Things We Take for Granted: Port Fees

St. Thomas, USVI Cruise Port - Copyright Andy Richards 2012

WHEN WE book a cruise - perhaps especially as newer cruisers, it is usually all about the excitement and adventure of going someplace new. Or, it might be simply about going someplace warm and sunny, especially if you live in an area that experiences cold winters and even snow. Whether you think it is expensive or not, I think most cruisers look at the package price and then consider how things like cabin upgrades, WIFI, food and drink packages, specialty restaurants, maybe a visit to the spa, and onshore excursions affect that cost. At the same time, I am willing to bet that most cruisers do not really think about the incidental, behind-the-scenes costs (which like any "good" business model, are nonetheless, passed on to them). These costs are not a "bad thing." They are part of the business of cruising.

Old San Juan Port - Puerto Rico - Copyright Andy Richards 2011

I AM mainly addressing Port Fees, here. For sure, there are other such costs, like fuel, and fuel taxes and surtaxes; but I think we all intuitively know they are built into the package (if you don't rely on intuition, and are the one in a million who actually reads the fine print in your cruise contract, you will note the provision that allows the line to adjust your cruise price if there is a significant increase in fuel costs - never downward, I suspect). 😏

Cozumel, Mexico Cruise Port - Copyright Andy Richards 2022

WHAT ARE port fees, and what are they comprised of? The primary parts of the port fee are docking charges (consider it something like "rent"), harbor pilot payments, local taxes and surtaxes, baggage handling (where applicable), ship inspection (by Centers for Disease Control - which are unannounced not in every port or stop, and could, therefore end up as a surprise addition to your overall cruise cost) and sometimes tender services. Local law enforcement authorities may also charge a fee for security services where they have a presence in the port.

Galataport Port -Istanbul, Turkey - Copyright Andy Richards 2013

IF WE really think about it, it stands to reason that a port will charge fees. In addition to passing along their costs like taxes, inspection fees, pilot fees, and the like, as we have mentioned, they also have to pay port workers. What we may not always consider is the cost to maintain the port infrastructure. The ocean environment is tough on piers, docks, buoys, and other necessary structures. Different ports have different - sometimes unique - physical requirements. The Liverpool Terminal, which is on the river to and from the Atlantic, for example, has a floating, pontoon dock to accommodate the substantial changes in water level due to tides.

Prince's Wharf Cruise Terminal - Liverpool, England - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

EACH PORT will have its own fees, based on things like the local labor market and taxes, and the charges they assess for the other services noted above. Those fees can vary greatly. Cruisenation.com notes:

". . . port charges and taxes tend (my emphasis) to be around 10-20% of the base cruise fare. But that isn’t always the case. In fact, you might find that your port charges and taxes total almost half of the base cruise fare!"

HOW ARE port fees determined? Again, this varies from port to port, but there is generally commonality in how they are calculated. There are a number of factors involved, usually including ship size (length, gross tonnage and passenger capacity), the number of passengers aboard. Per passenger fees are theoretically designed to cover their use of the local infrastructure while on shore. Docking charges ("rent"?) are based on the size and tonnage of the ship. The components of the docking charges include the "space" the ship will take up and for how long, and the current labor rates for shore workers (like line handlers, etc.). It might be a reasonable assumption that as the ship capacity gets larger, some of these costs are spread between more passengers, which should lower the fees. But since the physically larger ships incur higher fees, that generally doesn't occur. Cruisenation.com notes that the CDC inspection, if it occurs, incurs charges of between $17,00 - $25,000 per instance! Even the Harbor Pilot costs are determined by the physical qualities of the ship, including length and width, tonnage, and draft.

Cruise Port - Warnemunde, Germany - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

WHEN YOU are booking a cruise, it will be useful to look at how the port fees - which most certainly are being passed on to you - are presented by the cruise line. Do they include it as part of the base fee (the vast majority of cruise lines do not). Either way, these charges are generally subject to change if port fees and fuel costs substantially change). Or do they give you their "price" up front and then add on these charges to the originally advertised and/or quoted price. If they do, they should be making this abundantly clear in their sales material. I am led to believe by some of what I read online, that sometimes they "bury" these additional charges in the fine print. I am not sure the latter practice is being as "transparent" as they might, but knowing this will help you determine your true cost and budget for the cruise. In most cases, if you are getting a quote, or if you are booking, you will certainly see it when your "final" price comes in higher (sometimes substantially) from the original advertised price of the cruise. Also, it should be reasonably obvious that cruises with fewer ports will incur less port fees.

Refueling Operations - Celebrity Reflection - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

My Favorite Ports of Call - Episode 2: Barcelona

Port of Barcelona, Spain from our Celebrity Cruise Berth - Copyright Andy Richards 2022

THINKING ABOUT all the cruise ports we have visited around the world it is difficult to call one my absolute favorite. While this series of posts makes a (perhaps weak) attempt to "rank" them, it is a daunting task. They are almost all interesting - even fun. I can really only think of a very small handful that I wouldn't miss if I never stopped there again. Even from those, although the ports weren't "the best," if they were the only way to access certain shore features, I wouldn't rule them out.

