Member Submission: NCL no longer allowing registrants to cruise
MEMBER SUBMISSION: I wanted to share a recent experience with you of being denied boarding on Norwegian Cruise Line. I have previously been on one of their cruises after my conviction with no problems after researching what cruise lines allowed people forced to register. We planned this new cruise on NCL with 12 other family members, my husband and I for a family vacation. I received a call from NCL one week prior to the cruise and was told my reservation was being canceled and because I was on the sex offender registry and I could not appeal the decision. I looked up and contacted Matthew Lewis (Sr. VP Chief Security Officer) and was then contacted by Scott Bernstein (Director of Security Operations and Investigations) who’s was very polite and professional. He said he would look into the matter and call me back. He called me back the next day and told me that it was a new policy, started on June 1st 2022 and purely by being on the registry regardless of my crime, which was non-violent with no actual victim from a sting operation, bans me from being allowed on their ships. I don’t know what you will do with this information but I wanted to share it with you.
I have concerns about my friend . He likes to go on a cruise to Caribbean cruise but he is a SOR . I’m kind a worried they might deny him . But he went on a cruise last August seven days this year but Alaska cruise NCL. Please let me know what country he can able to cruise . Thank you so much
I though you were taking that comment in another direction…
I’ve had enough cruise time on 4 aircraft carriers, one cruiser, and one destroyer.
thank you for your service ! I to did USAF and all we done for our country and this is how we are repaid…SHAMELESS to say the least…
but speaking of travel RPs are not allowed into some countries
but you can Bet your #ss war breaks out we be the 1st ones shipped out to these countries we was never allowed to travel too.
Just wanted everyone to know that NCL verified that they no longer allow RSO on cruises. I had planned a cruise last year but it was canceled due to covid. They contacted me on 8/29/22 asking if I wanted to rebook. We spoke on the phone for about 5 minutes when I asked about possible changes based on the SOR. The consultant indicted I would not be eligible to cruise at this time. So guess that verifies what the first poster indicted.
Check out my complaint. I sent it to over 20 law offices and other organizations. Not a sole offered assistance. Here:
April 15, 2019
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
On March 28, 2017, I drove onto the lot of Faccillo Affiliates of Florida Inc. in Cape Coral, intending to buy an automobile. I chose Faccillo because he had been advertising for a couple months that you get a free cruise if you buy Kia from him. It sounded like a great deal so I signed the papers. I also wanted to take my friend, Robert, on this cruise. We would have some intimate time getting to know each other better. This will be the first time he and I have traveled anywhere together. I drove away with my new Kia and cruise tickets. We would set sail on December 3rd and be gone for four days and four nights.
Before the cruise, before December 3, I received additional emails from the Faccillo Cruise Control psyching me up for the cruise. On October 18, I received a colorful Congratulation. It says:
Congratulations on the purchase or lease of your Fuccillo vehicle and your upcoming cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas ® December 3 – 8, 2017! Billy, Abby, and Gloria look forward to meeting you and personally thanking you for your valued business.
On November 7, I received a lengthy email that
Congratulations on the purchase or ….. Please save this email as there is information regarding your reservation number, booking drink packages, shore excursions, spa treatments, and specialty dining restaurants. You will also find information on check-in procedures, attire, what to pack, where to park and documentation. It is very important that you review this letter in its entirety to prepare for your cruise! You will want to refer to it, as we get closer to the cruise.
The fees for this “Win a Cruise” totaled $612.67. I paid an additional $84 for Travel Insurance. I had been assigned my cabin. Bobbey also spent hundreds of dollars for meals and an excursion off shore.
On November 7, I received my booking confirmation. On November 13, 2017 I pre-boarded online. I printed out my SETSAIL PASS and Luggage tags. Then on November 28, nine months after I bought the car and 3 days before the cruise was to launch I get a call from Royal Caribbean Global Security. The woman said that she is calling because “you’re on the state registry.”
I am on the sex offender registry for a 1983 crime and I had to get permission from the County Sheriff – which I did.
She told me that there was an open investigation on me because I was on the registry and that I had to be approved by the security team before I could board. She told me to email her and “tell me what’ve you’ve done since your offense” (or something to those words.) She gave me an email to send it to and I quickly got something prepared. I pleaded my case in writings and other documents.
I have accomplished a lot over the past 30 years; since my offense. There is no way that they could deny me. I was sure of it.
Royal Global acknowledge receipt of my documents. I sent 24 pages of documentation showing proof of my accomplishments. The next day I called to see if a decision had been made. The woman told me she was waiting on her security team to contact her and she would contact me as soon as possible. Then on Friday (two days before the cruise set sail) she called me and said that she had a couple questions.
The only question I remember her asking was “who is Bobbey?” I explained that Bobby was my partner and nothing further was said.
She said that she would “pass that information on to her security team and then call me back.” I got a call back within the hour and was told I had been denied; either because of “Bobbey” or because I am on the registry. She would not tell me.
