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Solving Cruise Problems
Pre-Cruise -
On Board -
Post-Cruise
Pre-Cruise Problems
| Situation: |
My cruise documents haven't arrived yet.
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| The Rules: |
Most documents are sent electronically (ie. via email) or are picked up at the pier. |
| The Remedy: |
If you're worried, call the cruise line's 800-number or ask your travel consultant
to verify how or where the tickets will be obtained. |
| Situation: |
We arrived at the port of embarkation late and missed the ship.
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| The Rules: |
There is no guarantee that the ship will delay departure for guests arriving late to the port, regardless of whether they made air arrangements on their own or through the cruise line. However, the ship may delay the departure if the schedule (or other factors, ranging from tidal conditions, to number of guests still not onboard to port schedule) allows it. |
| The Remedy: |
The first piece of advice: get there early. A day early. Plan ahead, particularly if you're flying during winter seasons (or even summer thunderstorm seasons). If you must fly to the port on the day of embarkation, try to catch the earliest possible flight. At the very least, leave a minimum of a four-hour window between arrival and cruise take-off time. Other tips: Take a copy of your cruise line's 24-hour emergency phone number - most have them - with you and if you know you're going to be delayed, make sure you call and let them know. If you do miss the ship, and it's the airline's fault, the airline is responsible for delivering you to the next port-of-call - and picking up some expenses, like hotel and meals. If it's your fault - or even if not - having travel insurance is a good bet because it will reimburse you for any other out-of-pocket expenses you incur trying to get to the ship (plus hotel and meals). Note, however, there's one caveat: threats by numerous airlines to go on strike in upcoming months, thereby halting service, are not covered by insurers. |
| Situation: |
Should I buy travel insurance?
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| Our Advice: |
Yes. Yes. Oh, and yes. We can't stress enough the importance of travel insurance, whether it's because you find out you have to cancel the trip or your luggage is lost or you miss the ship - or you have a health emergency. |
| The Remedy: |
There are two kinds. Cruise lines offer travel insurance which basically - and reading the fine print is crucial here - offers all the same benefits as traditional travel insurance, such as trip cancellation, trip delay, missing or damaged luggage, or a medical emergency. If you have a pre-existing condition there may be exceptions. Some travel providers may cover pre-existing conditions - check with your travel consultant. In most cases you must purchase the policy immediately (or within a few days) of buying the cruise itself. |
| Situation: |
I have a health condition (blind, deaf, need oxygen tank, am in a wheelchair, recently had a heart attack). Do I have to let them know?
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| The Rules: |
Cruise lines require notification of any major disability. If you have severely impaired sight, hearing and/or mobility and will not be accompanied by, and share the same cabin with an able-bodied adult, you must notify the cruise line prior to your cruise, so that all necessary safety arrangements can be made. They may impose special requirements; i.e. a blind cruise passenger traveling solo was recently turned away at the dock (!) by one line because they felt he couldn't safely travel (and that he was a potential liability) without a companion. And most do not take responsibility for missed port-of-call visits that you can't be safely delivered to (particularly when ships tender, rather than dock). |
| The Remedy: |
Let the line know, obviously. This benefits you as well because they can make special arrangements (i.e. the purser will arrange, in advance, for assistance on gangways, reservation agents can forward your info to the doctor onboard your ship). Travel with a pal if you can - and if you can't be sure to mention it to the cruise line. Choose cruises based on itineraries that are more accessible (ask ahead if the ship docks or tenders in the ports-of-call); ask in advance about tours best suited to your needs. And choose your cruise line carefully: some are more sensitive - and even innovative - than others. Holland America, for instance, recently announced upgrades to tenders that will make it easier for passengers with disabilities to see ports-of-call. Other cruise lines are introducing state-of-the-art technology into medical facilities such as satellite communication with prestigious on-shore medical partners, from L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai to Baltimore's Johns Hopkins. And don't forget to request, if appropriate, one of your ship's cabins that are specifically designed for passengers with disabilities (especially those in wheelchairs); typically, these cabins have wider doors, more open space, and bathrooms with roll-in showers. |
| Situation: |
I bought a run-of-the-ship (or guarantee) cabin but I don't like what I was assigned.
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| The Rules: |
Well, that's why you got such a great deal. Cruise lines' will sell run-of-the-ship cabins (the discount you get ranges from fabulous to negligible) and that gives them the freedom to put you anywhere on the ship, within the type of cabin you specified (generally limited to inside vs. outside cabins). |
| The Remedy: |
You can request a change (i.e. from a forward cabin to a mid-ship stateroom in your category) prior to departure from your travel agent. Onboard, you can also try to ask the purser's office for a new assignment but there's no guarantee; the cruise line doesn't have to move you. Want to try for an upgrade? Good luck, it's a rare occurrence when you've gotten the cheapest-possible fare. You can still ask for an upgrade but may be required to pay hundreds (if not more) of dollars extra. |
Solving Problems Onboard
| Situation: |
The ship has sailed and I still haven't received my luggage.
