Jennifer Carey-Walker, of Shelton, and her family experienced what they say was a nightmare at sea. The seven-day cruise they took in March felt like it was in a construction site, she said.

The family booked a cruise on Norwegian Sun, which departed on March 9 from Miami, and Carey-Walker said the trip was anything but relaxing.

“It’s just an utter disregard, you know, for the consumers’ well-being and safety,” she said.

Carey-Walker said the crew sealed off the ship’s top level with yellow caution tape and her family saw what appeared to be flammable chemicals nearby.

“There was fumes. You could hear sanding and grinding. Things were flying in the air,” Carey-Walker said. “A couple of people had stuff fall in their food.”

On one day, particles were falling into people’s drinks, she said.

Carey-Walker and other passengers complained to customer relations, which directed them to call the company’s headquarters in Miami, she said.

Her cruise experience was similar to those reported by passengers on the same cruise ship that left from Miami a week later on March 16.

That group created a Facebook page to share their stories.

In response to passengers’ concerns about conditions aboard the Norwegian Sun, Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement:

“At Norwegian Cruise Line, the travel experience, safety and satisfaction of our guests is of the utmost importance to us. Recently Norwegian Sun underwent enhancements as part of our continuous efforts to ensure that every ship across the fleet delivers a consistently high-quality passenger experience. While we do our utmost to minimize any impact to our guests when these enhancements are being implemented, we do recognize that during a recent sailing, we did not meet the expectations of our guests, nor our own standards, for which we truly apologize. Norwegian Cruise Line is inviting the guests on the March 16th Norwegian Sun voyage to cruise again and fully experience all that Norwegian has to offer with a 100% future cruise credit of their fare paid, which can be applied towards another cruise of their choice from now through March 31, 2023. We realize that this gesture cannot replace their recent experience but do hope to have the opportunity to welcome them on board again soon.”

As part of cruise line’s offer, passengers on the March 16 cruise received a 100 percent credit toward a future one, but Carey-Walker said Norwegian did not offer her any compensation for her trip a week earlier.

“If we would have known construction was going on during this cruise, we would have changed cruises,” she said.

Fed up with her complaints going nowhere, Jennifer reached out to NBC Miami, where the company is based. The station’s consumer team reached out to Norwegian on her behalf and put her in contact with NBC Connecticut Responds.

The cruise line told our Miami station:

“Our guest relations team is currently in conversations with any past guest of Norwegian Sun that may have questions regarding their cruises.”

Carey-Walker received this letter from Norwegian cruise line:

Re: Norwegian Sun Voyage of 3/9/2018
Dear Mrs. Careywalker:
Thank you for choosing Norwegian Sun for your vacation at sea.
“At Norwegian Cruise Line, the travel experience, safety and satisfaction of our guests is of the utmost importance to us. Recently, Norwegian Sun underwent enhancements as part of our continuous efforts to ensure that every ship across the fleet delivers a consistently high-quality passenger experience.
“We do our utmost to minimize any impact to our guests when enhancements are being implemented, We truly apologize for the inconvenience you experienced due to these enhancements.
“As a gesture of goodwill, we are extending a 50% future cruise credit of your cruise fare paid, which can be applied towards another cruise of your choice from now through March 31, 2020.
“This future cruise credit will appear on your Latitudes identification number as listed on your current reservation confirmation. Please note your cruise credits do not have a cash value. The application of the credits cannot go towards the government taxes and fees, airfare, insurance, hotel packages, or any other add-ons. They are not combinable with our cruise credits or fare reduction coupons.
“We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on board again soon.
Sincerely,
NCL US Guest Relations”

Carey-Walker said she was upset that the company was offering her half the amount of credit that passengers on the March 16 cruise had been given. While she said she will accept the offer, she is troubled over how the whole situation was handled.

“You would think in this day and age that there are policies or regulations that would say that can’t happen but apparently there are not,” Carey-Walker said.

Wednesday marked eight days since tornadoes devastated parts of the state. But for those in the hardest hit areas, recovery is a slow process and includes filing insurance claims and finding contractors.

The Wiggins home on Sleepy Hollow Road in Southbury now has tarp on the roof after a tree came crashing last week. At minimum, there’s superficial damage.

But the impact took down sheet rock in the bathroom, according to Barbara Wiggins. If that wasn’t enough, another tree fell and dented the house and another came down and totaled the family car.

“When we first moved here, it was paradise here. Paradise. But the trees have grown up, the ground has weakened. It isn’t paradise anymore,” Wiggins said.

This is the third storm damage-related claim the Wiggins have had to file in their almost three decades in their home. And to make matters worse, it’s a private street so the town isn’t responsible for it.

