No Alcohol in any UK ports - what! 😱

[luv2kroooz]

Just now, DCGuy64 said:

And you seem unwilling or unable to acknowledge the possibility that NCL didn't receive notification until it was too late, so apparently HM government always, without exception, unfailingly notifies every cruise line in plenty of time. Nonsense is right!

I was on a recent April cruise on NCL that called in Livorno. We were limited to beer and wine. No biggie for me. However, there were unhappy customers complaining to the bartenders. The bar staff knew there were more restrictions coming in Greece and UK as I personally overheard them saying things like, they should be thankful we are in Livorno and not Southampton. Based on this, I don't believe this was any type of last minute issue. However, you can continue to push whatever narrative that justifies the outcome you want.

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, podgeandrodge said:

You're cheerleading the indefensible so much on here, I'm beginning to think you just like winding people up.

Given that I'm the only one who won't get on the "we hate NCL bandwagon," it's not that I like winding people up (plenty of people here are clearly trying to do that to me without success), I prefer to think of myself as the one person with a different take on the situation. That's all. NCL might very well be in the wrong, but I still contend there's a chance they're not. That's all I'm saying.

[DCGuy64]

Just now, luv2kroooz said:

However, you can continue to push whatever narrative that justifies the outcome you want.

No narrative, Brian, just someone with an alternate explanation, nothing more. You do get used to this on Cruise Critic after a while, though: the haters don't want anyone to disagree with them, and neither do the cheerleaders. But the reality is neither group is 100% right, because even the best cruise lines have their bad days, and even the hated cruise lines get it right sometimes.

[gregluk]

I think it's safe to assume this won't go on forever. Norwegian won't want these restrictions going on for a long time and all the complaining. It won't look good.

 

Its definitely a timing thing , they will know in a few weeks they will have sorted it out, things will be back to normal and no one will be bothered this happened and will forget.

 

Also things that seem like they would take 2 days to do and sort out, always take like 10x longer in companies.

 

But annoying if you were on your cruise this week or next and then the week after it's all sorted and fine

Edited May 15, 2023 by gregluk
..

[Greener123]

2 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

No narrative, Brian, just someone with an alternate explanation, nothing more. You do get used to this on Cruise Critic after a while, though: the haters don't want anyone to disagree with them, and neither do the cheerleaders. But the reality is neither group is 100% right, because even the best cruise lines have their bad days, and even the hated cruise lines get it right sometimes.

First reasonable thing you’ve said 🤣

[KeithJenner]

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

Given that I'm the only one who won't get on the "we hate NCL bandwagon," i

I am absolutely not on the "I hate NCL bandwagon". I explained this earlier.

 

I love the NCL product and they are very good at many things. That is why this sort of nonsense is so disappointing.

 

I started this thread giving them the benefit of the doubt over how this was happening. My take was that it could well be an administrative issue, but they were still responsible for the fact that they were getting caught out multiple times.

 

I firmly believe that they are now lying. Maybe because they don't want to admit to administrative problems, maybe because they got caught doing something wrong and can't admit to that, I just don't know.

 

All I want them to do is get this sorted, for their sake and for ours, because this is going to do them no good in the long run. I want NCL to succeed and this is the sort of thing that will drive customers away (reluctantly, including us).

[DCGuy64]

Just now, Greener123 said:

First reasonable thing you’ve said 🤣

LOL, thanks! 😂

[KeithJenner]

4 minutes ago, gregluk said:

I think it's safe to assume this won't go on forever. Norwegian won't want these restrictions going on for a long time and all the complaining. It won't look good.

 

Its definitely a timing thing , they will know in a few weeks they will have sorted it out, things will be back to normal and no one will be bothered this happened and will forget.

You would hope so, although these things have now been going on for over a year (the first restrictions happened on the Jade in April last year).

 

This is why NCL need to resolve what is causing the problems, otherwise we will just keep going through this in different places. It is also why I do not buy the "there was a form we didn't know about" line. That can happen once, or twice, but this is showing that there is a fundamental problem somewhere.

Edited May 15, 2023 by KeithJenner

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, KeithJenner said:

I love the NCL product and they are very good at many things. That is why this sort of nonsense is so disappointing.

And yet you and others have repeatedly attacked me for offering an explanation that gives NCL the benefit of the doubt, something I would have thought you, as someone who writes "I love the NCL product" would approve of. That's why I'm baffled.

[Mommapadraig]

When we got the last changes in the latitudes tiers I saw this line.

Unlimited Open Bar Package Discount7*

30%

40%

40%

45%

45%

50%

50%

 

Perhaps it has always been on there but my Personal belief is that we will be seeing the free at sea drink package eventually going away. With what is going on In The UK today and only beer and wine with overnight stops in Italy and Spain which also started with cruises the beginning of May changes are coming. I mean liquor laws didn’t change in 3 different countries on the same day did they? Again this is my personal belief. 

[KeithJenner]

7 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

And yet you and others have repeatedly attacked me for offering an explanation that gives NCL the benefit of the doubt, something I would have thought you, as someone who writes "I love the NCL product" would approve of. That's why I'm baffled.