A Typical Gaudi-designed facade on a downtown Barcelona Building - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

NAPLES SEEMED the obvious first choice for a number of reasons (which will undoubtedly make it have been the longest in this series). At this point, my second favorite would probably have to be Barcelona.

La Rambla - Popular pedestrian street in the Gothic Quarter - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

THERE ARE only a couple places that are easily accessed outside of Barcelona. The "main event" is the city itself. The second largest city in Spain, Barcelona is one of the most culturally and artistically rich cities in Europe. For us, it has found its way to the top of the list as our personal "favorite." It is our second-most visited European port, which may have something to do with its status as a favorite. There is so much to see and do. The handiwork of influential architect and artist (back in "the day" the line between architect and artist was not well-defined), Antoni Gaudi, can be seen everywhere, and makes Barcelona a very unique city among cities.

Typical Barcelona Street near the Gothic Quarter - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

SPAIN IS a historically and culturally diverse country and is divided into several very regions, each of which has its own unique history, culture, and even nationalistic identity. Some are very familiar to most of us, such as the Basque Region and Catalan, Aragon, Castile and Madrid. Others may not be so familiar. There are 17 regions, divided into "autonomous communities," each having limited powers of self-government, as well as fiercely independent cultures and views. Yet they all identify as Spanish. Unification has been a historical struggle, however.

La Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

BARCELONA IS in the heart of the country's Catalanian region and is Catalan's capital. Each unit has its own representative government - and the right to be represented in the Spanish National Government. From time to time, there have been movements to separate from the national government and pursue their own national interests. Perhaps we are most familiar with the Basque Separatist movement, and the frequent marches for Catalanian independence.

The red and yellow striped Catalanian Flag is commonly seen in Barcelona - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

STUDENTS OF American History might see some parallel here to the separate states of our country. Yet as similar as it may "feel" on the surface, there are some major differences. The primary thing in my view is the hundreds and hundreds of years of history running up to the identity of Spain as a nation. There were also hundreds of years of struggles for power between Spain, France, England, and even Portugal. In the United States, the individual states began as separate colonies which gained their own special identities. But after only a scant few hundred years, they found themselves banding together to fight for the freedom of a new nation, comprised of these colonies. While there were significant differences, they were probably much less culturally rooted than those of the individual kingdoms and even nation-states making up this part of Europe (in spite of the American Civil War).

In our travels, we have noted that Europeans have a much more liberal and nonchalant view of things we consider "taboo" in the U.S. This shop was tucked in right among some retail and souvenir shops right in the heart of the city of Barcelona - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

ALL OF this makes for some fascinating history, as well as interesting current affairs. Of the three times we have been in Barcelona, there were very large demonstration/marches on the city by Catalanian separatists. Thankfully generally peaceful, they can certainly still be quite disruptive to the regular workings of this expansive modern city.

Placa Reial - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

HAVING MISSED out completely on Barcelona back in 2013 on our first (aborted) Mediterranean cruise, we looked forward to spending 3 days there "pre-cruise." We were scheduled on Princess' Emerald Princess (our "makeup" cruise from the 2003 cruise). We were also with our friends, Paul and Linda. It was the first of several times we have cruised together.

Palau de Musica - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

OUR RESEARCH told us there a lot to do in Barcelona. Not only had we done our homework, digging through on-line sites, but I had a friend who had spent 6 weeks there during several winters. He made some really great suggestions, my favorite of which was Palau de La Musica Barcelona, the city's splendid civic concert hall. Housing one of the world's best pipe organs, the ornate design of the building's interior is worth the (reasonable) price of admission. One of the few major buildings in Barcelona that did not have Gaudi involved in its design (its architect was Lluís Domènech i Montaner, a Barcelona-born Catalonian, hired by the city for its design), it was certainly one of my favorite stops. While inside, we were treated to a (electronically programmed) demonstration of the remarkable pipe organ.

Palau de Musica - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

COMPLETED IN 1908, the Palau was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Montaner was a professor in the Barcelona School of Architecture for 45 years and was involved in local (Catalanian) politics as well. The building, though not a "Gaudi" design, still involved many of the elements that were popular throughout the city's architecture, including the curved lines (imitating nature) that Gaudi was famous for, and embracing the Art Nouveau style that was popular for the period. Most of the surrounding architecture is Gaudi-designed or influenced. The style of Art Nouveau that was prevalent in this part of the world at the time was often referred to as a Catalan Modernism which was, itself, very much influenced by Gaudi and his contemporaries.

Palau de Musica - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

I HAVE mentioned Antoni Gaudi a number of times already in the blog. Maybe it is time to describe who he was. Although his Catalan birthplace isn't exactly known, he spent his adult life in Barcelona and became one of its most influential architects and artists, designing a large number of the buildings and facades throughout the city.

National Art Museum of Catalania overlooking the city - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

WE FLEW into Barcelona 3 full days before our boarding day. We stayed at a hotel on Avenue Diagonal, which (not surprisingly) runs diagonally through the central part of the city, from southwest to northeast and is centrally located in the city. On our first full day, we had a walking/subway tour which focused on Gaudi's contributions to the city. It was fully a half-day affair, beginning at our meeting point of Placa Reial (Plaza Real), where the lamp posts designed by Gaudi were among his first contributions to the city. The placa is right in the part of the city known as the Gothic Quarter, parts of which contain some of the most well-preserved medieval architecture in the world.

