Norwayfan1

It doesn't really seem that NCL are doing anything about the issue. The strategy seems to be: 1. Let passengers board, and read the 'no alcohol' notices at the bars. 2. Ride out any grumbles or complaints - offer a vague explanation, passing the buck, if pressed (knowing that people on holiday probably don't have the time, inclination or internet access to pursue it). 3. Wait for everyone to calm down a bit and they start to rationalise: 'it's only for a few hours; 'it's only for a couple of ports' etc etc. 4. Disembark the passengers, who will probably grumble a bit when they get home - but so what. 5. Embark new passengers and go back to stage 1. If a lot of the passengers aren't Southampton regulars with knowledge of other cruise lines sailing from there, so much the better for NCL.

If NCL simply had to pay a fee of some sort, they have now had time to do so (unless they decided not to use wire transfer, and sent the fees by pigeon carrier instead). If legislation genuinely prevented alcohol service in some way, I'd expect NCL to be able to quote that legislation in a proper explanation. Vague 'nothing to do with us' statements are just an insult to their passengers' intelligence, in my view.

For me, the issue is not at all about how much alcohol I may or may not be served on any particular day. It's about cruise companies being straight with their paying customers. Owning up if there's a problem of their own making. Saying what they are doing to rectify things. Making sure all staff are briefed and are able to give the correct explanations. Compensating passengers (where appropriate) if they haven't received a service they paid for, or making at least a goodwill gesture or 'nice touch' of some sort, when a cruise hasn't got off to the best possible start. Even if the fault lies with Southampton (as they seem to claim here), much of the above still applies. It's just good old customer service. Customers can be pretty forgiving if an issue is well handled. But once companies start passing the buck and resorting to weasel-worded notices plonked on counters as a problem-solving method, it's a slippery slope!

Over the past 15 months or so, I've been lucky enough to have taken six cruises sailing out of Southampton: 2 x P&O, 2 x MSC, 1 x Celebrity and one on the NCL Norwegian Star itself last Autumn. My most recent cruise was on P&O Arvia just 3 weeks ago. There was no restriction on alcohol sales/servings on any of those cruises. I'm due to sail on Norwegian Star again soon, on one of the round Ireland cruises and I have bought the 'Free at Sea' package. I feel really annoyed about this, on principle. It isn't a question of how much alcohol I can consume in UK ports - I just feel there is some dishonesty or serious misunderstanding on NCL's part. In the (unlikely?) event that there is some brand new change in UK law that has come into force in the last 3 weeks (!!!) then NCL should be able to explain exactly what that change is, when it came into force etc etc.