No Alcohol in any UK ports - what! 😱

[Sinbadssailors]

It doesn't seem to matter what country, what port or what ship since there's no consistency.

 

And, while it's nice for the people who cruise in the future if/when this is resolved, there's no way to know whether I'll be the unlucky one on my next NCL sailing.

 

 

[Krydstosser]

27 minutes ago, Sinbadssailors said:

It doesn't seem to matter what country, what port or what ship since there's no consistency.

 

And, while it's nice for the people who cruise in the future if/when this is resolved, there's no way to know whether I'll be the unlucky one on my next NCL sailing.

 

 

I agree, we love to stay on the ship on some port days so we pre-paid for the Plus drinks package and now we can only get wine and beer! I feel they cheated me! Spanish and Italian ports and one French. 

 

I should have chosen a Celebrity Cruise instead there is no BS with them. 

Edited May 19, 2023 by Krydstosser

[Pooston]

2 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes, like I said before. I enjoy my wine and spirits, but by no means would my entire cruise be wrecked by their absence. And since we always buy the UBP, we could bring our own for free, plus we'd always have the opportunity to drink while in port. I can think of far worse things that might spoil our cruise than this. Your view may be different. 🙂

 

My entire cruise was not wrecked by their absence. Just saying...

[Colin L]

2 hours ago, insidecabin said:

Investigation

 

code for we have reversed the policy change,  it did not work.

 

 

Shame they are point blank refusing to refund everyone for the days paid for but unable to use. This would  seem to be a very simple way to win people back

[KeithJenner]

7 minutes ago, Pooston said:

 

My entire cruise was not wrecked by their absence. Just saying...

Yeah, my cruise last year was far from wrecked from not being able to drink on the first day. It was a fantastic cruise.

 

However, that first day would have been nicer if we had been able to have a beer when some of us from CC met up before sail away (in fact some people didn't bother due to the weather and not being able to have a drink). We would have liked to have had a glass of wine before our meal, rather than just getting our first one as we started eating. The cruise as a whole would have been better if we hadn't had that issue.

 

There is something between "it's no problem at all" and "my cruise was ruined" and you can still be a long way from the latter opinion and still be thinking that your leisure money could be better spent elsewhere.

 

In the current climate NCL need all the customers they can get. As my cruise line of choice, I want them to succeed, and stuff like this doesn't help in any way. That is why I find it so frustrating.

 

As I've said before, frustration is the main thing that I associate with this sort of thing, and was very evident on our embarkation day last year. NCL's response to the issue has just added to that frustration. I fear for the brand if this sort of thing carries on happening.

 

And to be clear to the easily confused, absolutely none of this means that I hate NCL.

[Norwayfan1]

I think whoever their Chief Exec is, they should get themselves on that Undercover Boss TV programme. 

 

They could put on a wig, false beard and moustache and work as a Bar Person who has to put those weasel-worded 'no alcohol' notices on the counters, followed by a spell at Guest Services, meeting unhappy customers. And maybe one or two work shifts on phone duty/live chat...

[KeithJenner]

8 minutes ago, Norwayfan1 said:

I think whoever their Chief Exec is, they should get themselves on that Undercover Boss TV programme. 

 

They could put on a wig, false beard and moustache and work as a Bar Person who has to put those weasel-worded 'no alcohol' notices on the counters, followed by a spell at Guest Services, meeting unhappy customers. And maybe one or two work shifts on phone duty/live chat...

Did you know that Kevin Sheehan was on undercover boss when he was NCL CEO.

 

A few years ago obviously, and I think it’s fair to say that the general opinion of NCL management (based on comments here) has changed quite a bit since then.

Edited May 19, 2023 by KeithJenner

[Norwayfan1]

3 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Did you know that Kevin Sheehan was on undercover boss when he was NCL CEO.

No, I didn't know that! I've just googled it and it was a long time ago, I see - 2011. I checked Youtube but it seems to be unavailable in the UK.

[Sim7]

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

Has anyone seen confirmation Dawn are getting drinks in Belfast?

 

But then Dawn did last week but the Star didn't a few days later.

 

Then again when there are no report like there were none on every other cruise line that is just them having a good time without drink.

Onboard Dawn at the moment and normal service resumed. And told that there’ll be no problem through to the end of the cruise.

[KeithJenner]

1 minute ago, Sim7 said:

Onboard Dawn at the moment and normal service resumed. And told that there’ll be no problem through to the end of the cruise.

Excellent news. Enjoy the rest of the cruise.

[The Traveling Man]

On 5/18/2023 at 12:23 PM, Pooston said:

 

Good grief! We're not talking about a layman losing paperwork here, we're taking a multi million dollar company who have been sailing out of Southampton for years with no issues. It's absolutely ridiculous even consider they weren't given sufficient notice to pay port fees, yet all other cruise lines were 😂😂 

Multi BILLION.

[The Traveling Man]

On 5/18/2023 at 1:05 PM, SteveH2508 said:

Apparently the term nowadays is 'pre-loading'.

