As a result, all of Norwegian Sun's passengers were involuntarily bumped from their originally planned ship onto Norwegian Jewel for summer Alaska cruises. Although Jewel is newer and bigger than Sun, passengers complained about the lack of choice in the matter. Compensation for Being Bumped: In the case of Norwegian Sun's redeployment, passengers were automatically rebooked onto Norwegian Jewel for the same itineraries and assigned equivalent, or in some cases, upgraded cabins.
Situation 1: Cruise vessels are marvels of modern engineering, but they're not immune to breakdowns. If the damage is significant enough to warrant an unplanned trip to the repair yard, cruises may have to be canceled. For instance, in April , Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas was suffering from technical issues related to its propulsion system that were so problematic that the line had to cancel an night cruise just a few days before it was due to embark.
Situation 2: Every few years, cruise ships head into dry dock to obtain required regulatory certifications and for scheduled maintenance. Typically, lines try to limit or eliminate the impact to booked passengers by scheduling these routine dry docks far in advance before itineraries are published, but bumping does occasionally occur.
For example, in February , Norwegian notified some Pride of America passengers -- just a month prior to sail date -- that two sailings occurring in March would be cut short by a day to send the ship into a technical dry dock, in order to meet its regulatory compliance requirements. Accordingly, cruisers were effectively "bumped" off the ship for one day out of their sailing.
Compensation for Being Bumped: Passengers booked on the Radiance of the Seas were offered a full refund, as well as a percent credit toward a future cruise.
Passengers on the shortened Pride of America sailings were offered a hotel stay in place of the missing night on the ship, as well as a 25 percent discount on a future sailing. Situation: It may be a little-known fact, but like airlines, cruise lines sometimes overbook their ships. Though rare in occurrence these days, cruise lines strive to sail full, but know some passengers will always cancel at the last minute.
As a result, cruise lines sometimes overbook ships so that they can still sail full if people cancel late in the game. Those that employ the practice have developed sophisticated means of determining how many passengers are likely to cancel cruises -- so they have a very good idea of how much inventory they can oversell without making bumping a likelihood.
Nonetheless, no system is foolproof, overbooking does occur and passengers do run the risk of getting bumped. For instance, in a total nightmare scenario in February , a Cruise Critic member was sitting at the airport waiting to board her flight to Sydney for a cruise on Azamara Journey when she received a call from the line that the ship was oversold and they didn't have room to accommodate her and her partner onboard. After much haggling, the couple were ultimately reinstated on the ship, which was sailing two days later, but not without a few new gray hairs to show for it.
If your schedule is flexible, being voluntarily bumped can often be a good deal. They ended up on a seven-day Alaskan itinerary -- at no extra cost. Plus, they were additionally offered all of their initial cruise fare as onboard credit to really sweeten the pot. In another case, Oceania Cruises -- known for offering travelers tempting "move over" deals -- offered a Cruise Critic member an upgrade from a veranda cabin on Riviera to a penthouse suite on Marina, for the same price and with the same perks as their original sailing.
They took the offer. In the unlikely event that you do get bumped, here are a few tips for making the best of the situation:. Don't panic. When you get that fateful call or email, the best advice we can give is not to get too upset.
Take a deep breath, and remember that you can still salvage your vacation. Know your options. In most cases, you'll have to choose from the basic options of accepting a refund for the now-canceled cruise or rebooking a comparable sailing, whether that means on the same ship but a different date or a different ship on a similarly scheduled itinerary.
Other options may apply. The line will often include incentives like onboard credit for those who rebook and, possibly, airline change fees. Negotiate pleasantly and patiently. While the line will contact passengers or their travel agents outlining the proposed options, what you ultimately get may depend on your ability to negotiate. If not explicitly offered, ask about reimbursement for nonrefundable fees or cancellation penalties you may incur for things like prepaid hotel stays, car rentals or airfare.
If you don't like the options for what the line deems a "comparable" cruise, come prepared with your own alternatives. They might well feel like they just messed up your vacation, so it's never ever a happy occasion. Minimize the potential hassle of being bumped by being prepared in advance with the following tips to set yourself up for success. Buy travel insurance. Cruise Critic has long suggested purchasing a third-party insurance policy for any cruise vacation.
Make sure it covers not only the cost of the cruise itself, but also airfare and any other major expenses you may have, like hotel and transportation costs.
Scott Adamski, Head of U. Field Sales and Licensing for AIG Travel, tells Cruise Critic that these policies can cover up to 50 to 75 percent depending on the option selected of prepaid, nonrefundable expenses. But, as all policies are different, be sure to read the fine print to make sure the policy you purchase covers all relevant expenses if your sailing gets canceled. Book with a cruise specialist.
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