Norwegian Cruise Lines sued over barring family from ship's theme restaurants
Norwegian Cruise Lines is being sued by a California family for not properly disclosing in its vacation fine print that it is nearly impossible to get dinner reservations at the themed restaurants on board the company's Norwegian Star, since the reservations usually go to passengers who have paid for more expensive cabins.Eva Gularte is suing NCL on behalf of herself, her sister and her mother, who had not, it appears, booked into a top flight package on the Norwegian Star. The lawsuit was filed in Fort Lauderdale, where NCL is headquartered, on Monday, according to the Miami Herald.
Gularte wants full refunds for her and her family, plus "incidental costs." Her lawyer is even trying to get class action status for the lawsuit, so other passengers shut out of the Star's dining rooms can have their day in court.
No word yet on whether the Gularte family was allowed to eat at all while on board.
Question: Is it right to give better perks, like priority seating at restaurants, to cruise passengers who pay more money?
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Filed under: Consumer Activism
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
May 1st 2008 @ 11:13PM
bob said...
I have been on 3 NCL cruises,staying in the lowest category and never had a problem eating in the themed restaurants every night.
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May 4th 2008 @ 9:37AM
Bob said...
Someting smells here. I have never heard of anyone being refused dining in the speciality restaurants. I have been on 14 cruises. There must be more to the story.
May 4th 2008 @ 9:24AM
telainep said...
I TOTALLY agree. This article is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I was just on an NCL cruise in March, during springbreak (bad enough). But. . . there was more than enough food. Many of the themed restaurant have a surcharge for them, unless you go to the main dining room which is free and requires NO Reservations. The line I can't believe is it's unclear if they ate at all during the cruise. Come on people, let's be real. There is 24 hour room service for free on all the cruise ships.
May 4th 2008 @ 10:04AM
kjnnca said...
I've been on 2 NCL Hawaiian cruises in the past year. Both times we had to wait to be seated for open seating in both the free restaurants and the paid restaurants. This is the problem with "freestyle" cruising, you usually have to wait for a table. To avoid this, make reservations as soon as you board the ship and make the reservations for the entire week. We learned this after the first cruise and subsequently the second cruise with NCL went more smoothly since we didnt have to wait in line. It is totally unbeleiveable to imagine these people did not eat while on the ship. Most people eat non-stop, especially with the buffet open almost always and 24hr room service available. Its sad that people have to be so sue happy. I hope they dont get a cent!!!!!
May 4th 2008 @ 10:31AM
ken said...
I was on the Star twice. Once in the lowest outside cabin with a porthole and the latest in a suite over Spring break. In the cheap cabin I had no problem getting reservations at the specialty restaurants. In the suite, I had concierge service and was told that the restaurant was booked sometimes. I get so tired of the cry babies. They probably call their dentist for a cleaning the same day!
May 4th 2008 @ 12:55PM
goodguy889 said...
What's with this lady. We were in the lowest price cabin. We ate in several of the special dining rooms.
Although, I had to get up off my but and go to the restaurant to make reservations. Maybe that was to much work for this lady?
May 4th 2008 @ 6:46AM
Dan said...
The business MUST declare in its advertising and promotion that specific facilities are limited to specific customers, based upon total amount of purchase.
Applies to any business which advertises and promotes all benefits and facilities included in purchases, whether they are GOODS or SERVICES.
If the cruise line advertises $10,000 per week First Deck Penthouses and $250 per week waterline deck in the bow cabins and lists the theme restaurants or other facilities as part of the cruise ----- all passengers must have equal access to those facilities.
Of course, a couple of $20 bills folded discreetly and slipped to the purser would probably have made a table available rather quickly.
Has always worked for me -- at night clubs, restaurants, aboard cruises, and elsewhere.
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May 4th 2008 @ 7:19AM
Charlie said...
What a joke! I wonder how far into their trip did they decide to make reservations at the specialty restaurant? One of the first things we do when we board a ship is go to those restaurants and book the days we want to dine there. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the stateroom you're in. Some people will do anything for a lawsuit...ridiculous.
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May 4th 2008 @ 2:19PM
BILL said...
AGREE. LAWYERS ARE THE SECOND WORST PEOPLE NEXT TO FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
May 4th 2008 @ 7:28AM
FLLady said...
THIS SUIT SHOULD BE THROWN OUT. IT'S NOBODY'S FAULT BUT THEIR OWN IF THEY DIDN'T READ THE FINE PRINT. BOO HOO.
