by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:16 PM ET, Mon June 17, 2019
A cruise passenger claims he was thrown off a Norwegian Cruise Line voyage and left to pay for his own trip home last year after he got into a verbal altercation with a crew member.
According to NBCMiami.com, Robert and Esther Gaines were on a seven-night cruise aboard the Norwegian Breakaway when the couple said they experienced trouble while trying to see a show onboard with their family.
Gaines told a crew member he had made a reservation but was informed he wasn't on the admission list and would not be permitted to enter. As a result, Robert called the employee an idiot and asked why they were keeping him out of the show.
The crew member called for backup from Norwegian security, sparking Gaines to tell the crew members to bring more personnel since he was a big man. Robert insists he felt threatened and frightened.
While there was no physical confrontation, Gaines told his side of the story to security officers and the matter seemed to be settled. The next morning, though, a member of the ship's security team arrived at their cabin and informed the couple the captain said they would be forced to leave the vessel when it docked in Tortola, one the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.
Gaines said he was never given a chance to voice his side of the story and forced to spend hundreds of dollars to get home. When asked for a comment by NBC Miami, a spokesperson for Norwegian spoke about the incident:
"We are in the business of providing incredibly positive and memorable experiences for all our guests. We also care deeply about our team members and work very hard to ensure they are happy and treated with the utmost respect. Therefore, we do not take kindly to anyone who behaves badly by disparaging others or creating an environment which erodes the experience we are providing for our guests and crew."
"As such, we have a zero-tolerance policy aboard our fleet when it comes to inappropriate or discourteous behavior," the statement continued.
"Guests are advised of this in our Guest Conduct Policy, which is agreed to by all guests upon payment of the cruise fare. Any guest that violates these policies is subject to removal from the ship by order of the captain and is responsible for all travel arrangement expenses incurred. All travel companions of a removed guest remain in good standing and receive the exceptional service for which our crew members are recognized. Please know that we do not take the removal of guests from ships lightly."
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