No Alcohol in any UK ports - what! 😱

[KeithJenner]

Just now, mjkacmom said:

Plus folks with the package can bring on wine for free.

Good point, I’d forgotten about that.

[ChiefMateJRK]

"Never trust a man who doesn't drink."  Winston Churchill

[RD64]

1 hour ago, spanishguy1970 said:

We got excellent glass of wine in Spain at 3.50 Euro a glass while on the ship they charge 9 dollars, so sometimes it pays to get off the ship and have a drink somewhere else.

Plus the ambiance of having a drink in a local establishment - soaking up local colour (shades of I Love Lucy) more than makes up for the €3.50.

[mingo]

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

Plus folks with the package can bring on wine for free.

No corkage fee?

[spanishguy1970]

14 minutes ago, RD64 said:

Plus the ambiance of having a drink in a local establishment - soaking up local colour (shades of I Love Lucy) more than makes up for the €3.50.

hear hear. I agree

[fastpitchdad]

1 hour ago, mingo said:

No corkage fee?

No, with no limit on bottles (we brought 9 once). 

[nclsuncruiser]

 

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

So far the only official response has been to say it's due to local regulations, and until I hear otherwise, I assume they're telling the truth. 

As already pointed out, NCL are likely stating the TRUTH that this is due to local regulations.  What they are omitting to state, which creates the lie, is that it is likely due to local regulations requiring payment of certain duties which NCL have not done (or they are misinterpreting the rules).  

 

This is akin to a scenario that NCL state that they can't sail due to "regulations" requiring many forms of insurance, but having not paid the insurance premium.  All true, but misleading. 

 

Good to hear when people say their wives agree with them though.  God forbid they are just gullible and their wives are not abiding by "local regulations". 🙂

 

[SakeDad]

10 minutes ago, nclsuncruiser said:

 

As already pointed out, NCL are likely stating the TRUTH that this is due to local regulations.  What they are omitting to state, which creates the lie, is that it is likely due to local regulations requiring payment of certain duties which NCL have not done (or they are misinterpreting the rules).  

 

This is akin to a scenario that NCL state that they can't sail due to "regulations" requiring many forms of insurance, but having not paid the insurance premium.  All true, but misleading. 

 

Good to hear when people say their wives agree with them though.  God forbid they are just gullible and their wives are not abiding by "local regulations". 🙂

 

It's not "local regulations" causing the issue when EVERY OTHER CRUISE LINE has no issue serving alcohol in port. The big difference between most other lines and NCL is they don't have packages promising clients INCLUDED alcohol in their rates. As always, follow the money. I do believe this has gotten much bigger than NCL thought it would. After all, if it has happened in several ports over the last year and there was no outrage it is fair to think this one wouldn't get any either. The difference, as I see it, is this time they are the ONLY line imposing these restrictions while still happily collecting their monies for an undelivered product. Hopefully this gets fixed very quickly for all sides sake.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

3 hours ago, mingo said:

No corkage fee?

Not if you have a drink package.

[Pooston]

8 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

Well, they are telling what is commonly referred to as a half-truth. See here is how it generally works.... Local regulations require the vacation provider to pay some fees or taxes to the locality in order to serve alcohol. The regulations vary from port to port.

 

If the vacation provider doesn't pay the fees, then local regulations prohibit them from selling alcohol. When a vacation provider advertises unlimited open bar, inherent in that advertisement is the understanding that the vacation provider will take the steps necessary to allow for the bar to be opened. That is how free markets work. I pay you money for a service; you take my money and deliver the service. Every other cruise line in the industry has taken the steps necessary to address this.

 

NCL has apparently advertised unlimited open bar, collected money from their customers  for open bar, but never took the steps necessary to pay the fees to the ports to allow for the bar to be opened. I don't have enough info to know if that was unintentional or intentional, and that is a different matter. The executive office seems to be well aware of the situation and to date hasn't acknowledged any plans to change it or refund passengers money. Based on this, I assume it is an intentional business decision.

 

So, yes, if they didn't pay the fees, then local regulations prohibit them from opening the bar, just as the sign says.  However, had they paid the fees, there would be no issue. See, this is how P&O, Princess, Royal, etc have been able to serve alcohol in all of the ports. I posted the link to the P&O thread yesterday. Did you read it? Do you believe the experiences outlined in the thread? P&O advertised, collected, and then paid the port to deliver the service. NCL advertised, collected, and then didn't pay the port for the service. Therefore, local laws prohibit them from serving alcohol unless or until they pay up, just as the sign says.

 

Does this help you out or are you confused? If you are waiting for NCL to come out and issue an official press release telling you that they did not pay these fees, you are probably going to be waiting a long, long time. Things just don't work that way.

