Cruise passengers voice fury after Norwegian Line CANCELED Antarctica leg of their $13,000 trip - but only AFTER they had boarded the boat

Cruise passengers have been left furious after the Antarctica leg of their $13,000 trip was abruptly canceled after they had boarded the boat, with travelers accusing the company of 'scamming' them.

Those aboard the Norwegian Cruise LIne ship were set to embark on a 14-day trip to South America and Antarctica, but passengers claimed that the name of the cruise was 'secretly changed' on the app to 'Round-trip of South America' after they set sail. 

The last-minute switch prompted fury from passengers who immediately expressed their frustration at the itinerary change. 

Now, those on the ship have flooded social media and slammed Norwegian Cruise Line for changing their trip, not communicating with them, and refusing to give them a refund. 

Passengers have become furious after they claimed that Norwegian Cruise Line removed Antarctica from their trip and changed their itinerary once they were aboard 

Those on the cruise ship were set to embark on a trip to South America and Antarctica, but they claimed the name of the cruise was 'secretly changed' after they set sail

Now, those on the ship have flooded social media and slammed Norwegian Cruise Line for changing their trip, not communicating with them, and refusing to give them a refund

Helen Midler was the first passenger to bring these issues to social media as she has been sharing updates on her TikTok account, where she goes by the name of @ruinedvacation. 

In a viral video, which has so far amassed more than 3.3 million views after being shared on February 9, she urged people to 'never book a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line.' 

She explained: 'I'm on board Norwegian Star. Our ship is not going to Antarctica. 

'They secretively changed the name of this cruise yesterday on the app from South America to Antarctica to Round Trip to South America.' 

Helen noted that customer service had cited 'operation reasons' for the itinerary change, however, refused to clarify further.  

She added: 'They are not going anywhere near mainland Antarctica, which is what we paid for.

'Everyone is angry. We feel we are being cheated and scammed. We are being dismissed, ignored, and refused answers. 

'They are telling us we just have to accept it, well guess what? We paid too much money, we are too smart, we are too angry to just order another cocktail and accept the fact that our money has vanished into Norwegian Cruise Line's pockets.' 

Helen Midler was the first passenger to bring these issues to social media as she has been sharing updates on her TikTok account, where she goes by the name of @ruinedvacation

Another passenger Eric Huang told ABC News: 'It's been largely a disappointment, in terms of not knowing where we're going. I don't feel like I experienced Antarctica on this cruise'

At the end of the clip, the traveler noted that they weren't 'idiots' and wanted 'answers.'

In a follow-up clip shared to her TikTok account, she shared an update on February 10 before the ship was set to cross Drake's Passage that night. 

She said: 'We are still very much in the dark, what we do know is that this decision was 100 per cent made by Miami head office, it was not a sea/weather conditions-related decision. 

'It was made prior to departure, the decision was made on the 31st of January.'

Helen added she had been told by staff that an 'email blast' was sent about the change, but she assured viewers she had not received it and neither did 'many of our friends here onboard... and I'm talking hundreds of people we know.'

'They told us that there was a notice was dropped at the bag check-in, none of us received a notice at the check-in,' she said.

Helen also noted that they would be going to an island off the mainland, which was from 124 miles away from the original location. 

She added: 'They are not going anywhere near mainland Antarctica, which is what we paid for.'

Meanwhile, other passengers have taken to Facebook in a group titled, Norwegian Star South America & Antarctica, to express their disappointment

Another passenger, Eric Huang, told ABC News: 'It's been largely a disappointment, in terms of not knowing where we're going. I don't feel like I experienced Antarctica on this cruise. I think I would have to come again to be able to do that.' 

Meanwhile, other passengers have taken to Facebook in a group titled, Norwegian Star South America & Antarctica, to express their disappointment.

One passenger said: 'I think as a form of protest for our upcoming cruises we all need to refuse to pay the service charges when we board the ship.'

Another user added: 'We are booked on the January 2025 sailing that is still showing Paradise Bay, however, we are very likely going to cancel and find a more reliable cruise. NCL is doing a poor job of communicating with its customers.'

'I'm on this cruise too. I'm so bummed out about this,' someone else said.

One passenger wrote: 'No explanation.. the entire ship are really pissed off. My wife and myself only found out via whispers in the hallway. It changed a few days ago the day we boarded then again a few days ago. Not sure on the exact day as we weren't advised.'

Although trip costs vary, one passenger claimed he spent a whopping $13,000 on the cruise. 

According to the NZ Herald, a message was sent to the passengers to let them know they wouldn't be going to Antarctica. 

It read: 'While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, unfortunately, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary or to accommodate certain circumstances. 

'As such, in order to enhance the guest experience, the itinerary has been revised.'

A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line told DailyMail.com: 'We are committed to providing exceptional vacation experiences, both aboard our ships and by taking our guests to some of the most sought-out destinations around the world.  While we try to maintain original itineraries as much as possible, at times modifications are made to optimize the itinerary or to accommodate certain circumstances. 

'To enhance the guest experience, the ship's current itinerary was revised to allow more time for guests to explore Stanley, Falkland Islands. As such, the cruise by Paradise Bay, Antarctica was replaced with a cruise by Admiralty Bay, Antarctica. In addition, due to a recent regulatory requirement in the area, the ship is operating at a reduced speed, also impacting its original itinerary.'