Runnerbean Walking Gaudi Tour - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

OUR TOUR took us all around the city, jumping on and off the very nice, clean and efficient subway train system a couple times, as we learned of Gaudi's considerable influence on the architecture of Barcelona. Gaudi was passionate about nature, art and architecture, and his (Catholic) religion. You can see them as influencing virtually all of his art. A Gaudi "signature theme" is no straight lines. Virtually everything he designed and built (with the possible exception of some of the churches he was commissioned to remodel and rebuild) incorporated curves and lines imitating nature. This makes walking down a Barcelona main street a unique experience.

Palau Guell - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

GAUDI's INFLUENCE was so great that he attracted the attention of Eusebi Guell, a wealthy entrepreneur, count, and ultimately, Gaudi's patron. During their professional relationship (which grew to friendship), Gaudi designed, among other things, Palau Guell, which was Guell's home, in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. It seemed like we walked by it daily, as we explored the city around us. Perhaps the second most well-known Gaudi accomplishment, though, is Parc Guell. The park was originally conceived by Guell as a residential housing development for the wealthy. That concept never really caught on, and instead approximately 40-acre parcel of land that sat on a hill above the city was developed into a park, partly to celebrate the Catalanian modern art, architecture and culture. Built between 1900 and 1914, the park has become one of Barcelona's most visited attractions and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1926.

Parc Guell - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

DISAPPOINTINGLY, OUR 2015 visit there with Paul and Linda coincided with one of the few "rainouts" we have ever experienced in cruise travel. We had purchased "skip the line" tickets, and stood in a short queue, to wait for our group to be admitted. We could see the foreboding skies. Just as we walked into the park, the rain came - in a torrential downpour. We were fortunate to get under one of the roofs, as we watched stairways turn into raging waterfalls. As it became apparent that it wasn't going to give us reprieve, we aborted, and grabbed a taxi back to the hotel.

Parc Guell Residence - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

MY WIFE and I returned in 2022 and had a guided tour through the grounds. The weather cooperated this time. It is impressive to see the small "city" that was built on the grounds (much like some of the old castles we have toured), where there were stores that sold food and other sundries, a church, a school, and recreational facilities). The gaudy "Gaudi" (see what I did there 😇) Art Noveau styling gives the place a "fairy tale" feel. If you have the opportunity to visit Barcelona, we think Parc Guell is a "must visit" spot and strongly encourage you to spring for the cost of a person-guided tour of the place.

Church - Parc Guell - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

ANOTHER MUST see destination in Barcelona is the old Gothic Quarter. Very close to the waterfront (and the cruise port - within easy walking distance of the place where the shuttles from the ship drop off and pick up at the port), it contains centuries of history. It may be the only spot in Barcelona where you are not surrounded with Art Nouveau - Gaudi styled buildings and architecture. We have had several walking tours in the quarter. The history impressive, and for those even remotely interested in history from ancient, to medieval, to Rennaissance and beyond (all the way to present day), a wonderful learning adventure. One of our favorite memories was a combination food and architectural walk through the centuries in the Gothic Quarter. At one time surrounded by a 60-foot wall, only remnants of that enclosure remain today. It is what was inside the walls, though, that impresses. Much of the quarter is comprised of medieval style pedestrian streets with many small squares. These plazas today often house small restaurants and shops, often with al fresco dining areas. Our tour began at dusk, and the small, narrow, pedestrian-only streets and squares took on a magical quality as darkness overtook and the areas were lighted with faux lanterns that let you feel like it might have been back in the days when proprietors lit them with torches each night. The shadows gave everything a magical quality.

Gothic Quarter - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

BEGINNING WITH the small, but remarkable remnants of the Temple of Augustus (just 3 tall columns and the base), built during the occupation of the Romans in the First Century, B.C., our guide brought us up through history, 100 years at a time. Fascinating. Educational. And the occasional wine and tapas stops made it really fun. Highly recommended! It is also highly recommended to explore the area by on your own, time permitting.

Cathedral of Barcelona - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

SPEAKING OF food and drink, we have made it our habit to book at least one food/pub crawl type tour in cities we spend enough time in. We have done this in Venice, Barcelona, Lisbon, Porto, Copenhagen and London, to name a few. None were better that the tours in Barcelona. The food is very good. The local neighborhood establishments have wonderful character, and the people are generally friendly and welcoming. On the day of the rainout at Parc Guell, we had a "pub-crawl" style tour scheduled. Happily, the weather turned nice, and we had a clear, cool night for the event. These tours usually involve a guided walk - normally within a neighborhood (or perhaps closely adjacent neighborhoods) and offer a selection of maybe 5 - 8 establishments with a couple of tapas appetizers and a glass of wine (maybe 2) for each participant. In Barcelona, on a couple of occasions, we had an option for beer instead of wine, and Paul and I generally opted for that. We had some pretty good local beers. Then there was the one that go away from us! It was near our last stop - ironically no more than a block from our hotel (though we didn't realize it at the time). They had a beer on their menu that was just called "Black Beer." Normally, I am not a heavy, dark beer kind of a guy (though I have been known to quaff a Guiness or two on tap in Ireland). Paul is a bit more adventurous. He tried it. I took a sip. Then I ordered it. It was very dark colored, but very crisp and medium light tasting. We vowed to go back later in the week. But try as we might, we just couldn't find he place!

Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

THE ONE feat of architecture that Gaudi is perhaps most famously associated with is the Basilica Church of the Holy Family, a/k/a The La Sagrada Familia. Construction commenced in 1882, under the direction of another architect who ultimately resigned. Gaudi took over, and the design and structure thereafter became a blend of gothic and Gaudi's interpretation of Art Nouveau. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project. Sadly, in 1926, he was struck by a commuter train and killed. He is buried in the church's crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. By 2010, it was still only about 50% completed. Today, it is estimated that final completion will not occur before 2034! Nonetheless, the finished portions are spectacular, and you simply cannot have "seen" Barcelona until you make a visit to the cathedral.

La Sagrada Familia - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

ONE OTHER spot that is worth at least a drive by visit is the Olympic Village. Barcelona hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics. There were some important moments in this particular event. The Soviet Union having dissolved in 1991, most of the former Soviet Bloc countries re-joined the games for the first time for many years following the end of the so-called "cold war," as a unified team. The exceptions were the formerly Soviet-occupied Baltic State countries (Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia), each of which sent their own teams. That same summer, South Africa was also invited back into the games, having been banned due to its Apartheid policies, the 1960 games having been the last they had participated in. Having reunified in 1990, Germany sent a single, re-unified team for the first time since 1964.

Sun Shining through Stained Glass inside La Sagrada Familia - Copyright Andy Richards 2015

IN A "sea-change" in policies, for the first time, professional NBA basketball players were allowed to join the U.S. team and participate, resulting in the "Dream Team" (consisting of superstars Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, John Stockton, Carl Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, one collegiate star (Christian Laetner from UNC), and my personal favorite: (Sir) Charles Barkley! The day we arrived in Barcelona in 2015, our "tour director" (my wife) had arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport and give us a 1/2-day tour of Barcelona before dropping us at our hotel. We did a drive-by of the Olympic Village, built to house the athletes for the 1992 Olympics.

Montserrat Abbey - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

ANOTHER PLACE of great interest, and that I recommend considering a trip to, is outside the city is Montserrat - about 25 miles northwest of the city. With traffic and some secondary roads, it is probably a 45 to 60-minute drive up into the mountains. As you approach, you can see the unique, multiple peaks, that resemble a serrated edge (Hence, Montserrat - or "serrated mountains"). In October of 2019, we cruised on The Celebrity Edge on what they designated as The Italian Riviera. Nonetheless we made stops in Mallorca, Barcelona and Monaco. Our stop in Barcelona was overnight, giving us a couple pretty full days. The first morning we did our Parc Guell tour. That evening, we did the nighttime, centuries/pub-crawl tour. The next morning, we joined a slightly larger than our usual sized group (maybe about 15-18 people) with a guide and headed to Montserrat. We had done so much in Barcelona, and it seemed like a fun diversion. The plan was to spend about 1/2 the tour at Montserrat, and then finish the day at a vineyard, doing some wine tasting before heading back to the ship for a 6:00 p.m. departure.

Catalan Separatist March - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

OUR STOP coincided with a march on the city by Catalonian separatist demonstrators. In 2019, we sat in an outdoor bar on our last day in Barcelona and watched an identical scene develop from the comfort of the television near our motel some distance from the city center. While it was reputed to be (and from all we could see, it was) peaceful, it would mean that 1,000's of people would be filling the streets of the Gothic quarter by afternoon. Our guide was (understandably) nervous about how this would affect our return to the ship, and he ultimately decided to cut the tour short and return early. That turned out to be a good plan. We had made friends on the cruise and the stories they told about getting back were. let's just say, "interesting." One couple were in a taxi and the driver suggested that they would be more likely to get back on time if they got out and walked the last 2 miles. They did. They were jovial about it. We were sitting in my favorite spot (the cigar area) near the Sunset Bar on the ship, watching the city. It was mobbed. We were glad to be safely on board, sitting on a beautiful sunny afternoon, with a drink in hand.

Montserrat Abbey - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2022

OFTEN REFERRED to as a Monastery or Retreat, Montserrat was historically actually an Abbey (a larger "community" which contains a monastery, convent or both). Montserrat is a Benedictine Abbey which is still a working monastery today, which is well set up for tourism. There is a wonderful Church, and a very impressive, if small, art museum on the premises. Access from the main parking lot is by a narrow gage train. From there, it is possible to take a funicular to the top. On our first trip, we weren't able to do so, as the round trip would have taken more than an hour and our tour was cut short. I thought about that funicular often afterward, and it was my plan to take it to the top with my camera if I ever had a return opportunity.