 

In the past when NCL has done foolish things, they eventually get a lot of negative publicity and just quietly fix the problem.

 

Best and most informative response yet!  This is exactly what I've been saying all along 👍

[Greener123]

So, Invergordon for Dawn today… still 100% UK, awaiting reports - didn’t really see anything yesterday while docked in leith? 

[KeithJenner]

8 minutes ago, Greener123 said:

So, Invergordon for Dawn today… still 100% UK, awaiting reports - didn’t really see anything yesterday while docked in leith? 

I believe they were serving in Leith.

 

Possibly complicated by it being a tender port, but usually that wouldn’t make a difference even though they tender in from quite a way (still within the Firth of Forth obviously).

 

See post 550. It isn’t clear whether it being a tender port was put forward as a reason.

Edited May 17, 2023 by KeithJenner

[Lady Meer]

6 hours ago, SakeDad said:

It's not "local regulations" causing the issue when EVERY OTHER CRUISE LINE has no issue serving alcohol in port. The big difference between most other lines and NCL is they don't have packages promising clients INCLUDED alcohol in their rates. As always, follow the money. I do believe this has gotten much bigger than NCL thought it would. After all, if it has happened in several ports over the last year and there was no outrage it is fair to think this one wouldn't get any either. The difference, as I see it, is this time they are the ONLY line imposing these restrictions while still happily collecting their monies for an undelivered product. Hopefully this gets fixed very quickly for all sides sake.

Not the only cruise line to include alcohol in their rates - SAGA does and is serving drinks in UK ports.

[SakeDad]

10 minutes ago, Lady Meer said:

Not the only cruise line to include alcohol in their rates - SAGA does and is serving drinks in UK ports.

Thanks....that's why I said "most" other lines. There are always exceptions. And SAGA serving alcohol in UK on a package just makes NCL look that much more problematic. I appreciate you sharing.

[Krydstosser]

I wrote to the Vice President yesterday but got no answer!

 

I am still shocked by this self-inflicted Non-alcohol policy in many ports, they are advertising in mails (today) with "Free at Sea" but they do not deliver! This is very close to be fraudulently behavior.

 

We must tell EVERYONE about this so they not will get Scammed by the NCL offer "Free at Sea" 

 

I wrote to Emma, she answered me but I don't think she will bring the issue on her youtube film.  I wrote to Don Terris (YouTuber) He is away I think due to medical issues so I don't think he can bring it to Youtube. La Lida Loca has no e-mail on his site. 

 

I loved NCL but my love for them is close to be dead! 

[Centuryrace]

3 hours ago, Pooston said:

 

Best and most informative response yet!  This is exactly what I've been saying all along 👍

This is exactly the explanation given at dinner last night from someone with insight at a high level. It relates to the differing duty rates on different types of booze in the UK. The vat is no problem, but the didn't take account of the duty. Someone has dropped the ball and it is being fixed apparently. Let's hope so. 

[flamingo_fancies]

2 hours ago, Greener123 said:

So, Invergordon for Dawn today… still 100% UK, awaiting reports - didn’t really see anything yesterday while docked in leith? 

I saw something on FB that they were served alcohol. Someone asked if they would serve at the next Scottish port and was told we won't know until we get there🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️. They served alcohol on the Dawn in Belfast but then not on the Star a few days later...so who knows🤔

[KeithJenner]

35 minutes ago, Centuryrace said:

This is exactly the explanation given at dinner last night from someone with insight at a high level. It relates to the differing duty rates on different types of booze in the UK. The vat is no problem, but the didn't take account of the duty. Someone has dropped the ball and it is being fixed apparently. Let's hope so. 

This is certainly a possible explanation of what is happening, but it does still beg the question as to why is keeps happening and what reassurances future cruisers can have that it won’t reoccur on their cruise in the future.

 

Someone at NCL needs to make sure that they have a firm hold of the ball.

Edited May 17, 2023 by KeithJenner

[insidecabin]

14 hours ago, podgeandrodge said:

I've done it.  Got same response as posted earlier.  Definitely a Group Wide party line on this right now.  Whether that means they are trying to sort out the mess while they hold that line, or whether they are simply sticking their heads in the sand.........we shall see... but they are damaging the brand.

This was not some oversight it was  corporate policy decision.

 

There current response gives a backtrack without losing too much face.

 

[Greener123]

38 minutes ago, Centuryrace said:

This is exactly the explanation given at dinner last night from someone with insight at a high level. It relates to the differing duty rates on different types of booze in the UK. The vat is no problem, but the didn't take account of the duty. Someone has dropped the ball and it is being fixed apparently. Let's hope so. 

Still doesn’t make sense, nothing has changed in the UK regards to alcohol duty and cruise ships, NCL have been cruising from the UK for decades - and the .gov regulations posted on here even suggest there wouldn’t be any duty due anyway. 

