seashells

Anyone since the water policy has changed ??? Recent cruisers that have received complimentary water in the casino with their card? I sailed on the Jade last year and the complimentary water bottles in the casino were little bottles that were not the Aqua Fina bottles.

A few simple questions were asked since the NCL water policy changed via Mr. Del Rio who drinks whatever he wants.

Does the ship only offer, for PAYMENT, Aquafina?

Does the Casino offer smaller bottles?

Is Aquafina the ONLY water that is allowed to be purchased on the ship?

Is there another brand such as Aqua Panna..... which is Sodium free.

Unless you KNOW....... please skip the comments..... as some people do not want anything BUT sodium free bottled water.

There are NO towers in the ocean.

You are on a moving ship that has to try and capture a satellite that is also moving around the world.

add information

Does anyone know if there are numbers for customer service other than 866-234-7350? We have tried that number and get referred back to our PCC to resolve our problem. Since Friday, we have left 4 messages and sent numerous e-mails to our PCC and cannot get a reply. We are platinum status with NCL as it is our favorite cruise line. It took quite a lot of convincing for our 4 friends to join us on this cruise as they had heard negatives about NCL. This issue is not making a good impression with them. I am very annoyed with my PCC right now. Any help with other numbers to call would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Try some of these contacts.

Phone Contacts

Main: (305) 436-4000

Customer Service: (866) 234-7350

Toll Free: (866) 234-7350

International: (305) 436-4000

Executive Contacts

Primary Contact

Vivian Ewart

Vice President, Passenger Services

7665 Corporate Center Dr.

Miami, FL 33126

(305) 436-4011

vewart@ncl.com

Chief Executive

Andy Stuart

President and Chief Operating Officer

7665 Corporate Center Dr.

Miami, FL 33126

(305) 436-4000

astuart@ncl.com

Frank J. Del Rio

Cruise Executive Compensation Breakdown... Del Rio Takes Home $31.9 Million.

Don't have his email but you might try one like the others use.

We want our brand of water delivered to the ship by a chosen NCL store, just as they do with the flowers.

We would be willing to pay and tip for a menu of different water, just as the ships allow you to choose different beers.

Why should passengers be subject to ONE brand of water?

It would be nice if ALL new ships had 3 banks of elevators.

I also miss the stairs in the aft corners.

Cruise ships try to make their money in every department. A certain percentage is expected from each department to pull its weight.

20% may be designated to the beverage department.

30% to the excursion department....They also take a cut from operators at the port docks.

A certain percentage from the casino needs to be met.

The Spa is yet another department.

Sales both in the ship shops and at designated shops IN ports are a certain percentage.

( Ask what I want to purchase in the ship stores as they don't keep up with what people desire)

All departments have a % they need to meet and sometimes one department makes more than another and it balances out on the ships take.

The cruise lines make their profit mostly if a ship is fully booked at 103% or more.

How is it more than 100%...3rd and 4th passengers.

How and what would I like from NCL?...My choice of bottled water... delivered by a 'selected NCL store'... as they do with the flower arrangements....

Charge me what you want, but allow ME to decide what brand of water I "NEED & DESIRE" to drink as Aquafina being the ONLY choice, has a terrible after taste.

It's the policy changes some don't like.

Remember when the new policy change came down that there would be NO food allowed to be taken from the café to your cabin?

Howling about it from posters on CC made NCL change their position.

We are past passengers since the Norway and several other lines, and saw many changes of which 99% of the changes were for the better, but when NCL gets something wrong they begin to hear about it and BIG time.

NCL garners about 10% of the cruise industry compared to the BIG boys, however they lead in innovation with the BIG boys following.

When NCL went to freestyle there were hundreds of threads about hating it.

People wanted to keep the 'same' tablemates and 'same' time constraints.

We loved freestyle right off the bat, as we didn't have to return early from a shore excursion or leave a happy moment. NCL was ahead of its time and the BIG boys followed.

The 'new' policy of water is my big beef, and I will continue to let Corporate, both in Miami and Singapore/Hong Kong (40% ownership) know.

