Passenger expresses frustration following cancellation of Norwegian Escape cruise
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - The Norwegian Escape out of Port Canaveral was added to the company’s cancellation list Tuesday evening, and an Ohio woman is not happy with how it was handled.
"It’s not a good feeling. Just thinking about it… [it was] something I was so excited to go to. I was looking forward to it. Now I’m just angry and frustrated," explained Lauren Brun.
Brun said Tuesday afternoon, she canceled her trip on the Norwegian Escape scheduled for January 22 because of COVID-19 concerns. She said she even asked customer service if the cruise would be canceled and was told it was scheduled to go on.
A couple of hours later, she said she saw that the company had indeed canceled her trip. She said now she’s stuck with a voucher instead of a full refund.
"Ultimately, if they cancel the cruise themselves…I believe we should get our money back," Brun said.
Travel experts say the cruise lines have been strict about cancellation policies.
"I have been for the last week, not a travel agent but a therapist," On Deck Travel owner Effie Walthall muses.
She said passengers should really think through any cancellations.
"I say wait because if the cruise line does cancel, which we didn’t see this coming that the cruise lines would cancel again. Now that it’s happening you want to wait – there’s no more penalty today than they would be at final payment," Walthall explained.
Walthall said a lot of cruise lines will provide vouchers for cancellations up to 48 hours before the trip begins.
FOX 35 News reached out to Norwegian for comment on the situation. We did not hear back before the publication of this article.
Watch FOX 35 News for the latest launch updates.