Montserrat - Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

IN 2022, we would stop for a long day again in Barcelona. The other 2 couples that were cruising with us had never been to Barcelona, and we strongly suggested that they stay in the city and take in some of it. They each did their own thing. We had planned early on (long before getting on the ship) to return to Montserrat and finish what we had started. We had a nice day, seeing the monastery again. It was an interesting day, which (not unusual for mountain tops) was mostly very foggy at the top. The conditions actually made for some dramatic photographs. But because of the fog, we were informed that the funicular to the top would put is basically in "pea-soup" fog. We were also informed that there really wasn't a good view from up there. Change in plan. 😆

Vineyard near Montserrat - Copyright Andy Richards 2022

WE DID make it to the vineyard this trip. It was a fun look at the other side of Montserrat. Unfortunately, the afternoon sun did not make for good photographic light. Someday maybe I can get over there early in the day. But the history was good. We then had some tapas and tasted some of the wine at the vineyard, before our return to the ship. All in all, a very nice day! This is a trip I would recommend.

Wine Tasting at Vineyard near Montserrat - Copyright Andy Richards 2022

IN THE city, there are museums and churches we have not seen. You could visit the city for several days and just walk around and see the sights. It is that cool of a city! Having been to a few now in Europe, it is hard for me to find one that I like better (with the possible exception of Porto, Portugal). Having said that it resides on a very high list along with London, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Paris. The opening image and the final image below were made from the stern of our Celebrity Apex ship in 2019, early in the morning and then after sunset. I hope you can see why I like Barcelona as a cruise stop. Its an amazing city!

Port of Barcelona, Spain - Copyright Andy Richards 2019

ONCE AGAIN, world geopolitical conditions are effecting these wonderful places to visit. Recent unrest and demonstrations against tourist - in my view unfairly scapegoating the cruise industry (I read some statistics that suggested that the actual cruise passenger impact on the city compared with the overall tourist visits to the city is a small, single-digit percentage) - have saddened us. At the same time, we "get" the negative effects tourism and other influxes of foreign visitors (disproportionalely from the U.S.) have had on many places in the world. We saw much of the same in Portugal when we visited there a couple years back. Lead my Americans, and joined by wealthy persons from Europe, the purchasing of homes in these places has unnaturally driven the cost of living so high that a large number of citizens are no longer able to remain in the cities where they grew up and where they now work, as a result of teh affordable housing shortage. While the tourism industry is one of many of these places major sources of wealth, the pressure on housing, infrastructure, and the like has caused hard feelings - particularly from the younger generations. We hope there is a solution there somewhere. We love to visit, and learn about some of these parts of the world. In the meantime, without trying to sound "preachy," we as visitors need to really consider that we are indeed visitors to these places and appreciate them and their culture for what they are.

Missed Ports; Does Your Cruise Line Owe You Compensation?

A FEW days ago, a post on one of the several cruise-oriented FB Pages I frequently read caught my attention. On a recent Alaska cruise (the post was made while the cruise was still under way), a medical emergency caused the ship captain to make a decision to sail to the nearest port with quality medical facilities, taking the cruise partly out of its planned itinerary - including missing a day cruising near a glacier. The question was posed to passengers currently onboard, and asked whether they were satisfied with the handling and response of the captain and cruise line.

I am not one who thinks the cruise lines automatically owe us compensation every time something changes. But I do think they owe us a (plausible) explanation

AS MIGHT be expected, the question stimulated a number of (often opinionated) responses. Some were from the target audience, but perhaps most were from posters not even onboard. The OP did not offer an opinion - just asked the question. It got me thinking (I didn't participate in the discussion) that maybe a post about why things don't always go according to plan might be timely. I think it is important to bring some context to this conversation. Cruise ship travel and vacation is unlike any other kind of travel. To be sure, there are things that can disrupt travel by airline and trains, and destination resort travel. They are - though - by and large, more predictable and less variable. With cruises, we are on the sea. There are no "lanes," or highways, and travel is comparatively less (physically) regulated. For most cruises, the plan is to make multiple stops at different places in the world. Each of these stops has its own logistics. More than any other venue, the weather at sea can be at its most violent and unpredictable. If there are issues, there are not places where the ship can pull over and park. Nor can a passenger just get off the ship, except at designated places. The geopolitical divisions at sea are very different than those of land borders. It is a set of very complex conditions which - even in the face of a very sophisticated planning and logistics algorithm, is fraught with more potential for negatives than any other kind of public transit that I know of.

Cruise ship travel and vacation is unlike any other kind of travel

THERE ARE many reasons why a cruise itinerary might be deviated from. There are also many different responses a cruise line might make to these situations. In the previous blog entry, I engaged in a long and rather critical post involving an NCL ship that left some late passengers in port. While that is a very different situation from what I am writing about here, it raised the same issue: whether the cruise line ever owes a "duty" to its passengers beyond their safety while on board; and if so, under what conditions.

it does seem to me, though, that transparency would go a long way toward customer trust and loyalty

PROBABLY THE first place to start is the contract you agree to when you book a cruise. Most people don't read it. It is very long, and in very fine print, and contains its share of what we often referred to in my career as "legalese." I won't go into a long analysis here, but I will tell you (thanks, "captain obvious" 😎) that they are not written with your rights in mind. 😏 Nobody likes all that "fine print" and legal mumbo-jumbo (not even me - and I was a lawyer by career for 40-plus years). We see it constantly, every time we sign up for an online experience, book a trip on an airline or other transit, and of course, on cruises. Most of the time most of us skip it. If you are a frequent cruiser, though, I strongly recommend that you read through one - at least one time. You will find it very "educational." It will answer some of your long-term "burning" questions. It will also probably raise a bunch more of them.