My brother, Jim Gray, and sister-in-law, Susan Gray, also booked on the cruise. They were looking forward to a cruise with Bobbey and me. In fact they had the cabin right next door to the cabin I was assigned. Imagine my surprise, after the cruise had returned, my brother told me that the cabin assigned to me had been occupied by another couple. (The cabin that I paid for.) They also told me that there were no children on this cruise.
Bobbey and I are out all this money, and I have a 2016 Kia that I really don’t need. It is almost two years old and there are only 3400 miles on it. We told all our friends that we were going “on our first cruise”. We were embarrassed and humiliated. Can they do this? I also felt/feel as if I was set-up.
I hope you see the injustice in my case. I pray you will help me.
Sincerely yours,
Scott T. Wieland 239-270-8215 graycape@gmail.com
This is , in a nutshell is why they keep passing more laws against RSO’s, We have no real recourse and nobody wants to fight because of the stigma and the public outcry. Time to go hide behind the wall again so Big brother continues beating us down…
I’ll start by saying that I am a travel advisor and I do specialize in cruises. I’m also an SO so I do keep on top of things like which lines do and do not permit sex offenders onboard. I actually just returned from a Norwegian cruise from Rome to Barcelona a few weeks ago and had no problems doing the cruise.
Royal, Carnival, and Disney are the only three cruise lines currently scanning the registry for offenders. (I haven’t heard that NCL is doing it but I haven’t checked with them since the beginning of June when the author said the new rule went into affect. I am scheduled for another NCL cruise in September and haven’t been told I couldn’t go.
When I say Royal and Carnival above, I mean only Royal and Carnival. If you want to go on Celebrity or Azamara (part of the Royal Caribbean family) or Cunard or Princess (part of the Carnival family), they will not deny you boarding because you are on the registry. I’ve actually confirmed that with both Royal Caribbean International as well as Carnival.
If you are thinking of going on a cruise, my advise is to use a travel advisor (most do not charge anything extra as we make our money off a commission) and they can let you know if you can go or not. If they don’t know, a good travel advisor will get on the phone with the right people and find out.
Also, be sure to check out this link ( https://registranttag.org/resources/travel-matrix/ ) as it will tell you what countries will and will not let you in. If you are taking a cruise to one of the countries that say they won’t let you in, you may want to look at another cruise itinerary.
This is great information, thank you. It does make me wonder though, if it isn’t so much the cruise line as it is the destination port. I checked the link you posted and pretty much every Carribean country doesn’t allow anyone on the registry with the exception of Tobago, into the country. Perhaps if one doesn’t try to debark in those ports, they’d be allowed to sail.
Tony, I am also a travel advisor. My husband is an SO. If some commits a murder, once they have done there time, probation etc. They are free to cruise. This is so crazy.
Is it cruise ships departing out of Europe would not be.an issue since registry is usa based?
Hi Tony, have you been able to confirm or deny if NCL is allowing people on the SOR to cruise after June 1st? Thanks
My client was called one week before travel and told he would not be able to take his NCL cruise of Hawaii so that is the United States and NCL said it’s their policy not to accept anyone that is on the registry. Our sales rep said she had never heard of that policy and is supposed to call me tomorrow, but my client was convicted in 1988 approximately and nothing since that time… His reservation was canceled And he was celebrating his 55th wedding anniversary and he has other people going on the cruise also. Very unhappy situation. He is 79 years old now.
Tony,
Have heard of any updates on this? We have a cruise scheduled with NCL in three weeks and just completed the 21 day notice. This is very concerning of the change. Any new information would be appreciated.
Hi Jewels, were you able to cruise with NCL?
Nope, they called 5 days before our departure and cancelled our trip. We were going to Tahiti and Hawaii which are both approved locations to travel. No exceptions they said. We had paid a fortune for the trip and they said they would refund. Still waiting for the refund. Such a bummer we loved going on NCL.
That’s too bad. We are booked on NCL for a May Alaska cruise. I’ve never cruised on NCL before but since Carnival and Royal Caribbean cancelled the last 2 cruises we booked I figured I’d give it a try. I guess we’ll cancel and give Holland America a try, My last Alaska cruise was with them after my conviction so hopefully their policy hasn’t changed too. Thanks for responding.
How much time notice did they give you about canceling ?
Curious, did you try Holland yet, any issues ? Or anyone else try them yet?
I cruised to Alaska on Holland America May 2023. Only issue was I was not allowed into Canada. Whoopty do lol I’ve been to Canada since being registered and could care less about those loonies. Anyway I got a letter at my stateroom the day we were docking in Victoria and it said to meet in some room on the ship at a specific time. I went there and there were several other people in the room and they called me first to go into the custom’s office before anyone else on the ship was allowed to get off in Canada. I had to wait until customs cleared all of the passengers and did their thing with the two cruise employees, then they called me back and asked me a few questions and told me I’m ineligible to enter Canada. I told them that’s fine, I planned to stay on the ship anyway, it’s only a 4 hour stop. They gave me an “allowed to leave” form to sign and I went back to the ship and relaxed for 4 hours with almost no other guests on board. The rest of my group was allowed to get off. I’m hoping to try out a Mexican cruise next year on Holland. It’s a pretty boring cruise line as far as their ships and entertainment goes, but better than no cruise at all 🙂 Hopefully they don’t change their policy.
