Imagine planning a 12-day Caribbean cruise at the start of October, and with no warning, showing up at the port to find that your itinerary has been changed to Boston, Maine, and Bermuda.
You would probably be pretty upset, and you’d probably also find yourself having a rough time, since the weather conditions are quite different at these new destinations.
It may seem like this couldn’t happen to you, since when you book a cruise, you expect to go to the places that you were promised, and that you paid for.
However, the fine print of your cruise contract gives your cruise line the right to make this type of major switch – and gives you very few options to do anything about it.
Cruise lines take advantage of this right, too, as I recently learned when a cruise line switcheroo affected my family members.
Image source: Norwegian Cruise Line credit Port of Seattle
Cruise lines can change your destination with no warning
According to the fine print in the contracts for most major cruise lines, cruise companies can modify your destination, and there may be very little that you can do about it.
For example, the contract for Norwegian Cruise Line says: “In the event of strikes, lockouts, stoppages of labor, riots, weather conditions, mechanical difficulties or any other reason whatsoever, Norwegian Cruise Line has the right to cancel, advance, postpone or substitute any scheduled sailing or itinerary without prior notice.”
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The fine print goes on to say that the cruise company “shall not be responsible for failure to adhere to published arrival and departure times for any of its ports of call” and explains that in most cases the cruise line won’t be liable for passenger losses if the company makes big changes.
This isn’t just Norwegian Cruise Lines, either. As The Points Guy explained, cruise lines typically try not to change itineraries, but can and do reserve the right to do so, and don’t generally have to give you refunds when they radically change your planned vacation.
Unexpected cruise line changes can mess up your travel plans
Even with the contract terms, it’s tempting to think that cruise lines reserve this right, but don’t act upon it. That’s not true, though. It can and does happen, and I know that firsthand.
My in-laws recently traveled on the Norwegian Cruise Line Escape from September 29 to October 11, 2025. They were scheduled to go to the Caribbean, but faced a very unpleasant surprise when they arrived at the New York City Port to set sail.
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“We arrived at port to see a notification on the door that the itinerary was changed from the Caribbean to Boston, Maine, and Bermuda,” explained Elaine Bieber, who had booked the cruise after extensively searching for her preferred itinerary.
“Why were we not notified the day before so we could pack for colder weather or be allowed to cancel. We wanted a warm climate, not cold.”
Norwegian Cruise Line offered only a 20% discount on another cruise, but provided no meaningful compensation for the passengers who showed up to discover their cruise itinerary had been radically altered.
A 20% discount offered on another cruise is not fair compensation; it only causes you to spend more money, Bieber said.
Expensive sweatshirts from the gift shop were the only cold-weather option available to passengers. Unhappy passengers, like my in-laws, were simply referred to the ship’s cancellation policy with no additional remedies on offer.
Weather events may spell problems for the cruising industry
In the case of my in-laws, bad weather was the reason for the unexpected change.
Unfortunately, adverse weather events are becoming increasingly common. “The growing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change has heightened risks in maritime operations, particularly within the cruise industry,” ScienceDirect explains.
More Airlines:
- Airline cuts last flight into this US city, refunds available
- TSA issues stern warning on item over 13 million Americans use
- Spirit Airlines cuts more flights and jobs amid second bankruptcy
With the Cruise Lines International Association reporting that 42 million passengers are forecasted to set sail in 2028, cruise lines could face many more angry travelers if they must start to regularly adjust cruise destinations due to storms.
Cruise lines should make sure that passengers know about the rules regarding changes to port details in the fine print, and should try to provide as much warning as possible to passengers about itinerary changes so customers can at least be prepared for a major shift to their plans.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a trip.)
Please make a free appointment with TheStreet’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
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