Nightmare trip: Family stranded in Alaska during cruise excursion

An Oklahoma family lived an Alaskan nightmare after a cruise line stranded the family of nine following a bus mix-up.

The family is back in Tulsa but still feeling the pain after they watched their home for a week float off without them.

Joshua Gault

The trip started as a family reunion trip on the Norwegian Encore. The family said the trip cost around $30,000 for the group of 16.

Nine of the family members went on a Norwegian Cruise Line excursion to a lumberJack show in Ketchikan, Alaska. But struggles started when they tried to get back to the port.

"We see the chaos getting onto the buses. 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," said Joshua Gault.

It was a bus that never came back despite the family having tickets. The family said the ticket attendant wasn't checking, only doing a head count and letting people from another ship take their seats.

They ultimately called the port authority, and a van came to pick up the family. However, it was too late. When they got to the port, they watched as clothes, medication, passports, and the rest of their belongings left without them.

"You know, it was a nightmare. 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," said Gault.

While some of their passports were transported off the ship, one stayed behind, which meant the family of nine couldn't meet the ship at the next port in Canada. It turned into a long, multi-day journey home, including numerous cities, baggage pickup, canceled flights, and overnight airport stays.

The family paid for everything, including "all the flights for nine people, all the food for nine people, all the hotel stays," said Gault. He added that the cruise line also issued a $971 fine per person for missing the ship.

Joshua Gault

Gault said their credit cards were charged nearly $9,000 the morning after. This was as they were 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," said Gault.

While the family is relieved to be home, the aftermath continues. Gault said some of the family members have COVID-19.

"So yeah, we’re beat down right now. We’re unhealthy and beaten down," said Gault.

Scripps News Tulsa reached out to Norwegian Cruise Lines for comment. The cruise line shared this statement:

“On the afternoon of Friday, July 12, a family of nine guests missed the ship’s all aboard time in Ketchikan, Alaska due to a misstep by a local tour operator. When the guests did not return to the ship at the published time, we attempted to contact them but were unable to reach them. As such, we alerted the local port agent in Ketchikan and requested that they assist the family with booking a hotel for the night. As the guests would be unable to downline in the next port of call, Victoria, British Columbia, the port agent also helped the guests with securing flights to Seattle the following day, July 13.

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. Reimbursements will be processed once receipts for these expenses are provided to us. Additionally, we have already initiated the process to refund the family for the fee imposed by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, as a result of the guests not visiting a foreign port prior to returning to the U.S., as required when an itinerary originates from the U.S. in accordance with the Passenger Vessel Services Act. In addition, these guests will be receiving a pro-rated refund for the two cruise days they missed. As a gesture of goodwill, the company will also be providing each of the nine guests with a Future Cruise Credit in the form of a 20 percent discount of their cruise fare that can be used towards their next voyage.”

This story was originally published by Branden Bates at Scripps News Tulsa.