LIKE ANY other business. The first objective of the cruise line (in fairness, like any other business in the history of the world) is to make a profit. A corollary objective is do not have any lost revenue. With that in mind, much of the contract, as well as actions of the cruise line is focused on making and not losing money. I have always been a "free market," person. We could spend an awful lot of time debating what a true free market is. In my opinion, we don't really have that working for us here in the U.S., and it is both conservatives and liberals who have perverted that concept - but I have vowed not to get "political" here on my blogs, so I will leave it at that. Because of my philosophy, I do not begrudge the cruise lines' seeking profit. Most of us have done that personally over the years. The question might better be: how much?

Pretty shocking to me that these attitudes [regarding health emergencies] exist

SOMETHING TO keep in mind when reading the contract - particularly if you are a U.S. citizen (and I suspect most of the readers here are) - is that though we are used to thinking about things under American law, the cruise ships are mostly not bound by U.S. laws. Of course, if they dock in an American port, they must follow U.S. law. It may surprise many people that even though most of the biggest cruise lines are American Corporations (notably NCL and Carnival - who also operate HAL and Princess - and Royal Caribbean - who operates Celebrity). Even though they are U.S. corporations, nearly all of their ships are registered outside the U.S., usually in a small (mostly Caribbean) country whose laws are much more favorable to the business owner than they are to the customer. What that means is that the cruise contract you agree to is not governed by U.S. laws. Nor is the contract or the ship subject to U.S. jurisdiction. If you have a "beef," by contract you agree that legal proceedings will be in some other jurisdiction. As black and white as that seems, it is not. Legal proceedings and rights and responsibilities involving the seas and shipping come under what is known as maritime law and it is very complex. Well beyond the scope this post, though I did blog in slightly more detail in "The Law of the Sea," back in April 2023. These legal complexities, however, often shape the actions of the cruise lines - including changes in ports.

I strongly recommend that you read through one (a contract) at least one time

THE PROFIT-seeking mission permeates different levels. For example, many (if not most) cruise lines compensate the ship captain based on his/her efficiency, including such factors as fuel consumption, time schedule, and other things. At sea, the ship Captain has ultimate say in all decisions aboard the ship. That means if the ship is running late, the captain alone makes the decision whether to try to make up that time. Usually, to make up time, they go faster and consume more fuel, cutting into their profits (and hence, the captain's profit/bonus). Interesting that there is so much discretion given to what really probably should be a business/policy decision. But it underscores the profit-focus of the company - sometimes (in my view) to the disadvantage of the customer.

GIVEN THIS background, there are certainly a lot of variables outside of the control of the ship officers and/or the company management. Most of the time it is these factors beyond their control that account for why things don't always go according to plan. As noted in the beginning, perhaps one of the most compelling and sometimes vexing issues is a passenger health emergency. For me, it goes without saying that a life-threatening emergency trumps any other decision or course of action at sea. It seems like the majority of responses echoed this sentiment and suggested that it is part of the nature of the cruise industry and that passengers needed to just "roll with it." I was indeed surprised that anybody felt differently, but there were a handful of seemingly callous commentors that said the cruise line should either compensate them for their "losses," or not make the decision to divert to the closest medical facility. Pretty shocking to me that these attitudes exist. I get that it may have been a once-in-a-lifetime event for some passengers. The irony is that somebody may be ending their lifetime. In the words of the Rolling Stones song, "you don't always get what you want." We have had a ship either divert or turn around at least two times in the last couple years. In one case, they were able to (mostly) make up the time. In the other case, we missed most of our day at one of our stops. On the other hand, it was in the Caribbean, and we got another nice sea day during the month of February. The closest viable port on that cruise was Nassau, Bahamas. Nassau was not on the itinerary (it was a southern Caribbean run), but I remember thinking that if I had to go to a Caribbean hospital, Nassau, or San Juan would be my first choice as a U.S. citizen. I don't think anybody I knew on board gave the idea of inconvenience a second thought. It just "is."

a life-threatening emergency trumps any other decision or course of action at sea

THERE ARE other events beyond the control of the ship or cruise lines that disrupt a cruise itinerary. Weather is another pretty significant factor. In a number of ports throughout the world, there are not sufficient deepwater facilities to dock a ship on a pier in the port. These places require the ship to anchor out and be "tendered" to shore. Sometimes the wind or other weather conditions simply make tendering unsafe. On a couple of cruises, we have had this experience and have simply been unable to visit the port that was scheduled. We also have had late departures and/or arrivals because of weather conditions. Other than possibly a refund of some port fees, cruise line contracts note that this is a risk of the cruise and do not make any other compensation to passengers. If you read it, that is right there in your contract. And really, it makes sense. We are talking about ships at sea here, and weather is - for most people in this day and age - a known risk. Why should the cruise line bear that risk? As disappointing as it sometimes is, we look at it philosophically, and think of it as perhaps another reason to revisit an itinerary.