Because their story makes no sense.

 

It happened last Easter on the Jade. It happened later in the year on the Gem. It has happened in Gibraltar. There have been issues in Italy. It is now happening on two separate ships in the UK. I gave them the benefit of the doubt in Athens, but sorry, this has been going on for too long now.

 

The M&G on the Dawn was told about this form or payment, but there were problems the week before that in the UK. NCL need to be better than this. Whatever the reason they can't just say "but, the form" and it all be OK again.

 

As I have made very clear on this thread, I don't know what the actual cause of the problem is. I'm not accusing NCL of not paying their taxes or of doing anything illegal. I'm accusing them of being very bad at doing whatever is required in order to do a basic thing that the other lines seem to manage fine.

 

I wouldn't say that I'm attacking you, by the way, but I have to admit that I am finding your contributions very funny. Sorry about that, but it's the way that it is.

Edited May 15, 2023 by KeithJenner

[Pooston]

22 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

And you seem unwilling or unable to acknowledge the possibility that NCL didn't receive notification until it was too late, so apparently HM government always, without exception, unfailingly notifies every cruise line in plenty of time. Nonsense is right!

 

There was no notification. There was no change in law 

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, Pooston said:

 

There was no notification. There was no change in law 

I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. People on board the very ship right now have been given information that contradicts what you've stated, so I believe what they're saying. This information was provided earlier in the thread.

[Krydstosser]

5 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. People on board the very ship right now have been given information that contradicts what you've stated, so I believe what they're saying. This information was provided earlier in the thread.

It is a law only for NCL? Not for P&O, Princees? Individual laws for each company? 

[DCGuy64]

On 5/12/2023 at 10:02 AM, ziggyuk said:

So, I hosted the M&M today, the official line on board is that there is a fee to pay to the port authority and Southampton only gave them 2 days notice which was not enough time to make payment.

We were further informed it only affects Southampton and Dover (not on our itinerary).

Make of that what you will but that is the official line onboard ship.

With the above in mind, there "should" be no issue on the next, May 21st cruise as 12 days should be more than enough time to make payment for the next cruise.

We are not anticipating issues in Belfast dispute yesterday being told it was a UK wide issue.

This is the post that mentions what happened, Southampton gave NCL only 2 days notice to make the payment of the fee to the port authority, which wasn't enough time.

[Mommapadraig]

Just now, DCGuy64 said:

This is the post that mentions what happened, Southampton gave NCL only 2 days notice to make the payment of the fee to the port authority, which wasn't enough time.

If you continue reading that statement  was proven wrong since the same thing happened on the cruise that left Southampton on May 4. 

[DCGuy64]

Just now, Krydstosser said:

It is a law only for NCL? Not for P&O, Princees? Individual laws for each company? 

Obviously not, and I'm not even sure why you would suggest that. It's entirely possible other lines were given more advance notice. It's like blaming a cruise line for skipping a port due to a hurricane and then acting suspicious because 3 ships from other lines docked there with no problems just 3 days earlier. CONDITIONS CHANGE.

[Krydstosser]

6 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Obviously not, and I'm not even sure why you would suggest that. It's entirely possible other lines were given more advance notice. It's like blaming a cruise line for skipping a port due to a hurricane and then acting suspicious because 3 ships from other lines docked there with no problems just 3 days earlier. CONDITIONS CHANGE.

Can't you see this is too far out? And the same has happen in Livorno and Civitavechia?

[KeithJenner]

Even if we buy the line about 2 days notice for the payment, that means that NCL were notified last Tuesday it is now Monday of the following week and they still don’t appear to have paid it.

[KeithJenner]

1 minute ago, Krydstosser said:

Can't you see this is too far out? And the same has happen in Livorno and Civitavechia?

And Greece and Gibraltar.

 

Maybe NCL should get into the habit of checking these things a bit earlier.

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

And Greece and Gibraltar.

 

Maybe NCL should get into the habit of checking these things a bit earlier.

I agree with this.

[Krydstosser]

1 minute ago, KeithJenner said:

And Greece and Gibraltar.

 

Maybe NCL should get into the habit of checking these things a bit earlier.

I hope the sloppiness not apply to safety issues too.... 

[JimZin]

On 5/11/2023 at 6:41 AM, ziggyuk said:

 

[KeithJenner]

7 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I agree with this.

So, even if we accept their form was late thing, you agree that they should check these things earlier.

 

So why haven’t they after they messed up on the Jade last April, or the Gem later last year, or in Gibraltar or Italy?

 

Even if it is just a paperwork thing it is clear that NCL have had an issue with this, and they should have taken steps before now to get it fixed. That they haven’t fixed it means that peoples holidays are being negatively impacted.

 

Regardless of what the root cause is, NCL have not dealt with it well.

 

What reassurance do any of us have that this won’t happen on our future cruises?

Edited May 15, 2023 by KeithJenner

[flamingo_fancies]

22 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

This is the post that mentions what happened, Southampton gave NCL only 2 days notice to make the payment of the fee to the port authority, which wasn't enough time.

That's the line but had they forgot that the exact same thing had happened on the Dawn 7 days prior. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️