[johala_reewi]

35 minutes ago, Centuryrace said:

This is exactly the explanation given at dinner last night from someone with insight at a high level. It relates to the differing duty rates on different types of booze in the UK. The vat is no problem, but the didn't take account of the duty. Someone has dropped the ball and it is being fixed apparently. Let's hope so. 

Yes, VAT can't be a problem otherwise they would have to stop serving soft drinks too. Alcohol in the UK has had UK Duty levied on it (as well as VAT) for many years (even when the UK was in the EU) so it shouldn't have been a surprise to NCL.

 

[flamingo_fancies]

44 minutes ago, Centuryrace said:

This is exactly the explanation given at dinner last night from someone with insight at a high level. It relates to the differing duty rates on different types of booze in the UK. The vat is no problem, but the didn't take account of the duty. Someone has dropped the ball and it is being fixed apparently. Let's hope so. 

But how do they drop the ball do badly when they have been sailing out of the uk years.

 

Fair enough If someone dropped the ball. The thing is NCL haven't come forward and said really sorry we made a mistake, they do happen and we can only apologise. We will refund XYZ days that you missed full enjoyment of the package you paid for. Also as a valued customer as a gesture of good will here is XYZ on onboard credit. 

This would probably have been acceptable by most reasonable people and this whole issue (whatever it may actually be) would not have received the traction it has.

 

Instead NCL have told half truths to customers onboard to try to shift the blame of themselves and then released a statement that they are not willing to comment on. When customers have asked for pro-rata refunds on what they have paid for have been told just to fill in a form to alter the Daily Service Charge they want to pay🤯🤯

 

I think most people are angry/put out by the lack of transparency from NCL rather than they can't have a beer.

Edited May 17, 2023 by flamingo_fancies

[podgeandrodge]

22 hours ago, podgeandrodge said:

Further to SouthamptonCruiseFan's post above, this link may provide some information, if someone has the time to go through it.  (Apologies if I am posting irrelevant nonsense, but it looks relevant). To me it seems that this must be interpretational between the lines, or as SouthamptonCruiseFan said, a deliberate decision by NCL not to pay duty.  Either way, NCL should not hide behind "UK customs rules" - it's a lie hiding behind a truth - yes, it's because of UK customs, but ONLY because NCL doesn't want to fix the issue, unlike other lines.  Some screenshots below, but best to read the website.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/excise-notice-69a-duty-free-ships-stores/excise-notice-69a-duty-free-ships-stores

 

 

 

Possibly down to varying interpretations of "entitled journey" and "store" etc. per above - somewhere in the above regulations must lie the facts, and the facts apply to all, not just certain lines.

[insidecabin]

18 hours ago, SouthamptonCruiseFan said:

Someone just posted that they ARE serving alcohol in Edinburgh, on Dawn. Last week they did the same on the first call into Belfast before realising that Belfast was in the UK - Customs Officers in board there this week!! Scottish licensing laws are slightly different, generally they are stricter, but the UK duty rules would be the same so I cannot see how they can be doing this. It's all bizarre!

And still, why are they not just charging a surcharge to passengers to cover the duty like they do elsewhere? Package Travel Regulations or another UK law??

If covered by retail trading and tax laws then the displayed retail prices should include all duty and taxes(VAT).

This would cause an issue as even with prices increased most would still be under the limits of the package.

[podgeandrodge]

1 minute ago, flamingo_fancies said:

But how do they drop the ball do badly when they have been sailing out of the uk years.

 

Faith enough If someone dropped the ball. The thing is NCL haven't come forward and said really sorry we made a mistake, they do happen and we can only apologise. We will refund XYZ days that you missed full enjoyment of the package you paid for. Also as a valued customer as a gesture of good will here is XYZ on onboard credit. 

This would probably have been acceptable by most reasonable people and this whole issue (whatever it may actually be) would not have received the traction it has.

 

Instead NCL have told half truths to customers onboard to try to shift the blame of themselves and then released a statement that they are not willing to comment on. When customers have asked for pro-rata refunds on what they have paid for have been told just to fill in a form to alter the Daily Service Charge they want to pay🤯🤯

 

I think most people are angry/put out by the lack of transparency from NCL rather than they can't have a beer.

Good points.  NCL are allowing the discontent from this to spread beyond even the people on the ships right now, and annoy those of us who are planning or contemplating another NCL cruise.  Making that statement and refusing the elaborate (especially when the wording with the "may" is so vague!) is unacceptable.  And then letting crew get screwed over by suggesting a drop in the DSC.  

 

My only disagreement with you - if I was on a ship right now in port in the UK and wanting a beer, I'd be seriously píssed!  (Or NOT píssed actually as no alchol 🙂  )