Norwegian Cruise Line Issues Warning: Fake Emails Using Real Passenger Data

A couple of days ago I noticed some social media posts circulating about a possible email scam, targeting Norwegian Cruise Line guests.  Now, the cruise line has responded that they are “investigating reports of fraudulent emails” and encouraging guests NOT to click links or respond to these messages.

Here’s what we know so far.

What Passengers Are Reporting

Several people have shared their experiences on the r/NCL subreddit. One cruiser booked on the Norwegian Getaway posted that they received at least six suspicious emails claiming to be from NCL.

These are persistent messages and it appears the scammers are sending multiple emails in almost every case.

The messages directed them to a “suspicious website”.  But the more concerning part is that the emails contained accurate information about their current reservation. So, this was not just a generic mass-produced message sent out to thousands of people.

It appears each email had guest information. That included full names (including children), the actual reservation number, the ship and departure date, the exact amount paid, and confirmation that the cruise was already paid in full.

Some of the emails threatened to cancel the fully paid reservation unless the person completed a “verification” on the fake site.

The person on Reddit wrote: “This is not a typical random phishing email. These individuals appear to have access to actual customer reservation data.”

Another passenger received an email asking them to complete a “guest checkin” for an Encore sailing from Vancouver to Los Angeles. They called NCL and confirmed the email did not come from the cruise line, even though it listed their full name, reservation number, and the amount paid for the cruise.

Others in the comments reported the same thing. One person stated that the sender domains used were “joinorderly”, “metdesignschool”, and “herdr”, and that the scammers had all their booking data. The message suggested they might lose their cabin if they did not act right away.

A common tactic in these email phishing scams is that the scammer tries to make the situation look so urgent that if you absolutely must act right NOW. The truth is that they want you to get scammed as fast as possible before they are found out.

Several people who contacted NCL were told that many passengers were reporting these same issues and that the company was looking into it.

What Norwegian Cruise Line Is Saying

The email scam has caused enough of a commotion for the cruise line to post an official warning notice on its website. Here is the full statement:

“Important Guest Advisory: We are investigating reports of fraudulent emails claiming to be from Norwegian Cruise Line. We advise guests not to click links, respond to these emails, or provide personal or payment information. Norwegian Cruise Line emails come from @ncl.com, @e.ncl.com or @nclcorp.com. For reservation questions, contact your travel advisor or call 866.234.7350. For numbers outside the United States, visit ncl.com/contact-us.”

So, don’t assume just because the email has some personally identifiable information about you that you can trust it. Guests have reported messages asking them to verify the credit card used for the reservation, or face the risk of their cabin being canceled.

It’s important not to click any links in the email. If you have questions about your reservation, go directly to Norwegian Cruise Line itself or message them directly.

Even if a message looks official and knows details about your cruise, the safest move is still to ignore the links, email addresses, and phone numbers inside it.

As a basic rule of thumb, I don’t click links in emails, even if it looks legit.

This Scam Is Different, But Rules Are the Same

It’s the same type of email phishing scam in that it pretends to be from a legitimate source, but the fact that the scammer is using real guest information is what’s concerning most people right now.

Norwegian has not confirmed a data breach or explained exactly how the information was obtained.

But no matter where the details came from, the advice stays the same. Treat any unexpected email or text that creates urgency around your reservation with caution. Log into your account yourself through the official site or app to check the status. Only use contact methods you look up on your own.

I know, I’ve repeated this already a few times already, but I’m just making sure readers get it. I would hate to see a cruiser get taken advantage of because of a convincing scam like this.

One Reddit user said they were duped by the email scam, but the damage was at least limited:

“I fell for the email, because they had all our details, and our cruise is this month so it didn’t seem wild to be asking for another card authorisation. Luckily my bank blocked it and card cancelled, so the only lasting damage is the disgusted looks my husband is throwing my way for falling for it.”