A family of nine was charged almost $9000 by their cruise line after they were left stranded at a port because their bus seats were given away.
The Gault family were travelling on the Norwegian Encore for a family reunion, with 16 family members on board at a total cost of about $30,000.
Nine family members then left the ship for an excursion to a Lumberjack show in Ketchikan, Alaska.
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However, they ran into trouble getting back to the port from the show.
All nine family members are now back home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but told their local news outlet they are still feeling the pain.
“We see the chaos getting onto the buses,” Joshua Gault told 2 News Oklahoma.
“We go to get on the bus and one of the attendees is like ‘the bus is full, and you know you got to wait for the next bus’.”
While the family had tickets for their seats on the bus, they told 2 News Oklahoma the ticket attendant let people from another ship take their seats.
A van was sent to pick the family up after they called the port authority, but it was too late.
Stranded without medications
The family missed the ship, watching as it left with all their belongings — including their medications.
“It was a nightmare,” Gault said.
“Six kids on board, minor children, and a 78-year-old mother-in-law, all on medication.
“We all had to quit cold turkey medication these last few days because it was all on the cruise ship.”
Most of their passports were transported off the ship, but one family member was left without theirs which meant the family could not meet the ship at its next stop in Canada.
It took multiple days through multiple cities, featuring cancelled flights and overnight airport stays, to get home.
“(We had to pay) all the flights for nine people, all the food for nine people, all the hotel stays,” Gault said.
To add insult to injury, the cruise line charged the family a $971 fine per person for missing the ship — totalling almost $9000.
Gault’s credit cards were charged nearly $8739 the morning after, right as the family was purchasing flights and hotels to get home.
“You know, Norwegian treating this like it was a customer service issue rather than it was an emergency is, I think, the worst part about it,” he said.
While the family is now home, they were dealt another blow when a number of members caught COVID-19.
“So yeah, we’re beat down right now” Gault said. “We’re unhealthy and beaten down.”
Cruise line responds
A Norwegian Cruise Lines spokesperson said the crew tried to contact the family when they became stranded “due to a misstep by a local tour operator”, but could not reach them.
They then directed the local port agent to help the family book a hotel and secure flights to Seattle.
“We will be reimbursing the family for all of the out-of-pocket expenses they incurred over these two days, as a result of missing the ship in Ketchikan, including meals, accommodations, etc,” the spokesperson said.
“Reimbursements will be processed once receipts for these expenses are provided to us.”
The family will also be refunded the almost $9000 fee and will recieve a “prorated refund for the two cruise days they missed”, the spokesperson said.
“As a gesture of goodwill, the company will also be providing each of the nine guests with a Future Cruse Credit in the form of a 20 percent discount off their cruise fare that can be used towards their next voyage.”
