Chaotic cruise in Alaska - A family of nineteen-headed ocean liner abandoned
A Cruise has an advantage over a vacation at hotels: With the many ports of call, one gets something new and learns about many more places. The only rule: Be back on board on time, or the ship sails without its passengers. This was a harsh reality that a nine-member family from the Midwest of the USA discovered.
The Gault family, who shared their fate with the "New York Post," couldn't even imagine what this meant to them. According to the report, the guests of the "Norwegian Encore" went ashore in Ketchikan, a small town in southern Alaska, to see a lumberjack show. After the performance, they wanted to get on the shuttle bus that would have taken them back to the cruise ship on time.
Cruise Problems Started with a Full Bus
However, a caretaker denied them entry and said the bus was full. No problem, they thought.
But the promised bus didn't come. And once they realized that no other transportation was following, they frantically organized their own return to the Ship. But it was too late. Upon arrival at the port, they could only watch the "Norwegian Encore" sail away, along with their passports, medications, and clothing.
To the dismay of the family, who were now quite desperate, they were first hit with a customs fee for missing the ship. This was due to the Passenger Vessel Services Act of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the deviation from the originally planned return route to their homeland.
The father of the Gaults, according to the "New York Post," had no qualms about costs and efforts to get the family back to Oklahoma safely. Many expensive flights, hotels, and several nights at airports eventually got the nine former passengers, including six children, back on the "Norwegian Encore."
Corona and Airport Nights
To make matters worse, some family members had contracted Corona on the way. The cruise line, which was responsible for the incident, was barely involved in the return journey, according to the plaintiff. Only now are they in contact with the company, which promised to mitigate the damages.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has already reimbursed the customs fee, it is said. The exorbitant travel costs, once all the receipts are presented, will also be refunded. They claim they tried to reach the family after they missed the bus, but were unsuccessful. They also helped with the hotel accommodation on the first night and the booking of flights.
As restitution, the cruise company wants to make up for the missed days at sea and offer a 20% discount for a future booking.
Despite the cruise company's attempt to make amends, the Gault family's ordeal continued as they navigated through airport nights and expensive flights, trying to return to their home in Oklahoma. The unexpected Corona infections among family members compounded their difficulties.
The Gault family's Alaskan adventure took an unexpected turn when they missed their return shuttle in Ketchikan, resulting in a boarding fiasco that saw them stranded in Alaska, far from their home in the heartland of the United States.
