SteveH2508

3 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Want to sail the Prima, but fares are still a bit high.  Maybe next year when they drop a bit and after Viva sails!

DW wanted to see a couple of things in Rome, so adding a couple of off season days pre-cruise made this a no-brainer.

This is somewhat a last chance for NCL to redeem themselves for various reasons (though we do sail on Regent Seven Seas a couple of weeks later so that could make for some 'unfair' comparisons).

13 minutes ago, cybergremlin said:

Wasn’t this topic about added tax for uk travellers and now we’re comparing cruise prices

Yes it was - unfortunately some of our US cousins cannot get their heads around the fact that the rest of the world sometimes does and sees things differently.

8 hours ago, Red Ray said:

The fried bread (circular in shape) on Arcadia last month was nearly always available at breakfast. However I was banned from having it after the first morning when my attempt to saw through it resulted in a piece nearly taking Mrs Redray's eye out....

Cover it with bacon and black pudding before cutting - a bit like the chain-link stuff they use to contain explosions.

4 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

You're cherry-picking by picking solo fares. I'm sure the stow-away fare is even cheaper.

 

As I'm sure you're aware, the average cruiser profile is couples/families. Show me total fares for under $1,000 for that profile. I'll wait...and I stand by my THOUSANDS comment.

This is quite close to your criteria (it is a screenshot of an email from NCL so no searching required).

59 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

This has gone from somewhat interesting to ridiculous and insulting!  

 

You’re on the U.S. Cruise Critic site, and decide to offend those of us who are in North America trying to help.  Whatever issues you are having are specific to the U.K. 

 

Maybe get help here…..

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/

We are already. 

13 hours ago, Rosy 2 cakes said:

We had fried bread on Aurora in August 2022. 

Same in September on Aurora but it was not triangular - the horror!😡

41 minutes ago, Asawi said:

If you booked in the last few days your FreeAtSea should have been half price, 99 each.

We also have flights, transfers, Shorex discounts, dining package and Wifi package in that price, so not a bad deal all things considered (for a balcony cabin as well).

"Free at Sea" is NOT free in UK (despite what NCL's marketing wonks would like you to believe).

We have just booked 9 days on Prima in November and Free at Sea is £199 per person.

32 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Was he a friend of the artist also.

Shocking business.

It does not appear that they were friends. AM's nastiness seemed to stay within the family.

31 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Arthur Mullard

Who turned out to be a very nasty piece of work (Which I only found out a day or two ago due to the death of another nasty piece of work).

38 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Yes, but you might mean it.  Fred passengers just want money back - we went on one years ago where there was practically a riot about one uninteresting port being missed.  Funny really, though a bit annoying.  I guess the instigators were union bosses.

Your post made me think of Fred Kite, the Peter Sellers shop steward character in I'm All Right Jack.

42 minutes ago, anniegb said:

I thought the 15 a day limit only applied to alcoholic beverages on HAL's Signature Package not the Elite Package ??

You could very well be right - but it still indicates a possible trend in the 'base' package T&Cs.

1 minute ago, insidecabin said:

On Princess unless you or the bar staff catch it the system started charging, it's been 11month since the last one they may have sorted out the system to make it easier to catch/count.

The main issue was they would put both drinks on the same card and not spread them across the cabin.

We did a short Princess cruise last year with that medallion thingy. I heard waiters on several occasions letting people know when they were close to their 15 drink limit, so the system does count.

20 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

<snip>

In full disclosure, NCL does not limit consumption of alcohol. Princess has a 15 drink per day limit on alcohol.

You might want to keep an eye out for a sneaky-ish trend in the Carnival brands. The 15 a day limit used to refer to alcoholic drinks only. It is now beginning to be amended to cover all drinks. HAL started this trend and P&O's new drinks packages seem to be incorporating this change.

I'll bet that Princess won't be far behind.

27 minutes ago, Greener123 said:

In Liverpool today 

 

so not totally sorted at all 

The Farce is strong...

If you get the shuttle coach from Victoria coach station, you go straight into embarkation when you arrive at Tilbury. We usually get given an embarkation time of 12.30 - the coach leaves Victoria at 12.30!

5 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

Well I don't know about anyone else, but if we are going out for a meal in the evening then we often decide not to have any wine with the meal because we can always nip down the pub for a couple of pints at lunchtime instead.

 

It's basically the same really isn't it?

 

In fact, I think I may just cancel the beer package on my next cruise and instead we will get our transfer to stop at a bar in Civitavecchia at lunchtime before boarding and then we don't need to worry about ordering any wine at Moderno in the evening.

 

🙂

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'🍻.

10 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

<snip>

This just takes us down a rabbit hole, and I say we should stay focused on the point of this thread, which is a couple of cruises in the UK in May 2023. That's it.

There is a further point to this thread. NCL has shown a history of these problems, unlike any other cruise line. They have been less than forthcoming about the cause(s).

There is a valid discussion to be had about NCL's administration and lack of communications between head office, customer services and the ships.

You seem to be deliberately avoiding these issues.

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes and apparently all of them neglecting to pay required VAT!

Only on your planet...

Just now, DCGuy64 said:

Embarkation day, if anything, gives the punters even more of a chance to have their tipple before the cruise. Another non-issue.

Thoroughly unserious post, I shall not dignify it with any reply save this one.

1 minute ago, DCGuy64 said:

Thoroughly unserious post, I shall not dignify it with any reply save this one.

You don't really get irony, do you?

5 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Absolutely not impractical at all. My wife and I had a cruise planned in May 2020 (cancelled, obvs) that featured a stop in Southampton. I was planning to visit a friend in Winchester for the day and I guarantee you we would've stopped at a pub for drinks. Not impractical in the slightest.

That sounds like a day stop? Embarkation day (when the problem was) is a totally different ball game.

2 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Even on land? There was a total embargo on alcohol? You *could* get a glass of wine (or a bottle) with your dinner if you'd availed yourself of the free 6 bottle allowance NCL gives you, and paid no corkage fee to enjoy it assuming you'd had the beverage package, which it seems most have. I'd certainly say it's not ideal, but not the end of the world. And again, I feel pretty sure plenty of pubs in Southampton would've loved to have the custom.

Clearly you do not know Southampton docks. Sailaway is usually 5pm; all aboard on embarkation day is 90 minutes earlier (3.30pm). It would be a taxi ride there and back to get to any alcohol supplier (probably another hour).

Totally impractical suggestion.

On 5/15/2023 at 6:54 PM, Britboys said:

Like not wearing socks...

Note to self as grumpy old man - don't look at any young men's feet on a cruise...🤣

As for the skinny trousers that finish halfway down the calf - harrumph.

Probably better not mention Scotland's minimum price per unit of alcohol. That would send NCL's suits into mental meltdown!😈