I don't care IF they charge me to bring my OWN water on board. I am just ANGRY that I am held hostage to THEIR water which has a horrible after taste and I need at least 6...8oz bottles a day.

NCL can find storage for a 100 different beers, 100 different alcohol drink choices, but subject their passengers to ONE brand of water.

They allow flower arrangements to be delivered by local florists why not water?

As I said above.....CHARGE me to bring my own choice of water! Or arrange for a local company or store to DELIVER my choice of water, as they do with the flowers.

Now flame away at me, as I've been through it all from the smoking threads over the years to freestyle to now nickel and diming.

I was on a different cruise line almost ten years ago and had two delicious slices of pie from a bakery in Portland Maine confiscated at the port. I was told to eat them there or toss them. It has always been standard procedure that you can't bring food onboard that is not in a sealed package. If someone gets sick they don't want the liability I guess. I realize not all are as thorough and many get through but not always.

I see the crew off the ship at Wal-Mart and BJs. At each port, a designated amount of crew are allowed leave and they have crew buses transport them.

They purchase all kinds of food and liquid to bring back to their quarters. This ego of Del Rio is getting out of hand.

The Asian crew purchases their own FRESH fish at the fishing docks!

Now Del Rio is going down the EBay path. He's taking the company down the rabbit hole and pretty soon he can expect to see passengers fleeing towards a more welcoming line.

Funny. I bought a donut on shore. Packaged in a box. Getting back on the ship I was told I couldn't bring a donut onboard. He says only a cookie etc can be broght on board lol. Meanwhile the family in front of me .. dad had a days worth of Gatorade and water and chips. Son also had a bottle of water. Seciuroty hassled him as well. His stuff went thru the scanner. He grabbed it and left.

 

I thought it was kinda funny re my donut just as that family before me had a days worth of liquids.

NCL is going overboard with this crap. Why even stop at a port if everything you purchase is held up to such scrutiny....Just stay at sea and keep the paid passengers hostage.

Pretty soon passengers will not be allowed to bring back anything such as even vanilla...NCL is headed down the tubes for cruisers to be held up for petty junk decisions by Del Rio at headquarters.

Del Rio is a nut job gone ...overboard....with control issues, throwing away business.

NCL 'used' to be on the cutting edge with such things as Free Style....Now Del Rio is pushing passengers aside and ruining the name and everything NCL had and could be.

I think, in addition to making addition revenue, it was to stop folks from putting baggage tags on them and having the shore personnel and the ship's personnel from taking the time to screen them and then transport them.

 

I think folks should be able to bring water and soda on themselves if (1) they transport it themselves with no help from shore or ship personnel and (2) pay the equivalent of what it would cost to purchase it on the ship, as most have said if they have their brand on the ship, they would be happy to purchase it on the ship and (3) if alcohol is found in any container, that person would not be allowed to board the ship. To me, this would be a win win for everyone.

With the ALL you can drink package...water is not a money maker for them, as they will find out.

Sure they are offering Aquafina (awful tasting) WATER at exorbitant prices, which most will not purchase.

We take our water aboard on a roll about, using no porter nor ship crew. When we see people with water at the port, they are few and far between.

Again, this has nothing to do with security, and NCL is making idiotic decisions by Del Rio lying to it's customers.

They may offer different sizes but they probably have little motivation to do so. It's cheaper and more efficient for them to offer only one size. As far as them offering other brands that isn't going to happen. Just like McDonald's they have a contract with one supplier for drinks, in this case Pepsi, and Pepsi isn't going to allow them to bring in a competitor.

Then why did Del Rio take away bringing our own? It has nothing to do with security nor with their Pepsi so-called contract.

This has zero to do with .....Security.

It's been 15 years since 9/11 and we went through nets around the ship, divers and armed military guarding the ship in ports 2 weeks after. They don't do that anymore.

This is all about MONEY.....by the militant water police (Del Rio) to protect profits.

They may find that people want more choices of bottled water like they want more choices of beer or liquor.

There are 100 choices of beer on the ship and only ONE of water (Aquafina) that has a horrible after taste.