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May 4th 2008 @ 8:11AM
gene said...
we are seasoned cruisers 28 cruises
just finished a NCL cruise 3rd time with NCL but first time with free style takes you a coupe of days to get used to it, only thing I think is wrong, went to make reservations and when they they saw we were in an ocean view cabin they said we could only make reservations 24 hours in advance, BUT people in balcony's and above which was 95 % of the ship could make them 48 hours or more in advance, when i asked why was that (get ready for this)I was told that they were premium passengers because of the rate they paid for a cabin. Never will sail with NCL again, and you know what they really don't give a shit and I don't either. I think it is wrong but it will never change. I can see people in suites getting preferential treatment but but when they start classifying people in a balcony cabin and people in an oceanview differently thats a crock. just my opinion. (we had an ocean view )
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May 4th 2008 @ 8:35AM
teltech54 said...
I went on many cruises aboard the USS John F. Kennedy and the USS America. The officers were treated better than the enlisted but we didn't care. We always had good food and plenty of it when out to sea. The galley was open 23 hours a day. Plus I didn't have to pay anything for it.
GET A LIFE PEOPLE !!
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May 4th 2008 @ 8:37AM
Bobby said...
Unless there's real proof of "specific bias" by the cruise lines against the plaintiff the lawsuit is totally bogus.
"Reservations required" in any eating establishment means there is only so much seating capacity per seating during a certain window of time. This is what makes this establishment special & sought after. If that reservation is not made within those capacities & time constraints any reasonable person or party would recognize they just missed out.
I would suspect some egos are at play here & a "I'll show them" attitude. This is frivolous & dilutes the meaning of what the court systems are established for, to hear cases with true merit....
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May 4th 2008 @ 8:41AM
Mary Lou said...
I have been on four NCL cruises. Once, inside cabin, twice outside cabin, once balcony. I never had problems getting a reservation at the specialty restaurants. I did not try the French restaurant because we don't like French food. You have to make a reservation in advance and it says that everywhere. We even got same day seating by simply walking in early or late. If you don't read, you can't complain. Why do people feel they are more special than others. By suing the cruise lines for such frivolity, it raises the prices for US!
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May 4th 2008 @ 9:11AM
kmelton said...
I went on Norweigen Cruise with a group of friends and we chose to go to one of the themed restaurants (which you do pay an additional fee for) on our last night and had no trouble at all booking a table and we were not registered in a high end cabin. I think this person is filing a suit just to file one and to get some publicity as well as cash. I was very impressed by this cruise line and their treatment of their passengers.
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May 4th 2008 @ 9:19AM
janet said...
I have cruised 3 times on NCL and am going on the Alaskian cruise with them in August. On the Star, this will be the 3rd time on the Star. Never ever had a problem, have always been able to dine where we want you just have to sign up for these resturants early. Actually have cruised with other lines also but NCL is the best in my books.
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May 4th 2008 @ 9:24AM
Dirk said...
Some one trying to get something for free. The lawyer gets money and the rest of us end up spending more for future cruises. These lines love repeat business and try to bend over backwards to get it. Hope she loses and has to pay court costs.
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May 4th 2008 @ 9:36AM
donna said...
My family of 4 went on an NCL cruise over Thanksgiving last year. We booked the cheapest inside cabin, and we never had problems booking a restaurant. I had even read, before boarding that we couldn't reserve more than 24 hours in advance, but once on the ship, I asked about reserving, and they said I could reserve my whole week if I wanted to. It does take a day, to realize what and when we wanted to eat, but we never ever had a problem eating where we wanted. What a ridiculous lawsuit.
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May 4th 2008 @ 9:37AM
Carl said...
Seems these woman are California " white trash" or stars want a be and think you can just walk in and get what you want. I have been on a NCL and think they are the best. Sure you pay more for the star resturants but you CALL A HEAD for a RESERVATION....DUHH
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May 4th 2008 @ 9:38AM
Jeffrey said...
To answer the question directly, yes, of course people should get more perks if they pay more. Why do you think they're paying more, if not to get more goodies?
Of course, the demand for a full refund is a red flag that this isn't about the principle, it's about the money. Were these folks so put off their feed, as it were, by not getting into a themed restaurant that they lost their appetites for the whole trip and couldn't eat a thing?
I'd bet the lunch money that the lawyer is behind the suit, especially the class action aspect. He's hoping that lightning will strike and he'll get some kind of nuisance settlement in which he gets paid in real money (the dollar is still real money, isn't it?) and the "lucky" winners get discount coupons for their next trip.
The lawyer and his clients should be made to walk the plank.
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