The Wiggins have called their insurance agency and said they already have a rental car and will be reimbursed for the value of their damaged car.

But the couple had to pay out of pocket to remove the trees from their home. While they remain optimistic, they’re not sure how much of the damage will be covered, yet.

Insurance agents have been out in force, touring the hardest hit areas, assessing the damage and helping clients file claims.

Cintrina Wickham, a claim manager at Travelers, said local authorities have been allowing her, along with other agents, on closed down roads – as long as it’s safe and passible – so they can make as much ground as possible.

“The insuree would want to make temporary repairs to prevent further damages such as tarping, removing fallen trees. But as far as permanent repairs, they would want to wait until they work with a claim professional,” Wickham said.

Southbury First Selectman Jeff Manville said the town is looking into the best way to clean up the damage, in terms of cost and timing.

Thursday he’ll be on a conference call with the state Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security(DEMHS) to go over information about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) damage assessment forms and see if FEMA could help with the clean-up of town-owned roads, right of ways and homeowner damage.

Comcast announced Wednesday that it is preparing to trump Disney's $52.4-billion stock bid to acquire much of Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, NBC News reported.

Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of this station, did not detail the size of its potential offer but said it would be "all-cash," according to a press release from the Philadelphia cable giant.

In its press release, Comcast noted that it hasn't committed to a bid quite yet, saying "no final decision has been made." But it does put Fox shareholders on notice that Comcast is seriously interested in buying up Fox's entertainment assets, including its movie studio and some cable channels.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Comcast was planning to borrow around $60 billion to fund its bid.

More than a week after storms ripped through Connecticut, Hamden residents are still trying to pick up the pieces.

"We'd left the car thirty seconds before the tree fell, so it could have landed on us," said Hamden resident Larry Leson.

For now that Subaru where Leson and his girlfriend had been moments before remains crushed in the driveway, totaled by a 70-year-old tree. It's hard to see, but there's also another car right next to the Subaru, hidden by large branches.

"There's a mountain of work left to do," said Leson.

With damage to the roof, the garage, and possibly the well, Leson thinks it will take months before things get back to normal at the home on Hillfield Road. He told NBC Connecticut he's received an estimate of $3,000 to remove the giant maple on his cars but said insurance is only willing to pay $500. He added that they won't pay anything to remove all the trees down in the backyard.

"The one tree that hits your house, you can argue with your insurance company over it, but all the other trees, there's no one to clear them out," Leson said. "It's a real problem for everyone to clear up, but no one is really insured for this. We need the town's help and FEMA's help to clear the trees out of here."

Town leaders are hoping FEMA will step in to help them as well. On Wednesday night the town council authorized shifting funds and borrowing up to $2 million to pay for the cleanup, something they're hoping the federal agency will eventually reimburse them for.

"This was truly unprecedented," said Hamden Council President Mick McGarry. "These neighborhoods will be changed for decades to come."

At the DPW lot residents brought in truckloads of debris, which is piled up more than 10 feet high. They can also bring their debris to the transfer lot and to the Quinnipiac parking lot at Evergreen and Whitney at no cost.

The DPW director said the curbside brush pickup is ongoing and that crews will make several more passes.

Dozens of parents showed up to a Guilford Board of Education meeting Wednesday to speak about the potential impact of a plan to change the start and end times of the school day.

“I really question whether those 15 minutes are really going to offer our kids the benefit that these studies suggest,” one parent argued.

The Guilford Board of Education is debating changing the start and end times. The town has been mulling over the issue for several years now, but formally decided to revisit it this year with the convening of a taskforce to consider how later starts to the day would improve student performance, particularly at the high school level. Under the considered plan, the first bell at the high school would move from 7:25 to 7:40 a.m.

“What the Board of Education is trying to do right now is to try to balance the benefits and impacts and try to do what we believe is in the best interest of all of the students in the Guilford Public Schools,” explained Guilford Board of Education Chairman William Bloss. “We are not here to sell you anything tonight. We are not here to educate you tonight. We are here to listen to you tonight. This is your evening.”

Opinion from all who took the podium was mixed.

"Those 10 additional minutes added onto an already long and grueling day in ES can have a significant impact on our youngest student population," one speaker said.

"It seems unbelievable to me that we’re not considering swapping elementary school and high school," another said.

A lack of consensus years ago is the reason the board said the idea didn’t move forward when it was first considered, but school leaders said for now, the conversation is continuing.

“The purpose of this meeting is for the BOE to hear from the community on the large topic before they make a specific decision or a specific proposal on how to move forward,” said Dr. Paul Freeman, the superintendent of Guilford Public Schools.