Just like beer, there is a difference in taste, and we have been advised to NOT drink the water in our cabins by past staff.

NCL needs to give us a 'choice'.....At least offer 3 or 4 different brands and size.

Good grief.

A hundred different beers yet only ONE brand of water?

Who made that idiotic decision?

Could someone tell me what size water bottles they have in the casino ? Also price of the bottles if you do not have a casino drink card?

We would like to know also.

RCCL and other lines have 8oz bottles in the casino and they are easy to carry around and fit on the tables.

1 liter water on a table is easily tipped over and costly.

Then you have the trouble of moving them from machine to machine IF you don't forget it.

Who want's to purchase water when they can get free drinks?

Unless and until the people bombard the headquarters and Andy Stuart's email it will get worse.

I have.

The customers of NCL made a whole lot of difference when Del Rio got the message about taking food back to your cabin.

Squawk.....Send emails if you're tired of having the militant, police your water.

You can live without food and alcohol...You can't live without water.

This entire thing about not being able to bring the water of ...YOUR CHOICE...is ludicrous.

All water doesn't taste the same and Aquafina is one of the worst when you have to drink 6-8 a day.

NCL has stepped over the line.

NCL started the Free style, and I remember there was a torrent of threads on CC at the time.

I mean, it was thread after thread about it here.

Absolute chaos.

People didn't want change. They loved the scheduled dining and same tablemates.

We didn't, as we had to drag more luggage on cruise, and decided to try NCL when they announced Freestyle.

Loved having not to be back on the ship from an excursion early, to make dinner time.

NCL was the first to offer different dining areas, and expanded to more of them.

The other lines followed NCL.

Del Rio might kill off what people love about the line, with his Ala carte and water decision.

They had to back off taking food to the cabins, and dishes in the walkways.

So NO, don't miss it at all....It's OUR paid vacation not NCLs.

I found this interesting.

NCL has suffered over the year from the perception even amongst cruise fans of being the king of nickel and diming its customers.

But when it's time to make a deal with a CEO to move him out of the way without a fuss, NCL will not hesitate to pay millions in severance $13.4 million to be exact.

Then this

Posted by a crew member

March 18, 2016

"It doesn't matter how much Mr. Sheehans got. He is such a nice and approachable person. I had the chance to meet him 3 years ago in the NCL Sun, he came to my side stand to greet and thank us for our hard work. Unlike Mr. Del Rio, who comes to NCL changing everything, all our benefits. The company is going down for the crew. Del Rio came to NCL PEARL when I was there, stood there for 2 hours and put the ship up side down. So arrogant and impolite to the crew, didn't even smile at us. Not even a "well done guys, thank you for your hard work." NOTHING. I've been with NCL for the past 3 years. I will appreciate if you keep my name private. I may lose my job if anything comes to public."

Please cite your source for the statement that "tanks holding water on a cruise ship are not always 100% sanitary" as the USPH would definitely like to know this, considering the pages devoted to water sanitation and potable water system (including tanks) design, construction, and operation. I've worked in cruise ship engine rooms making water, loading from shore, maintaining the chlorination equipment, and following USPH requirements for maintenance and disinfection of water tanks. I don't believe there is anything you could teach me about cruise ship water systems.

 

I'd also like to know how much water you think a ship the size of the Sky carries around? I'm sure you have no idea, but I do.

The bacterium Legionella pneumophila is responsible for most cases of Legionnaires' disease. Outdoors, legionella bacteria survive in soil and water, but rarely cause infections. Indoors, though, legionella bacteria can multiply in all kinds of water systems — hot tubs, air conditioners and mist sprayers in grocery store produce departments.

Although it's possible to contract Legionnaires' disease from home plumbing systems, most outbreaks have occurred in large buildings, and sometimes cruise ships perhaps because complex systems allow the bacteria to grow and spread more easily.

