Can't bring soda on board anymore

[cruisebie]

It also seems time again to repost what the core issue is here..

 

It's not price gouging, or no Coke, etc.

 

It's NCL has again changed rules in a time frame when people are in final payment lock without any form of real communication, understanding or allowance.

 

Whether these particular changes bother individuals at all, everyone should be concerned with this because its become a clear and persistent pattern, which means that whatever is important to you may not be there when you cruise.

 

Changes will be made, and usually in the line's favor. That's a part of dealing with a business this far in advance. HOW those changes are made however, is key. When a line consistently starts to give the middle finger to its customers, that's a real and valid item for complaint.

 

This particular change doesn't affect me at all, but I am still very displeased at how it was done and have communicated such.

 

I agree 100%!

[cruisebie]

Here's the core issue with that - again.

 

Norwegian has ships leaving every week from multiple ports. How are they ever going to have nobody in final payment lock?

 

Remember all the complaining when UDP went to SDP? Everyone was confused because they were running two programs at once. (It's still happening, but winding down.)

"

 

It would be pretty simple, really. Just pick a date that's far enough ahead that no one would be in final payment status and implement on that day. That leaves a clear cut line of demarcation between old policy & new policy and eliminates any confusion. That could have been done with the UDP/SDP issue as well if NCL wasn't so intent on shooting themselves in the foot at every turn and wringing every last dime from their oassengers.

[Sissaaaaaa]

Just so you know, that Bobble bottle uses activated carbon which will remove the chlorine from the water. But it will not remove the sodium. I see on Cruise Critic a lot of people talk about not drinking the tap water because their ankles swell due to the sodium in the water. This bottle is not a solution to that problem. But it should make the water taste "fresher".

 

Maggie

 

Their ankles are swelling because of the salt in the food.

[luddite]

Alrighty then!!!!

Over 2000 posts on this silliness!

Let's keep it going and shoot for 4000 posts!!!!!

[Sissaaaaaa]

It would be pretty simple, really. Just pick a date that's far enough ahead that no one would be in final payment status and implement on that day. That leaves a clear cut line of demarcation between old policy & new policy and eliminates any confusion. That could have been done with the UDP/SDP issue as well if NCL wasn't so intent on shooting themselves in the foot at every turn and wringing every last dime from their oassengers.

 

It's SODA. Give me a freakin' break!

[cruisebie]

It's SODA. Give me a freakin' break!

 

It may not be important to you, but it is to a lot of people. What is troubling to me is not the issue of what can or can't be brought onboard, but the way they implemented the new policy. There are perfectly reasonable steps that could have been taken that would have avoided a lot of this controversy.

[pokerpro5]

Here's the core issue with that - again.

 

Norwegian has ships leaving every week from multiple ports. How are they ever going to have nobody in final payment lock?

 

Remember all the complaining when UDP went to SDP? Everyone was confused because they were running two programs at once. (It's still happening, but winding down.)

 

Are you seriously suggesting that the stevedores check not only boarding passes and luggage tags, but also booking receipts? "HEY! Why are you taking my water away? He's carrying four cases onboard!" "Ah, yes, but he purchased his tickets before the change."

 

It would be a logistics nightmare.

 

Yes, there are some inconvenienced. By the number of unique people posting here, there are a very few who are extremely inconvenienced. There are also those who never brought drinks aboard and there are those who did not know it was an option.

 

So, people sailing had two weeks notice, others are getting notice bit by bit, and life will go on.

 

The real question is "Can we keep this thread going until the policy goes into place?"

 

Very simple.

 

Announce this change and make it effective January 1, 2017.

 

E-mail EVERYONE who has a future booking on NCL.

 

Also e-mail anyone who has ever booked on NCL in the past, so they are aware of this change in policy for future bookings.

 

Anyone who is unhappy with the policy can either cancel (for a full refund), not book, or just deal with it.

 

That would be fair.

 

What NCL is doing (announcing it 2 weeks prior to implementation) is not fair or ethical.

[richstowe]

Just got this .

 

Dear , Mr. R.............

 

Thank you for your email. We value our guests’ feedback and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding the change to our beverage policy.

 

We understand your disappointment, however, this revised policy brings the us in line with other best practices in travel security protocols. We offer competitively priced beverage and water packages that can be purchased both on board as well as pre-cruise for your convenience.

