Editor:
I would like to share our adventure on the South Pacific cruise Norwegian Jewel. This was to be one on the bucket list – snorkelling through stunning coral, fish and amazing sponges while exploring 13 ports of call in the South Pacific. The COVID-19 virus had not become an issue as we set sail and some itinerary changes resulted once we were under way: first from the chiefs at New Caledonia and Samoa, and sadly just a day before our arrival in French Polynesia, that portion was also cancelled. This was completely out of the control of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) whose service level was outstanding: the crew was so kind, cheerful and courteous despite having to deal with increased stringent sanitation levels in all the public areas.
Though no one became sick, we were turned away from several ports in the effort to terminate the cruise including Tahiti, New Zealand, and Fiji; finally we limped into Honolulu on one engine and we were able to disembark because of the engine issue. Still, the cruise was lovely and we had a great time, despite the stress of “where do we get off?” The crew and officers went above and beyond. I would like to thank NCL both on the ship and in the corporate offices for all their hard work on our behalf. We will look forward to enjoying a cruise with NCL in the future.
Anar Kanji with Travel Masters in Sechelt worked tirelessly on our behalf, booking several sets of tickets from numerous destinations back to YVR. She was there at all hours, including late at night on weekends, securing seats for our group of eight Sunshine Coasters in the hope that we’d get to dock, and several times this was fruitless as the ship was denied entry. We can’t thank her enough for her outstanding service and dedication.
We are all healthy and enjoyed the normal carefree lifestyle we were all accustomed to until we came home to the new and very scary reality.
Kate McQuaid and Mike Thomas, Roberts Creek