There was no vote Wednesday, and no vote scheduled. The task force studying the issue is set to meet again in the near future. The board said in the event they decide to move forward on any changes in start times for the upcoming school year, they’d likely vote before the current one ends.

A Hartford police officer is working to save lives of some of the area’s most vulnerable residents.

Officer Jim Barrett has become a champion for the invisible.

“The people like on 84 and 91 they have no idea of the underground homeless community that is underneath them. this is where they sleep at night. this is their home,” Barrett said.

Barrett showed NBC Connecticut a certain spot in Hartford some call home. He said six people usually sleep there at night. Sometimes there are families. Some of them even have jobs.

"This is their temporary home,” Barrett explained. “From a middle-class neighborhood to this, to hard times."

Before Barrett began tracking down Hartford’s homeless, he served 21 years in the army. As a sergeant, Barrett learned core values that he carries into his police work.

“To guide them and support to better themselves and their life goals,” Barrett said.

In 2015, when he met a homeless veteran named Joseph Edwards in Hartford in the dead of winter wearing only flip-flops, he took action.

"Within a couple of days we exchanged numbers. He called me and he had some shoes, a coat, stuff like, and ever since then we've been friends,” Edwards said.

That chance encounter inspired Barrett. He started footwear and foot care fundraisers for those in need. But he said the stories of how people end up homeless are not one size fits all.

“Everybody’s story is different and the thing is you have to take the time to know every individual who has a need,” Barrett said.

Barrett often forges relationships with those impacted by homelessness on his own time and with his own money.

"You gotta give them the tools because if you don't give them the tools they won’t succeed," Barrett said.

Some who he’s worked with call him “the neighborhood superman.”

“He's making me move forward....he's helping with schooling and helping me find jobs. I didn't have that before,” said Carrie Soules of Hartford.

Soules said the death of her parents and drug addiction led her to being homeless for the last nine and a half years.

“I'm a recovering addict too, but I want to help myself. I don't want to be in jail -  for what? When we got an officer that's pushing us the right way,” Soules said.

Barrett said for the homeless to escape the environment, they often need to hit rock bottom before he can help them get their lives back on track.

“If they’re serious, if they give me 100 percent, I give them 120. If they give me 80 percent, don’t waste my time, I’m not going to waste your time,” Barrett said.

Jim Urbon made the effort and is not off the streets and off the bottle. He holds down a maintenance job in Hartford and didn’t hold back his appreciation for Barrett.

“It's tough. When I got out of rehab he helped me a lot,” Urbon said. “Got me boots, he gets me anything I needed,” he added.

These are the stories that motivate Barrett and many of his colleagues to help the homeless.

“For me when I see them excel it's like better than a Christmas gift for me,” Barrett said.

Those Barrett has helped can get emotional talking about his impact.

“He got me what I needed at the time I needed it,” Urbon said.

“Officer Barrett showed me how to keep my courage and when I fall down to get back up,” Edwards said.

Barrett said there are approximately 1,000 people who are homeless in Hartford, and he works with about half of them.

“This is my community. They embrace me as part of their family,” he said.

Those interested in helping Officer Barrett continue his work can learn more by clicking here. You can also donate via the Facebook page Footwear with Care. 

A man accused of running his wife over in a driveway in North Haven, killing her, has been re-arrested after he failed to show in court following the prior arrest, according to North Haven police.

Police said they responded to Scrub Oak Road earlier this month after receiving reports that a woman had been hit by a car. When they arrived, the woman’s husband, Francesco Suppa, told authorities it was an accident, according to police.

As police investigated, they learned the couple had been involved in a dispute before the woman was struck.

They said Suppa started his vehicle, sped in reverse down his driveway toward Scrub Oak Road, hit his wife and dragged her before stopping and driving forward.

Suppa’s wife was taken to the hospital and later died, according to police. Authorities have not released her name.

Suppa was initially charged with assault in the first degree on the day of the incident. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond and was supposed to be arraigned the next day, but he did not show up in court. NBC Connecticut went to his house and there was no answer.

After his wife died, the state changed the charges from assault to second-degree manslaughter and a judge issued an order for Suppa’s re-arrest.

Court officials said Suppa has been re-arrested. He is out on bond.

.

A Boston-bound JetBlue flight had to make an emergency landing in Buffalo Thursday morning after a reported bird strike.

According to WGRZ-TV, JetBlue Flight 2216 left Buffalo Niagara International Airport for Boston at about 6 a.m. Officials said the reported bird strike happened about 10 minutes into the flight.