 

As a reminder, detailed information regarding information on our beverage policy is available on our website at https://www.ncl.com/faq#what-to-bring.

 

Again, we thank you for your feedback and hope you will continue to enjoy your cruise vacations with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy .

[blackwing]

Never again!

 

Such a shame, Nowegian was a geat company, all they had to do was provide a way for passengers who already booked to offset extra cost and burden of this new policy. Instead, they blew it!

 

We will never do business with them again - there are plenty of options to choose from, even if cost more.

So sad to see such a decline in service and basic principles of courtesy.

 

I rebooked on Carnival, called to cancel my NCL booking- the rude service rep said that no refunds will be made because we are past the deadline.

So I called the credit card company, contacted the BBB, and have prepared for a long legal battle to get my money back.

If you are past final payment date, then you won't get a refund for cancelling your cruise. Contacting the Better Business Bureau and your credit card company isn't going to accomplish anything. You will indeed be facing a long legal battle, and it will almost certainly result in you not getting your money back, and in addition, you will have your lawyer's fees to pay.

 

The legal industry thanks you. It is frivolous lawsuits like this that gives America such a bad reputation as a litigious society. Everyone is so entitled, everything is always someone else's fault. Sue sue sue. Yes, NCL changed the terms after you booked and after your final payment date. That's unfortunate and I don't necessarily agree with the change. But it certainly isn't going to make you a winner.

[Frick_&_Frack]

Just got this .

 

Dear , Mr. R.............

 

Thank you for your email. We value our guests’ feedback and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding the change to our beverage policy.

 

We understand your disappointment, however, this revised policy brings the us in line with other best practices in travel security protocols. We offer competitively priced beverage and water packages that can be purchased both on board as well as pre-cruise for your convenience.

 

As a reminder, detailed information regarding information on our beverage policy is available on our website at https://www.ncl.com/faq#what-to-bring.

 

Again, we thank you for your feedback and hope you will continue to enjoy your cruise vacations with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy .

 

Yes, a nice feeling knowing you're such a valued cruiser. :rolleyes: :p

 

Bet you're just feeling so loved....:D

[AquaMarineFerret]

Just got this .

 

Dear , Mr. R.............

 

Thank you for your email. We value our guests’ feedback and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us regarding the change to our beverage policy.

 

We understand your disappointment, however, this revised policy brings the us in line with other best practices in travel security protocols. We offer competitively priced beverage and water packages that can be purchased both on board as well as pre-cruise for your convenience.

 

As a reminder, detailed information regarding information on our beverage policy is available on our website at https://www.ncl.com/faq#what-to-bring.

 

Again, we thank you for your feedback and hope you will continue to enjoy your cruise vacations with us.

 

Sincerely,

 

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy .

 

Says it all, really. :rolleyes:

[Zippeedee]

Their ankles are swelling because of the salt in the food.

 

Sorry to belabor this but you are WRONG! The only cruise where my ankles swelled was the one NCL cruise I did not bring water on with me. It may be the lack of minerals or whatever but it is the ship water that causes it. Just because you are not bothered does not mean the problem is not real.

[pspercy]

Edited July 13, 2016 by pspercy

[abe3]

 

 

Love it. Be better beating a water bottle though

 

This is what it looks like after a cruise in a couple rooms.

 

[ATTACH]389962[/ATTACH]

[BDsquared]

This change is disappointing, and the way passengers are being "informed" about the change is ridiculous.

 

My parents will be on Escape with us in November. They really like Royal Caribbean's drink package because it includes bottled water, and many of their ships have the Coke Freestyle machines so they can drink Caffeine Free Diet cola.

 

When we booked Escape, they refused the beverage package because it did not include water, and they knew it would be hard to find Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi/Coke (they don't care which, they just can't drink caffeine and don't drink alcohol). But I convinced them that all would be ok with their drinks because we could carry them on.

 

I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, but we paid just as much to sail on Escape as we would have sailing RC and if this change had been announced before we booked, we would have chosen to sail with RC and their Freestyle drink machines!

 

I don't want to cancel because of caffeine free diet soda, but it was actually a deciding factor in choosing to cruise with NCL this time around.

 

This is not the first change that has affected us with NCL and it is very discouraging.