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| The Rules: |
Most cruise lines ask passengers to be patient for the first two or three hours after sailing (the bigger and fuller the ship the longer it may take). |
| The Remedy: |
First, before you hand them over, make sure your luggage tags - and all cruise lines provide them - are filled out correctly (and that includes the proper stateroom). If your luggage hasn't arrived within the two-to-three hour parameters (and some lines, like Princess, say they should be delivered by the time the ship sails), contact the purser, hotel director or front desk. The cruise line will then begin tracing its whereabouts and, between it and the airline, will have it delivered at the next port. If, indeed, your luggage is not onboard, it can't hurt to ask the cruise line for onboard credit so you can buy essentials (we've also heard of cruise lines that have provided loaners, from formal night outfits to cameras). If for some reason you had a relatively last-minute cabin change (within the past 24 hours) you may want to ask the ship staff to check outside the previously-assigned stateroom; the switch may not have been relayed to luggage handlers. Finally, never, ever, pack in checked luggage items you cannot live without - in particular we cite prescribed medicines - but it's also helpful to carry-on a bag with an outfit or two plus hygienic essentials. |
| Situation: |
My cabin has twin beds and we want a double!
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| The Rules: |
Most, if not all, cruise ships are outfitted with beds that can handily be split apart to become twin beds - and pushed together to make a queen-sized one. Just note: the twin's are slightly narrower than the typical American style. |
| The Remedy: |
Call your cabin steward and ask him to reconfigure the bed. It can be accomplished in 15 minutes or less. |
| Situation: |
We requested second dinner seating and got first.
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| The Rules: |
Typically, passengers request first or second seating dinner in the main dining room (most ships have open seating arrangements for breakfast and lunch) when they purchase their cruise. The cruise lines tend to react on a first-come, first-serve basis which means if you booked a trip a year in advance you are more likely to get that first request than if you booked a month prior. |
| The Remedy: |
On many ships, the maitre d' will set up in a common room on the day-of embarkation and try to accommodate requests for change. Beyond that, cruise lines are offering many more flexible options. Some have flextime programs (Carnival is in the process of expanding a four-seating option across its fleet). Others have alternative cafes, that range from merely dressing up the lido eatery to boutique-restaurant style operations. Or, pick a line that offers open seating. |
| Situation: |
We don't like the people at our assigned dining table.
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| The Rules: |
Cruise line maitre d's typically are happy to switch your table. |
| The Remedy: |
Beyond asking the maitre d' to change your table, we advise, just for comfort's sake, that you, if possible, let your "unsavory" tablemates know you are switching (make up an excuse) because it can be uncomfortable to run into them later on the cruise when you've obviously ditched them. One good excuse - and often a real one - is "we were invited by some friends to dine with them." |
| Situation: |
We have dietary restrictions (salt-free, diabetic, vegetarian, kosher).
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| The Rules: |
Most cruise lines require advance notification of at least a couple of weeks for the more challenging restrictions, such as kosher or salt-free. Most offer at least one vegetarian selection on every menu. While cruise lines won't, for instance, be able to create a kosher kitchen in your honor, they can, according to Radisson Seven Seas, request in advance some "special pre-packed kosher meals." |
| The Remedy: |
The easiest of all is the low-fat or vegetarian diet; nearly every cruise menu features options there (Celebrity's Millennium even has a spa cafe); the menu even offers calories and fat content. For other dietary restrictions, follow the rules and alert your cruise line in advance. Make sure you get confirmation about your request in writing (and take it with you just to be safe). |
| Situation: |
We can't get a reservation at the alternative restaurant.
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| The Rules: |
They vary. Because the alternative restaurant craze has become so popular, some cruise lines establish a rule limiting guests to one visit (though they don't always enforce it, particularly if you occupy a suite or high category stateroom). Others have begun charging service fees. |
| The Remedy: |
Book your reservation immediately upon embarking on the ship. If there's no availability for the night-of-choice (and you can't be flexible) ask the restaurant's maitre d' if he has a waiting list. If you're really determined, visit the maitre d' personally (just before the restaurant opens is a good time) and see if there are any last-minute cancellations. |
| Situation: |
My shore excursion-of-choice-is sold out.
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| The Rules: |
Tough luck, you're on your own. In some ports - depending on how many other ships are in that day or how limited the tour fare is - it's definitely first-come, first served. |
| The Remedy: |
Which means...book your shore excursions - typically that desk is located near the ship's main desk - as soon as it opens. Second option: ask to be put on a waiting list. A cool new trend, however, is online-pre-booking; Princess and Celebrity offer that alternative (interestingly, you are required to pay up front, with a credit card, when you book online in advance). Another option: there are a handful of independent excursion companies, such as Port Promotions (www.portpromotions.com) that basically offer the same kind of tours (so far only in Alaska; the company will book tours in the Caribbean but requires a minimum of six people) at about 10 - 20 percent off the cruise line cost. A final suggestion: Independent-minded travelers should research their destination via tourist boards and Cruise Critic travel boards. |
| Situation: |
My shore excursion was a bust.