A passenger on board the plane, Jesse Murszewski, told NBC10 Boston she was headed to Boston Calling for the weekend and noticed the loud noise right away.

"I noticed right away there was like a loud noise coming from the engine and then we dropped power. And I could tell because we actually started losing altitude — like a constant drop in altitude," Murszewski said.

She said passengers were advised of the possibility of the bird strike over the loudspeaker. 

"They advised that there was a potential bird strike. We landed, and sure enough, they had an emergency ground crew and people waiting for us — firefighters," Murszewski recalled.

Despite the plane suffering a cracked engine blade, Murszewski said she wasn't scared during the incident.

"It wasn't scary, it wasn't bumpy, it wasn't terrifying at all, it was more or less 'Well, that kind of explains why we were hearing that really, really, really awful noise coming from the pilot side of the plane,'" she said.

The plane was able to land safely, but it's unclear if it suffered any major damage.

Murszewski said she wasn't sure if the flight to Boston would be canceled.

No further information was immediately available.

A 36-year-old Waterbury man was killed in a motorcycle crash in Bethany Wednesday night.

State troopers responded to Litchfield Turnpike and Hatfield Road in Bethany at 9:25 p.m. after reports of a serious motorcycle crash and said Adam Corcoran, 36, of Waterbury, suffered serious injuries.

He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, according to state police.

State police are investigating and ask anyone with information to call state police at 203-393-4200.

Here is the letter that President Donald Trump wrote to the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, canceling the nuclear summit in Singapore. 

Almost two million New Englanders will be getting away for the Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA Allied Group, and the many who will drive will be spending more than $3 per gallon.

The average gas price in Connecticut is now $3.14, up seven cents in a week, according to AAA. The national average is $2.96

Gas prices have been rising after the president withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions and the average family will spend about $200 more on gas this summer than last, according to AAA.

Gas Buddy tracks the lowest gas prices in Connecticut, so you can find the least expensive gas in your area. Check here.

AAA also has a fuel price finder. 

The AAA website also has a gas calculator to help you determine how much it will cost to go where you are going. Check it here.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will add 400 new jobs in Connecticut over the next five years, according to the governor’s office. 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which has offices in Stamford and Hartford, will also spend $20 million on expansion, including establishing Stamford as the headquarters for its Insourced Solutions for Tax division, according to a news release from Gov. Dannel Malloy. 

The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development will be providing up to $9 million in grants for training, equipment and improvements at PwC’s Stamford location at 300 Atlantic St., according to a news release from the governor’s office that also says the grants will be released in segments as certain job creation milestones are met over a five-year period. 

“PwC’s Insourced Solutions for Tax team is part of our journey towards developing a tax function that has an even greater ability to turn global uncertainty and regulatory change into new opportunities that deliver on a business’ strategy,” Rick D’Avino, chairman of IST for PwC, said in a statement. “We’re proud to establish its headquarters in Connecticut, and look forward to delivering new value for our people and clients as a result.” 

What started as an accident in a parking lot in West Haven ended with someone being arrested after a police chase on Interstate 95, according to police.

Police were dispatched to the scene and one an officer who jumped out of the way of a fleeing car suffered minor injuries, according to police.

Officers chased the car onto Interstate 95 and state police helped get the vehicle off the highway at exit 42, according to West Haven Police.

They said the suspect in the fleeing vehicle was arrested.

Stony Creek Brewery in Branford will be holding a fundraiser today to help the officers who were injured in an explosion in North Haven earlier this month.

The officers were injured in an explosion after police responded to a home on Quinnipiac Avenue on May 2 to investigate a domestic violence situation that turned into a standoff.

Ten members of the South Central Regional SWAT team were injured when there was an explosion during that incident and nine were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital. 

A fundraiser will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. to benefit the officers and families. A post on the brewery’s Facebook page says the day will include “beer, food, raffles and some laughs.”

President Donald Trump repeated a claim Thursday that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper admitted the FBI had spied on his presidential campaign.

But that mischaracterizes what Clapper said on "The View" this week, NBC News reported.

Responding to a direct question from one of the hosts, Joy Behar — "Was the FBI spying on Trump's campaign?" — Clapper said, "No, they were not." He went on to explain that the purpose of the FBI's reported use of an informant, which is different from a "spy," was to determine what the Russians were doing.

Trump has used Clapper's comments as part of an effort to undermine Special Counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing probe. Trump has branded the FBI's use of an informant "spygate."

Former baseball star Lenny Dykstra put a gun to the head of an Uber driver when the driver declined to change the trip's destination, police said the driver told them Wednesday.