[blackwing]

It may not be important to you, but it is to a lot of people. What is troubling to me is not the issue of what can or can't be brought onboard, but the way they implemented the new policy. There are perfectly reasonable steps that could have been taken that would have avoided a lot of this controversy.

I agree that they could have grandfathered everyone past final payment date. But even if they had, I'm sure there would still be complaints from people who already made flight arrangements, etc.

 

And this wouldn't address the problem from the people whose husband REFUSES to drink Diet Pepsi and MUST have his Diet Coke. These people would really cancel a cruise because of soda? It appears that many would, but I think that seems a bit extreme. If they need a Diet Coke fix, drink one while in port.

 

I drink "my" brand of tea at home. I don't like Lipton and I think the Fields and Select brand that NCL also carries tastes like soap. I like my snacks that I have at home that aren't available on NCL. And the toilet paper they have onboard just feels so cheap and rough against my sensitive rear.

 

I suppose I could import my own of everything, but it just seems like so much trouble. Part of being on vacation is being flexible and learning to adapt. Can't stand Diet Pepsi? Learn to find something else for the week. Maybe you'll develop a taste for Iced Tea, or seltzer water with lime.

[Norm1]

Glad for you that this solution works. I haven't found that filtering the water makes it taste any better. If anything, the water is already so filtered that it tastes stale. Having done my bit for the environment in other ways, I enjoy bottled water guilt free when I'm someplace where I find the tap water undrinkable.

I can always ask the bar to add some whiskey in it LOL.

[richstowe]

If you are past final payment date, then you won't get a refund for cancelling your cruise. Contacting the Better Business Bureau and your credit card company isn't going to accomplish anything. You will indeed be facing a long legal battle, and it will almost certainly result in you not getting your money back, and in addition, you will have your lawyer's fees to pay.

 

The legal industry thanks you. It is frivolous lawsuits like this that gives America such a bad reputation as a litigious society. Everyone is so entitled, everything is always someone else's fault. Sue sue sue. Yes, NCL changed the terms after you booked and after your final payment date. That's unfortunate and I don't necessarily agree with the change. But it certainly isn't going to make you a winner.

I agree with you but ...

If you have the time and inclination small claims court is a wonderful thing and also a horrible pain if you are on the other side . In my jurisdiction the claimant can and usually does represent themselves up to a maximum amount of $15000 . If NCL gets a bunch of these cases , it really adds up . Even with staff lawyers , regardless if they win, costs add up .

 

I don't have the time or inclination to pursue action . Not worth it . Perhaps it is worth it to Jupitermars .

You might define it as frivolous . OK . Perhaps Norwegian will be more mindful in the future . Perhaps not .

Edited July 13, 2016 by richstowe

[js]

All this time, I thought that's what I was doing. NCL sells Pepsi products. Okay, I understand. I don't like Pepsi but, I can bring on a 12-pack of Coke- it's all good.

Any loss for NCL was more than recovered by the simple fact that I was AWAKE and in a good mood- not suffering from a caffiene headache- and willing to spend money in the casino and shops.

I still plan on going and having a great time. If I have to buy a Mt. Dew, I will. However, I can assure you I won't be spending anymore money on board.

 

Hi. Are you saying we are allowed to bring a 12 pack of Diet Coke onboard? My dh drinks Diet Coke in the morning as others drink coffee/tea. Right or wrong, healthy or not, that is what he does. If this is correct, that would be great since it is what we have done in the past. If not, it is what it is.

 

Thanks.

[Frick_&_Frack]

Hi. Are you saying we are allowed to bring a 12 pack of Diet Coke onboard? My dh drinks Diet Coke in the morning as others drink coffee/tea. Right or wrong, healthy or not, that is what he does. If this is correct, that would be great since it is what we have done in the past. If not, it is what it is.

 

Thanks.

 

No, you cannot do that as of July 15th.

 

On July 1st NCL changed their policy - no water/soda/etc. to be brought onboard (which is why this thread was created).

 

Sorry (but I get it for your DH as I'm diehard Coke).

[Lulubelle45]

Hi. Are you saying we are allowed to bring a 12 pack of Diet Coke onboard? My dh drinks Diet Coke in the morning as others drink coffee/tea. Right or wrong, healthy or not, that is what he does. If this is correct, that would be great since it is what we have done in the past. If not, it is what it is.

