National Geographic Traveler magazine ombudsman Christopher Elliott is often asked to try and recover canceled cruise fares when passengers suffer serious illness, a death in the family or other misfortune.
All cruise passenger tickets contain draconian terms and conditions, drafted by the cruise line attorneys, which address what happens when a passenger is forced to
.jpg)
The U.S. Coast Guard reports that it medevaced a 13 year old boy from the Norwegian Getaway cruise ship yesterday afternoon, northwest of Puerto Rico.
The NCL cruise ship notified the Coast Guard in San Juan that the boy required medical attention ashore when the ship was sailing from Miami to St. Marteen.
A MH-65
The Defense Video and Imagery Services reports that the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 66 year old passenger from a Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) cruise ship last night approximately 220 miles in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina.
The Coast Guard received a call from the Norwegian Gem shortly before midnight stating that
Newspapers in New Jersey are reporting that the U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a passenger from a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship on January 15th, approximately 75 miles east of Atlantic City.
The NCL ship doctor on the Norwegian Breakaway contacted the Coast Guard shortly before 8 P.M. to report that a 67 year old woman
A local news station in North Carolina reports that the U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a a 71 year-old passenger from a cruise ship off the North Carolina coast on Saturday morning.
The passenger was in need of emergency medical care. She was aboard the Norwegian Breakaway, about 50 miles east of Cape Hatteras when the
CBS Miami Channel 4 reports tonight that a cruise passenger aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship was medevaced over the weekend after he choked on a piece of meat. At one point, emergency dispatchers reported that he was not breathing.
The water was too rough to make a vessel-to-vessel transfer. A Miami-Dade helicopter hoisted the young
The Securities & Exchange Commission reports that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Executive Vice President Andrew Stuart sold 67,701 shares of NCL stock in a transaction last week at an average price of $40.35, for a total value of $2,731,735.35.
You can read more information about the stock sale at Ticker Report.
Mr. Stuart reportedly
I have received a dozen inquiries in the last few days about the chances of contracting Ebola during a cruise. My thought is that the chance is slim that anyone is going to go on a cruise and return home infected with the virus. But there are some issues that concern me.
For U.S. Travelers,
According to Alaska Business Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Anchorage Quarantine Station notified the Alaska Section of Epidemiology on September 11, 2014 of a "suspected measles (rubeola) case associated with the cruise industry."
The press release stated that "an adult crew member had recent contact with a confirmed measles
Reuters reports that Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) is in "advanced talks" to purchase Prestige Cruises for approximately $3 billion.
.jpg)
The Royal Gazette reports that Bermuda customs officials arrested two cruise passengers from the Norwegian Breakaway for possession of marijuana and drugs.
A passenger from New York pleaded guilty to possessing ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis.
According to the newspaper, cruise officials notified customs officers of a smell from the passenger’s cabin. The customs officers entered
The case of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) callously refusing to permit the family of a five year old boy with a cancerous tumor, "the size of a soda can," to reschedule their cruise is back in the news today.
A Long Island, New York news station PIX11 aired an interview with the mom and her
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:
.jpg)
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