THERE IS, however, a circumstance where that balance shifts in my view. In 2023, we cruised on the Oceania Nautica, around South Africa. Besides my admonition that South Africa is not really a very good cruise trip in general, weather was a significant factor in this cruise. I have come to the conclusion that the seas around many parts of that country are consistently rough - particularly down around - and south of -the cape. We left our berth in Cape Town several hours late due to strong winds, which blew directly onto the pier. Ultimately the ship (small by most standards) had to be laterally towed away from the pier and turned, even after the winds died down significantly (one unexpected benefit was to some friends who we met on board who had a luggage issue and the several hours late departure was the only reason they got it before we left 😅). The weather delay was - in my view - completely justified for safety (we learned later that another incoming ship had to "cruise around" outside the port for several hours - again - for safety reasons before docking). Cape Town is the major port in the country. Just a day or two later, we encountered another late arrival - to Durban - due to weather conditions. We were there on a pretty much timely basis, but winds kept us from coming into the port and we sat offshore for a few hours. Again, ship and passenger safety should take precedence over schedule. No reasonable person would doubt that. Then we ran into a windy weather situation again, this time for our final port before returning to Cape Town: Mossel Bay - directly south of the Cape. We were given a "heads up" long before (at least 24 hours) that we would not be stopping, due to heavy winds and waves. This port was also a tender-port. There was a difference, though, with this one and I couldn't (cannot) help thinking this one is on Oceania. Why? During the days following this announcement, we heard a number of times from a number of different onboard crew members that this was a frequent occurrence. At least one crew - who had been on the ship for several cruises - said they had never stopped while he was on - in spite of the fact that it was always on the itinerary. Does there come a point where, as a matter of policy, the cruise line determines that a port is just not viable to maintain on the itinerary? I think so, and I think based on my very small sampling, Mossel Bay is probably one of them.

We are talking about ships at sea here, and weather is - for most people in this day and age - a known risk

PORT CLOSURES are another factor that is mostly out of the cruise line's control, though it probably depends on the amount of lead time they have to react to such closures. Our own experience with it was in 2021, as we were just emerging from the worldwide pandemic. Even well after things began to open back up and cruising resumed, port closures were a serious issue. Our first cruise coming back after the pandemic included stops in the Isle of Guernsey, La Rochelle, France, and (notably) Bilbao Spain. Presumably all because of the pandemic, all three of these ports were changed. Guernsey was totally closed. They may have been one of the last to reopen after Covid. No explanation was ever given for why the other two ports were changed, but in particular, a cruiser would probably be looking forward to Bilbao. One of Spain's most popular cities, it houses the famous Gugenheim Museum, among other things. I am not one who thinks the cruise lines automatically owe us compensation every time something changes. But I do think they owe us a (plausible) explanation for why changes are made. It is natural for a passenger to want to know why changes were made, and it does seem to me that transparency would go a long way toward customer trust and loyalty.

AS I have written about in the past ("Are Cruises Becoming less "Port-Friendly?"), there are numerous factors that affect the use of ports by cruise ships, including port fees, deepwater availability, and the number of ships that can be accommodated. The many different services being provided (and paid for by the cruise line through port fees - and of course - passed on to the passengers) may well explain many of the port changes. Again, I believe the majority of passengers are understanding - given a little transparency - and given the opportunity to have a little insight, would go along and maybe even if given a choice, pay a bit more for the cruise. These things do happen and sometimes at very short notice.

learning to "roll with it," is probably the best approach. We are still awfully fortunate to be able to cruise at all

ANOTHER FACTOR that from time to time affects ports is world geopolitical conditions. We have personally experienced this phenom at least 3 times over the years. Our first was indirect - in 2015, in Turkey. The second was more recently in 2022 in the Baltic. There, it was - as everyone certainly remembers - the decision of cruise lines (and other travelers) to discontinue any visits to St. Petersburg, Russia. This one directly affected us, as the St. Petersburg overnight stop was probably the highlight of our much-anticipated Baltic Cruise. I call it "Putin's War." His unfathomable aggression against Ukraine made it unthinkable to go to Russia for any reason. We had originally had this cruise booked back before (or just as) the pandemic hit the world. When we finally were able to get back on track, we booked it again, and I was pretty excited about seeing the city. Along came "Putin's War," and crashed our hopes of that. Certainly, though, a prime example of conditions over which the cruise lines had no influence or control.

IN 2013, having dipped our toes in the water of cruising, first in Alaska and then two times in the Caribbean, we booked our first cruise in Europe on the Princess Royal Princess (some may remember that for us, this was the cruise of all cruises that didn't "go according to plan." - more on that later). One of the most memorable stops on that cruise was Istanbul, Turkey. During perhaps its most famous period, the city was "Constantinople," named after the Roman Emperor, Constantine. This amazing city was originally known as Byzantium, founded by the Greek ruler, Byzas, around the 657 B.C. Strategically located on the Bosphorus Strait, a passage between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, and separating two continents (Europe and Asia), Istanbul now occupies parts of both continents (it may be the only major city n the world that is situated in two continents; it certainly is the only such city I have visited). Commonly thought of as the place where western civilization began, the city was alternately controlled by the Greeks, Persians, Spartans and Macedonians. Sometime in the early 3rd Century, the Romans razed the city to the ground. Shortly afterward, however, they rebuilt it and much of it retained the earlier architecture, so that the city had many Greek and Roman "trappings." Around 300 A.D., the city was renamed Constantinople (by this time, the vast Roman Empire has divided into Western and Eastern empires, and the eastern empire continued to be known as the Byzantine Roman Empire).