 

In my Battalion shooting team days they were 'warmers into the bank' - followed later by 'shots down the range'🍻.

One in the dirt to warm the barrel.

[spit0000]

I very much appreciate this thread. Well, most of it, anyway. We were scheduled to board Breakaway next week, but I broke my leg and ended up having surgery. I randomly came across this thread while reviewing options for rescheduling our cruise to July.

 

We’ve never bought a drink package. We aren’t heavy drinkers. So the issue for me isn’t if I can get a drink, whether or not I should go ashore for a drink, etc. The way NCL has treated this issue has completely turned me off of wanting to cruise on them ever again. I’m in HR, husband is an engineer. We don’t believe in coincidences. We deal in facts. And when things go awry we want honesty, respect, and not to be given the run around.

 

I’ll be booking our July Med cruise on Princess or RCL. It’s sad what NCL is doing to themselves.

[Travelling2Some]

31 minutes ago, spit0000 said:

I very much appreciate this thread. Well, most of it, anyway. We were scheduled to board Breakaway next week, but I broke my leg and ended up having surgery. I randomly came across this thread while reviewing options for rescheduling our cruise to July.

 

We’ve never bought a drink package. We aren’t heavy drinkers. So the issue for me isn’t if I can get a drink, whether or not I should go ashore for a drink, etc. The way NCL has treated this issue has completely turned me off of wanting to cruise on them ever again. I’m in HR, husband is an engineer. We don’t believe in coincidences. We deal in facts. And when things go awry we want honesty, respect, and not to be given the run around.

 

I’ll be booking our July Med cruise on Princess or RCL. It’s sad what NCL is doing to themselves.

Agree with great regret.  We are about done for the same reasons you cite even though we like the product.  Every issue (not just this one) is dealt with using deceit, stonewalling and the assumption that passengers are idiots. 

[SakeDad]

A great vlogger on YouTube called MIDSHIPS has taken up the NCL UK booze topic! Go search for him

[Greener123]

In Liverpool today 

 

so not totally sorted at all 

[Norwayfan1]

13 minutes ago, Greener123 said:

In Liverpool today 

 

so not totally sorted at all 

This

 

14 minutes ago, Greener123 said:

In Liverpool today 

 

so not totally sorted at all 

This is just disgusting.

 

We phoned NCL this morning about another matter, and also asked about the alcohol situation.

 

This call was made to an articulate company representative who sounded totally clued up. 

 

She said this matter was completely sorted for the UK and a notification to that effect had been issued to staff on Thursday.

 

I also had an e-mail from my travel agent yesterday evening saying exactly the same thing.

 

How anyone can continue to defend this ridiculous company is beyond me.

[Norwayfan1]

Text received from travel agent...

 

'I can confirm, what you were seeing online was correct, for some reason, NCL were not serving alcohol to their guests when in UK waters/ports however NCL have had an emergency meeting and we have received the news that this has been lifted and normal service has resumed.'

[podgeandrodge]

21 minutes ago, Greener123 said:

In Liverpool today 

 

so not totally sorted at all 

Wow

[Mommapadraig]

2 minutes ago, Norwayfan1 said:

Text received from travel agent...

 

'I can confirm, what you were seeing online was correct, for some reason, NCL were not serving alcohol to their guests when in UK waters/ports however NCL have had an emergency meeting and we have received the news that this has been lifted and normal service has resumed.'

A guest on the Dawn posted this morning that no liquor is being served. 

[SteveH2508]

27 minutes ago, Greener123 said:

In Liverpool today 

 

so not totally sorted at all 

The Farce is strong...

[podgeandrodge]

1 minute ago, Norwayfan1 said:

Text received from travel agent...

 

'I can confirm, what you were seeing online was correct, for some reason, NCL were not serving alcohol to their guests when in UK waters/ports however NCL have had an emergency meeting and we have received the news that this has been lifted and normal service has resumed.'

But was that the emergency meeting that led to the "resumption" yesterday or a new meeting today after the Liverpool fiasco?

[Krydstosser]

29 minutes ago, Greener123 said:

In Liverpool today 

 

so not totally sorted at all 

This is Outrageous! Some ports?? "May" be served.... I am really Pi...ed!! What kind of communication is this??? 

[Norwayfan1]

Earlier today, this was the number I phoned, to speak to the Company Rep who said Miami had issued the statement to say alcohol restrictions are lifted. Phone was picked up more or less straight away.

 

Anyone able to phone from the UK (including folk in Liverpool today) might want to give them a call to tell them it appears not to be sorted.

 

0333 241 2319.

 

I guess it might be a different number when dialling from other locations.

[Travelling2Some]

4 hours ago, SakeDad said:

A great vlogger on YouTube called MIDSHIPS has taken up the NCL UK booze topic! Go search for him

Just saw today that The Travel Scouts are also covering it on their YouTube channel.  Love the way Midships calls it "Norwegian SCREWSline" lol.

Edited May 20, 2023 by Travelling2Some