HOUSTON -- Paulette Bakst, owner of Travel Circuits here, became
the sole plaintiff and "class representative" in an expanded suit
filed against Norwegian Cruise Line. Bakst was among the passengers
on the Norwegian Star's Christmas cruise, which experienced
electrical and air-conditioning problems.
Houston-based Chaffin Law Firm has petitioned Harris County
District Court here to represent more than 2,000 passengers in a
class-action suit involving three earlier Norwegian Star cruises.
The firm last week asked the court to amend its petition to include
the passengers on the Christmas cruise.
In an interview with Travel Weekly, Bakst said she booked five
cabins on the Christmas cruise for 15 members of her family. She
said she paid full tariff for the cabins, totalling about
$20,000.
In addition, she said she incurred an expense of $1,000 to fly
her parents from Honduras to Houston in the middle of the troubled
cruise. She said her parents, who are in their 70s, were fatigued
after spending a night on an open deck -- the first of two nights
during which the ship was without air conditioning.
Saying she was angry at NCL, she added, "If this is the
'Norwegian way' to do things, it's not the right way."
The agent said the ship was traveling at reduced speed from the
time it departed Houston on Dec. 21, and missed a port call in
Calica, Mexico.
Bakst said she was bitter because the crew assured passengers
that the problems were being fixed when the ship arrived in
Cozumel, Mexico, on Dec. 23. "Had I realized the problems were not
being resolved, I would have sent my parents home from Cozumel,"
she said, "where there are better air connections."
NCL has said it will not provide refunds, but offered passengers
a free future cruise. "I don't want a free cruise on NCL," she
said. "I want my money back."