A cruise ship company is facing criticism after leaving a family stranded and forcing them to pay thousands of dollars. The Gault family, from Oklahoma in the US, had booked a cruise as a family reunion trip. However, their excitement turned into a nightmare when they were abandoned by the Norwegian Encore and left to find their own way back to the port.
The trouble began when nine family members went to a LumberJack show in Ketchikan, Alaska. Upon their return, they were shocked to find that the bus pick-up was a mix-up, leaving them stranded without a way to catch up to the ship. With the ship already sailing off with their passports, the family was left with no choice but to spend days trying to catch up, at a significant cost.
The cruise line has since released a statement in response to the incident, offering a gesture of goodwill to make up for the mistake. The statement acknowledges that a local tour operator’s misstep caused the family to miss the ship’s all aboard time. The cruise line immediately alerted the local port agent for assistance, arranging a hotel for the night and flights to Seattle the following day.
In addition to these arrangements, the cruise line has committed to reimbursing the family for all out-of-pocket expenses incurred during their ordeal, including meals and accommodations. They have also initiated the process to refund the fee imposed by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and offered a pro-rated refund for the missed cruise days. As a further gesture of goodwill, the company will provide each of the affected family members with a Future Cruise Credit of 20% off their next voyage.
Joshua Gault, one of the stranded passengers, described the chaos they experienced before missing the bus. The bus never returned for them, and although they managed to get a van from the port authority, it was too late as the ship had already departed. Gault emphasized the difficulties they faced, including a 78-year-old mother-in-law and six children who were all on medication that they had left behind on the ship.
Unfortunately, the situation worsened when one family member’s passport remained on the ship, preventing them from reuniting with it in Canada. Adding insult to injury, the cruise line also imposed a fine of $971 per person for missing the ship, which Gault criticized as a failure to recognize the emergency nature of the situation.
While the cruise line’s response attempts to rectify the incident, the Gault family’s experience serves as a reminder of the importance of thorough coordination and communication between cruise companies, local operators, and passengers.
