SteveH2508

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!

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'🍻.

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.

Only on your planet...

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

You don't really get irony, do you?

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

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.

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!😈

NCL are in BS mode - whether that stands for blame-shifting or something else - I shall leave for the reader to decide.

I am finding the NCL ‘Judge Dredd’ book of excuses quite amusing (in a sad kind of way). “It’s the Law” now seems to be the default response to any query regarding drink service, shuttle buses or other services. I do not have a dog in this fight, but it saddens me to see a cruise line I used to like, going down the pan like this. It should not be this way.

I know that - another poster from US was trying to imply that something had changed in the UK laws.

This post on the P&O board links to the relevant? HMRC guidance. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2936952-no-alcohol-in-uk-ports/#comment-65381810 Section 3, particularly 3.15 seem to be the applicable parts. Obviously this is not relevant to the Italy and Spain scenarios, though itineraries including those ports and UK ports are relevant.

My bold - the irony is strong here...

If you have a private transfer you should be able to ask them to go via a supermarket to stock up. I think there is a Marks and Spencer in Southampton, who will have a decent selection. In the UK one can buy booze easily (on land anyway😉).

So you have taken on board (excuse the pun) the problem, and are going to take steps to mitigate any issues. Good for you. Knowledge is power. I would suggest that you also pack a dose of cynicism, because there will likely be other issues to deal with on your cruise.

The way this is panning out, would they dare stop you? (posted tongue-in-cheek)

For our UK readers - https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.ncl.com Not a good read even before this fiasco.

Lots of social media exposure - think Bud Light.😉

My first eight cruises were with NCL. Unfortunately, their ethos and general service/attitude has dropped since then. The furore over the current lack of drinks service in UK ports and NCL's 'evasiveness' are evidence of that.

We are experienced cruisers, having sailed with lots of different lines. we booked an Ambassador cruise in March to Iceland. We then booked the next cruise whilst on board. We have now booked another cruise in June (North Cape and Spitzbergen). They are good value for money - if you find you don't like it you will not have spent a great deal of money. Go for it - you will have a blast! Be warned, cruising can be addictive.

I think the evidence is beyond reasonable doubt that this is an NCL specific issue.

I am Platinum on NCL, 9 cruises (DW has done 11), so I think I have some reasonable experience of NCL. When Del Rio took over, the decline in their standards (and honesty) started. DW did a cruise last November in the Med and came back saying 'never again - they have lost the plot'. If they cannot even sort out being able to serve drinks in ports, where they did so in the past, they have some major systemic issues to address. It would be wrong not to highlight these issues so other readers can make better informed decisions as to who to book with.