Dykstra was arrested early Wednesday outside Linden police headquarters after the driver stopped and ran out of the car. Police said they found cocaine, MDMA and marijuana among Dykstra's belongings but didn't find a weapon.

The 55-year-old former All-Star is charged with making terroristic threats and drug offenses. He's been given a summons, was released and is due in court next month. It wasn't immediately known if Dykstra has a lawyer.

Dykstra took to Twitter to respond to the allegations by, among other things, citing lyrics from Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Kelly Clarkson.

"But I keep cruising, can't stop, won't stop moving. It's like I got this music in my mind, sayin' gonna be alright," Dykstra tweeted, referencing the Swift hit "Shake It Off."

When one Twitter user suggested the encounter was the Uber driver's fault "for not respecting a legend," Dykstra responded, "I'm not sure yet that that's the defense with which we are going to go."

Dykstra played 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets and won a World Series in 1986 with the Mets. He was named to the National League All-Star team three times.

Dykstra's life after baseball has been troubled. He has served prison time after pleading guilty to crimes including bankruptcy fraud, grand theft auto and money laundering, and he declared bankruptcy in 2009, claiming he owed more than $31 million and had only $50,000 in assets.

A U.S. Marine was reunited in San Diego Wednesday with three stray dogs he fell in love with while deployed in Iraq.

Once roaming the Iraqi desert scrounging for food and suffering abuse at the hands of some locals, Rooster, Hesko and Wendy are on their way to forever homes.

Captain Kyle Watkins said it’s been a months-long journey for the pups, bouncing around from place to place along their journey in the SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups.

Now he can’t wait to give them good meals, warm beds and seemingly endless property to roam on his farm. He adopted Hesko and Wendy, and another Marine claimed Rooster.

For Captain Watkins, who grew up around dogs and had several at home while he was deployed, Rooster, Hesko and Wendy were more than just a piece of home in a foreign land. Watkins said that in a way, the dogs served too, roaming the perimeter fence line and alerting him and his fellow Marines when anyone came near.

"I'd been telling my wife about these dogs and she finally said, ‘Fine. I know these dogs mean a lot to you. Bring as many home as you can.’ So, we did,” Watkins said.

Watkins and his team started exploring ways to get the dogs back to the states, and that’s when they learned about Operation Baghdad Pups.

An email to the project coordinator set the plan in motion. The Marines did some paperwork and the dogs were scooped up.

“It was really the SPCA that did most of the work,” Watkins said. “We just corralled them into an area and they loaded them into a truck and off they went to Baghdad.”

Watkins said he was proud of the fact that he was able to take as many as he could.

The dogs will have companions and a large area to play, which Watkins hopes will help with the socialization process and transition to a new life.

“They weren’t really treated well over there by the locals, so they’re not really big people dogs out there, but a few of them really warmed up to us and I think that’s because we were nice to them,” Watkins said.

Connecticut State Police have identified the man who was found dead in Colchester late Friday night and the medical examiner has determined his death is a homicide.

Troopers responded to 95 Stanavage Road shortly before midnight for reports of an untimely death and found 36-year-old James Stone, who lived at that address.

Connecticut State Police said they have taken over the investigation and there is no threat to the public.

The office of the chief medical examiner determined Stone died of shotgun wounds to the chest and lower extremity and his death was a homicide.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 860-896-3201 or text TIP711 and the information to 274637.

The annual Freddy Fixer Parade has been rescheduled because of storm damage in the New Haven area and the forecast for Monday.  

The parade is now scheduled for noon on June 3, according to the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade Committee. 

A news release says the organizers of the Freddy Fixer Parade, the Dixwell Freddy Fixer Neighborhood Festival and the City of New Haven “jointly decided it was in the best interest to ensure the safety and well-being of the hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators to postpone the day’s events.” 

The Dixwell Freddy Fixer Neighborhood Festival on the New Haven Green in celebration of New Haven Day at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas will be on Saturday, June 9 at 11 a.m. 

A cat's hilarious reaction to news that she's expecting kittens has gone viral.

Ulla, a 1-year-old tabby, was turned in to a shelter in Greenland after she was found on the street.

Shelter board member Tone Frank told "Today" that after a few weeks the staff noticed Ulla was getting a "little chubby," so they took her to the vet to get scanned. 

Side-by-side photos posted on the social media site show the cat first glancing at the sonogram and then turning to the camera with a look of complete shock on her face.

The picture, captioned "When you find out you're pregnant," was shared to Reddit this week. It was quickly up-voted more than 90,000 times.

Frank told "Today" Ulla's carrying four to five kittens, though the veterinarian said it could be hard to detect the number of heartbeats when she's so far along in her pregnancy.