 

Thanks.

 

You can until July 14th

[js]

No, you cannot do that as of July 15th.

 

On July 1st NCL changed their policy - no water/soda/etc. to be brought onboard (which is why this thread was created).

 

Sorry (but I get it for your DH as I'm diehard Coke).

 

Thanks LOL

My dh will just have to deal with it and he said it stinks but nothing he can do now. My mom, who is traveling with us, also drinks ONLY Diet Coke and I haven't broken the news to her yet LOL

[Frick_&_Frack]

Thanks LOL

My dh will just have to deal with it and he said it stinks but nothing he can do now. My mom, who is traveling with us, also drinks ONLY Diet Coke and I haven't broken the news to her yet LOL

 

Personally, I'd be more afraid of Mom than DH! :eek: ;)

 

(If you take a look through this thread, and a few others like it, you'll see the reactions we've received from NCL, etc. :rolleyes:)

 

Happy Cruising! :)

[Loonbeam]

People have come up with many ways this could have been done, but here's just a few ways they could have done it while still minimizing passenger impact.

 

1> Reduce the price of bottled water, OR for everyone who booked prior offer a voucher good for 1 12 pack of 1 Lwater on board if they wished.

 

2> (stealing from Carnival's policy) - allow 1 sealed 12 pack of cans only per passenger for a period of time (lets say until 12/31)

 

3> Include bottled water in the UBP

 

4> Provide a tervis or similar container for anyone who booked prior to use on board.

 

5> Offer a token OBC to already booked passengers...

 

None of these would have solved everyone's issue, but would have shown a level of respect and commitment to the passenger, which as I have said, is really the core issue here..

 

 

 

Here's the core issue with that - again.

 

Norwegian has ships leaving every week from multiple ports. How are they ever going to have nobody in final payment lock?

 

Remember all the complaining when UDP went to SDP? Everyone was confused because they were running two programs at once. (It's still happening, but winding down.)

 

Are you seriously suggesting that the stevedores check not only boarding passes and luggage tags, but also booking receipts? "HEY! Why are you taking my water away? He's carrying four cases onboard!" "Ah, yes, but he purchased his tickets before the change."

 

It would be a logistics nightmare.

 

Yes, there are some inconvenienced. By the number of unique people posting here, there are a very few who are extremely inconvenienced. There are also those who never brought drinks aboard and there are those who did not know it was an option.

 

So, people sailing had two weeks notice, others are getting notice bit by bit, and life will go on.

 

The real question is "Can we keep this thread going until the policy goes into place?"

[bazil501]

 

I suppose I could import my own of everything, but it just seems like so much trouble. Part of being on vacation is being flexible and learning to adapt. Can't stand Diet Pepsi? Learn to find something else for the week. Maybe you'll develop a taste for Iced Tea, or seltzer water with lime.

 

 

One could also argue that part of being on vacation is enjoying oneself without having to make concessions for something so simple as a beverage one might enjoy. NCL in particular likes to advertise their philosophy of free style cruising afterall.

 

Personally speaking, we drink a lot of water on a daily basis. I drink even more when on vacation eating sodium rich foods, doing more physically strenuous activities, and being exposed to a hot climate (depending on the cruise).

 

We are peculiar about the taste of our water, we can and have discerned the taste difference between the various brands of bottled water in multiple blind tests (some of our other friends were also skeptical that we could do this at first).

 

Aquafina or the ship's water does not taste refreshing to us. They lack that taste of "cold(nothing to do with temperature)" refreshment present in some of the other brands.

 

On a recent cruise we purchased and self carried aboard several large bottles of water to drink. We also brought refillable water bottles with us so that we could take the water with us on excursions and around the ship.

 

I understand that it may sound ridiculous to some of you that someone could have a preference for what water they like to drink. But whether we admit it or not, everyone(including you) has their own little guilty preferences that we like to indulge in when we can (especially on vacation when we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves).

 

So I kindly ask you refrain from passing judgement on others for whom this change is noteworthy and distasteful (pun intended). Prior to this change we had a choice, an option for people to bring their own beverages board. Now that option simply does not exist, this is a fact. You are entitled to your own opinion of course but that does not change the fact that an option is being taken away with no compensation or reasonable alternative and the reasoning they provide for this change is questionable at best.