Your account might be flagged now I would suggest a new one and do a International departure. I fly and cruise lots and one thing is they always mess up my name but it’s close enough that nobody noticed the passport vs ticket name. If you really want to use NCL I believe you can bypass the check they are doing. The notifications and passport scan are another issue. I will never ever again plan to depart on a usa cruise and have to also notify of travel to every country. I will go out of the USA and when the voice of god commands me to cruise I will. Then nothing is required and I believe Euro law is more on your side. Just my thoughts and based on experience
Tony,
Can you send me your info? I’ve been so scared to book a cruise!
This was very helpful information. With most travel agencies being online these days, how would I contact you specifically to book a cruise?
@tony , can you confirm updated NCL policy as of 2023? This would be for a RSO on a Hawaiin cruise departing from Honolulu (i.e. only US ports).
Tony, were you able to do your Sep 2022 cruise on Norwegian?
Unfortunately, Celebrity no longer allows RSOs as of 2021, at least in our experience. We had previously sailed with my brother who is an RSO on Celebrity in 2019 and were almost denied – they called 5 days before the cruise to say he may not be able to board, and asked for add’l information. Friends and family also wrote letters on his behalf, and he was able to board and we had a wonderful trip.
We had a European cruise (departing/returning to Amsterdam in May 2020) that was delayed due to covid, and we cleared him with the security department in 2019 while finalizing our booking. The cruise was postponed to May 2021, then May 2022… but we never made it, because in July 2021 Celebrity security, the same guy (Corey) who had handled my brother’s case in 2019 as well as our booked cruise in 2020, called my brother, was very apologetic but said it was now a blanket policy with no exceptions, and that the policy started around June 2021 and covered all RCCL entities. So, we cancelled the cruise and got a full refund.
We then researched Holland America. I spoke to Wes, head of security at Princess and Holland in July 2021. He said that they received scanned passenger manifest data from Customs and Border Protection. He said he was “almost certain” this applied to all Carnival affiliates.
Hi Anne, I can confirm he is wrong about Holland. I went on an Alaska cruise in May 2023. Only hitch is I wasn’t allowed to go into Canada. I had to go to the customs office before anyone (except a hand full of staff) got off the boat and was questioned and told I’m ineligible to enter canada. No biggie, but Holland America is good as of this past May. Carnival is a definite no go, and Holland is owned by Carnival so I expect this will change eventually. But for now I treated it like it will be my last cruise. Hopefully it isn’t but we’ll see. Good luck.
Tony, do you have a way we can reach you to book a cruise?
Tony have you updated this since July of 2022? We’re trying to celebrate a big birthday with a cruise but were recently (3/12/2023) told by Virgin Voyages(Adults only) that anyone with SO convictions or violet felony convictions were prohibited. Do you know who accepts registrants? Thanks
Tony,
My husband is a RSO and we are wanting to book an Alaskan cruise with Royal with his sister and her husband. Now I am worried we will not be able to go.
I have called Royal to ask and am waiting for a call back. This is all so frustrating.
Kelly, Royal will call you a week before your cruise and say you the RSO can’t go. I have personally had this happen to me. I did however just get back from an Alaska cruise on Holland America May 13-20 2023, the only problem (and it wasn’t really even a problem) is Canada didn’t let me into Victoria. But my family was able to go there without me. I was originally booked on NCL but I called and asked and they said I’m not allowed to cruise. I have heard they recently changed their policy to disallow RSOs, I do not have first hand experience with NCL cancelling a cruise for me though. Hope this helps
We had a family cruise booked for August 2023 with Royal and received the dreaded call that my boyfriend was not allowed to travel due to being RSO even after traveling with Royal in the past. Apparently something changed in 2022 no longer allowed to travel with them
Would you be willing to share your website? I’d like to have a travel advisor that knows these things?
This Just In…Each Cruise Line (if they allow people less than 18 years on their ships), Generally Cross Lists Their Customers That are Embarking with that States’ Law Enforcement Agencies…….Some do NCIC searches but normally not,….. cause everyone with a DUI would be tossed off the ship!
If the Cruise Line does not permit people less than 18 years old, than it is normally not an issue
If I would ever have to go on a Cruise it would be with the one that starts with the letter V
I would not go on a Mickey Mouse Cruise….that would not be proper!
CJB I guess its HollandAmerica with the Elderly! Still wondering if its a state check. What about departing from Puerto Rico? Wonder if they still do a Registry check
Purcashed Cruise in May 2022. Departure June 8, 2023 out of Peurto Rico. NCL
Cruise revoked 5 days before departure for being on national registry. Was told once removed from National registry, I could book again with NCL.