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| The Rules: |
Cruise lines we queried say refunds (full or partial) are handled on a case-by-case basis. |
| The Remedy: |
Certainly, make sure you report your dissatisfaction immediately upon returning from the shore excursion to that desk. Be clear and concise about precisely the nature of the problem. If there are a number of people on your tour who agree, there's more power in numbers. |
| Situation: |
My waiter (or steward) or a bartender was rude or inattentive.
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| The Rules: |
You are responsible for reporting bad service. |
| The Remedy: |
If it's a problem with your waiter, have a chat with the maitre d'. Otherwise, contact the hotel director or the front desk staff and relay, concisely, the nature of your problem. If you the problem is not resolved in a satisfactory way, put it in writing (and make sure you get a copy), then follow up with the line itself when you return from the trip. Know this: the cruise line will try harder to respond if there's a record that you attempted to solve the problem onboard. |
| Situation: |
The television (or toilet or air conditioning) in my cabin doesn't work properly.
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| The Rules: |
Once a passenger reports a problem, most cruise lines have time-limits for responding. Radisson Seven Seas is one cruise line that actually monitors response time to these problems via a computer software program. If the problem can't be fixed, cruise lines will typically move you to a same-or-better cabin. If that's not available, they'll often (you may have to ask) provide a "gift" of additional onboard credit or a discount on a future cruise. |
| The Remedy: |
Call the front desk or the hotel director. If you are seriously inconvenienced, don't be shy about asking for the aforementioned onboard credit. |
| Situation: |
Our ship missed a scheduled port. Will we be reimbursed?
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| The Rules: |
In the fine print every cruise line will tell you the answer is...no! They reserve the right to reschedule itineraries with minimal or no notice. So if you're planning to get married on St. Thomas on the first Thursday in October and a hurricane is approaching...you are out of luck. |
| The Remedy: |
If a particular port is super important, don't chance it. Just do a land trip. If that's not possible, try to research seasonal weather patterns and avoid traveling during monsoon or hurricane seasons in regions that are so affected. |
| Situation: |
I visited the ship's medical facility. Can the cost be billed to my insurance company?
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| The Rules: |
No, almost never. Cruise lines typically will require passengers to pay medical fees as part of their onboard charges - and then suggest you turn in your receipts to your insurance company for reimbursement. |
| The Remedy: |
In addition, buy a travel insurance policy that will cover any expenses not included on your own healthcare policy. |
Solving Cruise Problems: Post Cruise
You've returned from your cruise, still dissatisfied with an element of it - and, despite your efforts to solve the problem when it arose, it, well, wasn't fixed. Here are some "next steps":
What's the most effective way to complain and get results?
Keep the emotion out of your missive, no matter how angry you feel. Be specific about the nature of the problem, along with efforts to solve it. Provide as many details - time, date, etc. - as possible. But...try to keep the letter to one page.
- Include the names of employees who weren't helpful but also list those who were.
- Be clear about the specific source of your dissatisfaction. Keep it simple.
- Provide specific information about your inconvenience or money lost.
- Provide an expectation of what the cruise line can do to fix the problem. But be reasonable. It's very rare, unless the cruise was an absolute - and provable - disaster, that you will get a "free cruise" (which cruise lines say is one of the most common requests). Ask instead for a discount on a future cruise or onboard credit or compensation for a loss.
Do your research: who should the letter (or email) be sent to?
Most often, people write to the cruise line president; but that person, alas, rarely reads them. If it's a genuinely serious offense, consider "carbon-copying" a journalist who covers the cruise industry, as did Joanna Jespersen, a Washington, D.C. attorney, whose bad experience with Norwegian Cruise Lines wound up in the Washington Post and Consumer Reports Travel Letter. And don't forget to include your travel agent, if you used one, on the cc list; they can also be a powerful advocate.
The folks in the passenger services department - or whatever department you're supposed to write to - will then research your situation. They'll contact personnel, whether in the head office or onboard, to confirm that you reported the problem and to see why it wasn't fixed. Then they'll write back with an explanation and, possibly, a "reward." But you won't always get what you ask for. One cruise line flatly refused to reimburse us for losing our luggage (we'd flown on a cruise line-organized charter) and merely sent a sort-of apologetic letter. Aside from swearing you'll never sail on that line again (as we did), what are your options?
Do fill out that passenger survey that's handed out at the end of every cruise
Including your problem may not help you - but cruise lines do read the surveys and it may help another passenger avoid a similar issue. Windstar - in a very smart move - occasionally does a "mid-cruise" passenger survey where you can list anything that's wrong with your cruise. This gives them time to fix it for you while you're still onboard.
Take it to the message boards
If it's a situation where you learned something the hard way, "take to the boards" on Cruise Critic, and let other passengers know what happened - again, as briefly and factually as possible. Don't forget to share the "what learned" portion, which could help future cruisers avoid either the cruise line or making the same mistakes.
File complaints online
Feel the cruise line could do more to rectify the situation or haven't gotten a response? Fight back! There are numerous places, particularly via the Internet, to file complaints.
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