Hurricane Dorian: Cruiser calls customer service ‘disappointing,’ others happy for extensions
Hurricane Dorian has upended travelers’ cruise plans – including ones that haven’t even left port yet. And while some are reeling as a result of the changes, others are enjoying some extra time at sea.
Cruise lines are scrambling to stay out of the path of Hurricane Dorian – which blasted across the Bahamas on Sunday as a Category 5 with 185 mph sustained winds – and navigate port closures in that country and Florida, resulting in extended cruises for some travelers and delayed trips, itinerary changes and shortened trips for others. Further itinerary changes are possible given the storm’s unpredictable path.
Hundreds of Norwegian Cruise Line passengers are stuck in New Orleans as a result of cruise-terminal closures at Port Canaveral and Port Miami (Port Miami has since reopened), 4WWL and Fox 8 report. USA TODAY has reached out to Norwegian for comment.
Carnival passenger Shaquana Hearon tells USA TODAY she is unsatisfied with the text updates she’s been getting from the cruise line, which warned her not to go to the cruise terminal until she hears from them.
Hearon, a 38-year-old continuous improvement specialist from South Carolina, was due to sail out of Jacksonville, Florida, on the Carnival Ecstasy on Thursday. But due to the port closure in Jacksonville, Carnival’s website says the ship may not be able to dock as planned.
When Hearon called Carnival tolook into her options, the line told her their trip wasn’t canceled, nor were there refund or rescheduling options.
“It’s very frustrating because although no one can predict a storm, I feel Carnival should do everything they can to put customers at ease,” said Hearon, who booked the trip as a pre-graduation gift for her son, who is beginning his senior year of high school.
Hearon says she’s frustrated because Dorian is supposed to hit South Carolina by Thursday morning. Meanwhile, she has a four-hour drive ahead of her to get to Jacksonville and no idea how much lead time Carnival will give her.
Carnival says it expects to have “a better handle on our Jacksonville operations later today,” spokesman Vance Gulliksen tells USA TODAY.
The cruise line’s website, which lists refund procedures listed for its various ships affected by the hurricane, told customers, “We sincerely apologize for the disruption caused by Hurricane Dorian and thank our guests for their patience and understanding.”
But Hearon’s patience is running low as she waits to hear whether her cruise is still happening.
“This was really disappointing to me that they would treat customers this way,” Hearon added. “This trip is costing over $2,000 that we would lose if we don’t attend.”
She’s not alone. Passengers from other cruise lines are sharing their stories of hurricane-related uncertainty and a lack of customer-service help on social media.
“Stranded on a cruise ship due to #hurricanedorian,” Twitter user Chris Brady wrote. “Will miss my Man to Bos flight on Mon with @VirginAtlantic. They have refused to help and also will not refund be the fee I paid to upgrade.”
Another user, Tina Wolf, tweeted at Norwegian Cruise Line: “cancelled wedding,” “devastated bride” and “stranded wedding guests,” and that it “lost a customer for life.”
That’s not to say all the news was doom and gloom for travelers. Some who were already at sea got free trip extensions and other perks.
“Hurricane dorian has me stranded. My cruise has been extended 3+days but at least i have an open bar,” user Katie Hasler wrote on Twitter. Another user wrote: “We’re stranded at sea for an additional 3 days because of hurricane Dorian and all I can think is ‘this is the cheapest 10 day cruise ever.’”
One user, who says he cruised with the Norwegian Breakaway, thanked the cruise line for getting him and his wife home safely. “Thank you @CruiseNorwegian for helping my wife and I get home safely as Hurricane Dorian impacted our cruise on the Breakaway,” he wrote. “While processes can still be improved, I felt that the staff truly cared about our safety and doing the right thing. Thank you!”
Cruise lines such as Disney and Royal Caribbean are donating millions to hurricane disaster relief. Carnival wrote in a statement on Tuesday: “Carnival Cruise Line, together with Carnival Corporation, today pledged its support to the government and people of The Bahamas as they assess the damage from Hurricane Dorian and begin recovery efforts.”
Contributing: Dawn Gilbertson
Hurricane Dorian cruise update:Miami, Fort Lauderdale ports now open; Jacksonville port closed
Hurricane Dorian vs. the Bahamas:Hurricane Dorian vs. the Bahamas: How these popular destinations fared against the storm
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