How the infection spreads

Most people become infected when they inhale microscopic water droplets containing legionella bacteria. This might be the spray from a shower, faucet or whirlpool, or water dispersed through the ventilation system in a large building. Outbreaks have been linked to a range of sources, including

Hot tubs and whirlpools on cruise ships

Cooling towers in air conditioning systems

Decorative fountains

Swimming pools

Physical therapy equipment

Water systems in hotels, hospitals, cruise ships and nursing homes

The 'only' thing I have always brought aboard after being infected by the Novo years ago by a mysterious person......Is ....WATER

I don't want to drink the water on a cruise ship. ......Period

She's working on her post count.

If I desired that I would have a whole lot more than you, with 50 cruises, and when I joined CC.

I don't post unless I'm VERY angry about something even if minor, and some of my posts were to help on a unusual cruise.

You however "need" to make the mile club of insults.

Last word on this, because I found some people actually think that massive cruise ships carry city fresh water in tanks when they do NOT.

Tanks holding water on a cruise ship are not always 100% sanitary.

All I wanted was a choice....NCL used to be about choice.

Making you pay for bottled water when you have the UDP is a terrible business decision.

How have the forced you to take the UBP? Unless you are in a suite (and then you don't pay the 18% gratuity) who gets all the perks, you get to pick your perk/s and no one has said that you have to pick the UBP.

I do have the UBP but water is not included in the package. Water is a separate fee unless you drink desalinated water which is onboard.

While you have many, many beer and alcohols to chose from, you are limited to purchasing Aquafina if you want bottled water and have to pay extra even having the UBP.

While I agree with nearly all you say, not all ship's water is made by flash evaporation (and flash evaporation is still boiling, just at a lower temperature by reducing the pressure). Depending on the ship's itinerary, it may not have sufficient time at sea to make all the water needed, so some is loaded in port. Also, in addition to evaporators, most ships produce a portion of their fresh water by reverse osmosis, which generally produces in the 0-20ppm range.

cruise ships or any ship for that matter have been built with water treatment facilities or ocean-water desalination plant.

Desalination, the removal of salt and other impurities from sea-water so that such water can become safe for human consumption.

However most people would like to bring their own brand of water on board and few people ever do. Not as many as people think read Cruise Critic.

I live 3 miles from a port and see some purchase water at Publix then empty out some and fill them with Gin or Vodka.

I really think this is the reason for NOT allowing the passengers to bring their own water aboard.

Ships can't carry enough fresh water on board. It would weight the ship and lose profits using more fuel.

Ships use sea water to make fresh water.

Fresh water is generated on ship by a fresh water generator, also known as evaporator. The process by which fresh water is generated is known as distillation process. Sea water is converted into fresh water by evaporating and condensing the sea water. Evaporation of the sea water is either done by boiling or by flash process. This process enables the reduction of 32,000 parts per million in sea water to 1 to 2 parts in fresh water.

Millions of gallons are used daily by cruise ships for both passengers, cooking, cleaning, laundry and staff.

I hate Aquafina and I hate 16oz bottles.

Do you really think that if someone has the drink package and water was available under the package, they are going to pass up an alcoholic drink, especially when water is already readily available on the ship for the taking or asking? If water was available within the package, NCL would probably have the same amount of alcohol consumed and have additional water consumed, which would cost them more, not less. BTW, anyone who wants to be a rowdy drunk is not going to drink water over alcohol, IMHO.

Yes I have the drink package but drink NON-Alcoholic drinks. I also don't want to lug around a 16oz bottle of water. I measure my water intake with small 8 oz. bottles.

Providing water of one brand and one size is a money maker.

Having sailed on NCL many times, along with other companies, I always praised them for being a leader.

They became the first with free-style which I loved, and the CC people were massively complaining about missing dining with the same people at the table.

Now it will be back to those other cruise lines after this booked cruise.

You can't compare cruise ship prices to supermarket prices. A liter of water at Atlantis runs around $10.

At Atlantis and at the 4 Seasons I can bring my OWN water ....that I like.

I also think that "Water" should be included in the drink package.

It would cut down on the rowdy, and encourage more money for the cruise line instead of $10. drinks.

I hate Aquafina.

If in the casino playing, do they offer free water or do you still have to purchase it?

If you have the beverage package and are in the casino playing, do they still charge you and only supply Aqua?

Would rather have a small Norwegian labeled bottle.