podgeandrodge

Like it! Thanks! Great to pick by day!

Was it with NCL? Would it show up in your account under "past cruises"?

What way are you interpreting this Krydstosser? My initial reading (pessimistic) is that NCL will add VAT to every transaction and that they might even issue a cheque for the VAT for beverage package transactions? Or have passengers clarified that it is all ok and I further charges? I wish NCL could write a clear message! Edit: oh, I think you just saying that spirits can now be served? But still the dreaded VAT!

What about where cruise "originates" from both Barcelona and Rome i.e. if you embark in Rome the tax shouldn't apply? But that would be impossible to manage?

Is the "bacon" mentioned in the English breakfast actually English/Irish back bacon, or just American bacon as usual do you know? Been in O'Sheehan's many times but never early enough for breakfast!

The "lie", in the sense of the meaning we understand, is still alive and well, in the current wording provided by NCL. There's simply no way that it is not designed to confuse the uninitiated into further expenditure onboard than they would otherwise have planned, rather than explain it for what it is, a 50% discount on a future deposit. I was also bamboozled by CruiseNext staff in the past, drawing and scribbling explanations of how I could spend my free credit, until I figured out how simple it actually is. Wording used by NCL: Dreaming of your next cruise while on board? We get it, which is why we offer CruiseNext – an exclusive onboard-only opportunity that rewards guests who plan their next cruise, while they cruise. Get up to $500 FREE Onboard Credit to spend on your current vacation when you purchase deposits for your next one through the CruiseNext team on board. The best part? The deposits are valid for four years, so you have plenty of time to plan when and where you'll cruise next. I sort of admire the trickery in one way though, it must increase onboard spend by many purchasers!

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

Wow

I think it's generally the MDR. For me, and I may be in the minority on this, wanting to have dinner with "officers" suggests that I am somehow lucky to find myself in their company. Each to their own!

Like you said before???? If we all held your view there'd still be no alcohol being served in UK ports!!! Luckily most of us challenge incorrect treatment!

I've got confirmation that mirrors what another poster got from their TA earlier. "Upon further investigation, we have clarified that the beverage service is permitted aboard while the vessel is in port within the UK". This confirmation came from someone sufficiently senior within Norwegian to be totally confident that it is true. It doesn't make a distinction between paying for a drink and using beverage package though, so not sure on that count. Either way, it seems that thanks to the people on here, and the bloggers/websites that published the issue, that NCL have done the right thing on this in the end, which is good news.

Maybe CruiseCritic itself might feel this is worthy of its News page!

Wha? How on earth would they not provide wine in the dining room? Water? They really are not helping themselves as a company right now.

Don't disagree. Just thought when it was clearly going to become a wider Comms issue with websites reporting it that they would cop themselves on!

Incredible that a large corporation would allow negative publicity to get ahead of it like this without so much of a factual statement

Well in fairness, cruisemummy did just that, which shows some independence

Rumour has it that he is changing his name on here to NCLGuy

This is a discussion about the potential to get a drink (either by purchasing on board or getting from the beverage package) and you are now trying to derail it into a discussion on why people don't just go on land to get a drink because, as you see it, the point is to get off the ship in port (notwithstanding that many will be back on the ship long before it leaves port, and not be able to get a drink). """""""Back to my point, this isn't really an issue of whether or not passengers can get drinks, but the fact that they might have to pay twice (once by purchasing the beverage package and again on land, should they choose to do so).""""" ---->>>>>> NO, it's not.

Too soon for optimism yet, we need something official or confirmation from passengers on the ships. Hopefully!

They automatically assume you are kindly understanding !

I wouldn't blame standard customer service agents at this stage - they have clearly been told from "on high" not to say another word. The big question is whether NCL are desperately trying to fix the issue behind the scenes, or whether they are just hoping this will blow over. I don't think it will, and they'll have to address it, or the issue will likely become more viral in terms of Youtube blogs etc. giving them a bad name.

See article on Cruisemummy posted in the "Uk no alchol at ports" thread. https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/cruise-ships-banning-alcohol-in-ports/

Whatever about minor inaccuracies, it's good that this site has picked up the issue, as it should hopefully help put more pressure on NCL to fix the damn problem. I see she quotes a few posters on here, enjoy your fame 🙂

Good news, sounds like something was going on behind the scenes to fix so. It was not sustainable really, and this thread was probably the fastest growing thread in quite a while, with the potential to become more viral. If you get a copy of the message please post it!

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 🙂 )