IN 1453, Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks, who have controlled it ever since. The name was not changed to Istanbul, however, until the 20th Century (around 1928). The word, "Istanbul," in Turkish means (roughly) "into the city," and even though still formally Constantinople in the western world view, the Turkish people colloquially referred to it as Istanbul long before the official name change. Two continents. Incredible history, buildings, art, and architecture. A robust food culture. Who wouldn't see Istanbul as a highlight port? Yet a mere 2 years later, when we returned to the Mediterranean for the second time (this time on the Emerald Princess), cruise lines were no longer stopping in Istanbul because of political unrest, occasional violent outbreaks, and fear for the safety of visitors. At that time the U.S. Department of State was advising U.S. citizens against traveling there. Happily, today, it is back on the port list for most cruise lines, and if you have an opportunity to see it - do not miss it.

There are circumstances where it is just the right thing to do. There is also a line where a customer is just plain unreasonable

MOST RECENTLY (and again for us indirect) but certainly within our awareness, during our New Year's cruise in the Caribbean in January, was the decision of cruise ships to stop porting in Haiti due to the unrest there.

THERE IS one other area I can think of that can substantially disrupt a cruise itinerary: mechanical Issues. I have little doubt that the cruise lines and the onboard crews spend a lot of time in redundancy planning and exercises. There are no doubt backup mechanicals and plans. Cruise ships cost well over $500 million to as much as $2 billion to build. Redundancy systems add to that cost. I am equally sure that in some cases cruise lines decide not to spend the $ on those systems (or at least parts of them). Over the years, some things have been mandated. For example, after our own experience, my research uncovered that as a follow-up to the well-publicized breakdowns of a couple Carnival Cruise ships and the ordeal that followed for passengers before "rescue," new and refurbished builds are required to have an auxiliary power propulsion system, so the ships are always able to get back to a port under their own power. Our October 2013 Mediterranean Cruise was our first experience with significant mechanical issues. Ironically, it was aboard Princess' then newest and greatest ship - the "flagship" Royal Princess. Approximately half-way through the cruise, our ship had a substantial failure (having something to do with the ship's high-tech electronics and propulsion system). After working on it for about a 24-hour period, the captain ultimately concluded that they were not able to repair the systems and that we would have to terminate the cruise at the next port (Naples, Italy), where mechanical engineers from the shipbuilder would be brought in for ultimate diagnoses and repairs. Fortunately, we were able to move and navigate, albeit at a much slower speed, and we arrived in Naples a couple days late, where we would all ultimately disembark from the ship. From a passenger safety and comfort standpoint, there was really nothing else they could do.

In the end, we can always follow the old adage to "vote with our feet," if we are really unhappy

IT IS the only time I can remember in nearly 20 cruises that we have ever experienced anything like that. In spite of the substantial publicity these events often get, I believe major mechanical issues are not a common occurrence. For sure, there are minor inconveniences. Sometimes they can be pretty frustrating. We had an issue with our toilet not flushing on one of our cruises that took at least 3 days to fix. Not enough to destroy the cruise though, and as we have looked at it over the years, learning to "roll with it," is probably the best approach. We are still awfully fortunate to be able to cruise at all.

THIS IS a long way from our original question about when and under what circumstances a cruise line should "compensate" for mishaps aboard. I suppose a related question might also be what should be the magnitude of the compensation? I really think this is a judgment call. As a 40-plus year business owner myself, I know I normally leaned in the direction of over-compensating for things that went wrong. Sometimes I didn't have to, but I stepped up anyway. I also always tried to remember the old adage that the customer is always right (even when they weren't 😔). There are circumstances where it is just the right thing to do. There is also a line where a customer is just plain unreasonable.

THE WAY Princess handled our situation above is - in my view - an example of the way to address a large issue, and certainly leaned toward over and above. We got one-half a cruise out of it (essentially a full week). They could have reimbursed us for the missed half and probably walked away from it. That probably would have left a bad taste for many people. They didn't. Instead, they reimbursed 100% of the entire cruise fare, and offered a substantial discount on future cruises up to the same number of days, for a couple years into the future (we took advantage of it 2 years later). They also took care of every passenger's out-of-pocket costs for airfare home (they mostly arranged it - but in our case that didn't work and they reimbursed us100%). Did they "owe" us that? I don't know. They probably owed us something. That is a far cry, in my view, from some of the other things some customers complain about. I personally do not think they ever owe us for responding to a health or weather emergency. I do think that responding with some kind of meaningful "compensation" (it could be cruise fare, discounts, on board credits, upgrades, and/or reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses) goes a long way toward the customer satisfaction experience, but that should probably be balanced against the true inconvenience experienced by passengers. I don't have a measuring stick for that. Nobody does, really. It will be one of those things we will have to "measure" by our own visceral reactions. In the end, we can always follow the old adage to "vote with our feet," if we are really unhappy. In the meantime, we are cruising and our approach is to chill and enjoy as much as humanly possible.