Everything.. ESCAPE (live 29 Oct 2015!)

[NoahtheRed]

Hmmm, a disagreement over observable facts. Only one way to settle this: BATTLEDOME.

 

TWO MEN ENTER, ONE MAN LEAVES. NO MERCY! NO RECIEPTS!

Edited November 11, 2015 by NoahtheRed

[eroller]

Hmmm, a disagreement over observable facts. Only one way to settle this: BATTLEDOME.

 

TWO MEN ENTER, ONE MAN LEAVES. NO MERCY! NO RECIEPTS!

 

 

Love it!

 

I don't disagree that others may or may not have received checks with their food items listed.

 

I can only speak with certainty what I received and those I was dining with. I my case the food items were listed with zero dollar amounts.

[KeithJenner]

I am on the phone right now with NCL about the pricing. I have just been told that Margaritaville is free and they serve breakfast and lunch. I was surprised as I thought it would be open all day.

 

 

 

I was told Cagney's La Bistro and Cucina are all ala carte unless you order a dining package then you would not be charged anything additional.

 

 

 

So if you did not have the package Cagney's would be $25 for surf and turf and prime rib would be $20..this is the example she provided.

 

 

 

I also asked about Food Republic pricing and she could provide me with any information. She said you have to wait until you get on the ship.

 

 

 

I am very surprised that Margaritaville is only opened for breakfast and lunch. She insisted that is was not open for dinner. When I go to my cruise sight and look up dining it is not listed at all. I leave in 10 days.

 

 

 

This is what I was told today....could she be wrong...sure...could it change in a hour sure. But for now this is the info I received

 

 

As far as I'm aware, Margaritaville has only been scheduled to be open for breakfast and lunch. That is how it was last week (except for the days they didn't do breakfast because of the weather -I assume).

 

The info for the a la carte places was how it worked for us.

 

You don't have to wait to see Food Republic prices:

 

[KeithJenner]

I just checked my receipts for Margaritaville. I only have one, where I was charged for 4 beers, as everyone's were charged to my account so they just took one card.

 

The other time, I don't have any receipt at all. I had a drink with me when I went in and my keycard never left my pocket.

[LrgPizza]

 

The one I was on (along with LrgPizza) didn't have any food slips to sign in Margaritaville.

 

And I didn't get punched in the face! :D :D

[KeithJenner]

And I didn't get punched in the face! :D :D

 

 

It was a close run thing. :)

[LrgPizza]

It was a close run thing. :)

 

I wasn't scared. :p

[eroller]

And I didn't get punched in the face! :D :D

 

 

Guess you weren't up late in the Skyline Bar.

[bucade]

We sail out on Jan 30th, hopefully all the kinks will be worked out by then...I do find it a little entertaining that people expect everything to be perfect from the get go regardless if staff came from another ship or not. Let's not forget that this is a brand new ship and I expect for there to be issues for the first few cruises until they hit their stride. Looking forward to a relaxing vacation and if I have to pay $5 cover for the ambiance of Margaritaville, which we don't have here in Kansas...so be it. :D

[SuiteCruiser]

I ate there twice. Both times I received a check to sign that listed all my food items with a zero dollar amount along with any drinks I ordered which did of course have the dollar amount listed. The same is true of the friends I was with. We all commented that we felt NCL was gearing up to charge for the venue.

 

I ate there 4 times as well and the only time I got a check was when I ordered a margarita

[Coastalbreezes]

There was a post from Cruise Critic (the site) as well talking about it.

 

6&8

 

I was the person who first mentioned in my review that Margaritaville would no long be free beginning with the Nov 14th cruise. Was told this by two different crew members, one on the senior level. I was also told by same people that the casino -- or at least a good part of it -- will revert to smoking also beginning on the 14th. I'll be on that cruise and will report back.

 

Tracy

Edited November 11, 2015 by TracyE

[SuiteCruiser]

I had a conversation with one of the dealers about them running out of beer, wine, liquor and limes, etc. One of his best friends is a bartender on Escape and apparently once they arrived in the US every scrap of food, and in some cases beer and wine had to be destroyed along with straws and other items that need to meet with strict US guidelines. Sounds like they underprovisioned on purpose to have less waste.

 

My friend Judy that I travel with is a food scientist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and said that it would all have to be incinerated due to the possibility of contamination. Considering you can't bring a lemon into Florida without breaking the law, it all is starting to make sense.

[eroller]

I was the person who first mentioned in my review that Margaritaville would no long be free beginning with the Nov 14th cruise. Was told this by two different crew members, one on the senior level. I was also told by same people that the casino -- or at least a good part of it -- will revert to smoking also beginning on the 14th. I'll be on that cruise and will report back.

 

Tracy

 

 

Tracy if I were a betting man I would put my $$ on you. I also think Margaritaville will become a pay venue, and judging by my receipts from there it's already set up to start charging. I would say a la carte instead of a flat cover charge since my receipt showed each individual item. Of course that can always be changed with some simple programming.

[KeithJenner]

I had a conversation with one of the dealers about them running out of beer, wine, liquor and limes, etc. One of his best friends is a bartender on Escape and apparently once they arrived in the US every scrap of food, and in some cases beer and wine had to be destroyed along with straws and other items that need to meet with strict US guidelines. Sounds like they underprovisioned on purpose to have less waste.

 

 

 

My friend Judy that I travel with is a food scientist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and said that it would all have to be incinerated due to the possibility of contamination. Considering you can't bring a lemon into Florida without breaking the law, it all is starting to make sense.

 

 

The only problem with that theory is that NCL do a number of transatlantics each year and I've never heard of similar shortages on those.

[NoahtheRed]

The only problem with that theory is that NCL do a number of transatlantics each year and I've never heard of similar shortages on those.

 

It could have also just been the difficult of getting certain beers in large enough quantities over there. Wasn't it primarily american brews that were running out?

[LrgPizza]

It could have also just been the difficult of getting certain beers in large enough quantities over there. Wasn't it primarily american brews that were running out?

 

All the Florida beers were out. I was told by a bartender something-er-other about import/export, Florida charges, etc. They purposely limited the amount of those brews they sent, since it was going to be ridiculously expensive considering they were about to head to Florida anyway where they could avoid all the costs.

 

(Now whether or not this is fact, who knows. Everyone seems to have heard something different. All I know is that after several brews, it sounded perfectly logical. :D )

Edited November 11, 2015 by LrgPizza

[SuiteCruiser]

The only problem with that theory is that NCL do a number of transatlantics each year and I've never heard of similar shortages on those.

 

Apparently the same thing happens on the way back, but the booze isn't such a factor as the food.

 

The new venues they likely underestimated, but apparently on the Breakaway TA over they ran out of lots of things too.

 

they didn't stock any Sauvignon Blanc on the way over, as we tried to order it at lunch on boarding and they had none.

 

It certainly doesn't answer all of the shortfalls, but perhaps some of them.

[NoahtheRed]

I makes sense, really. They basically just needed enough supplies to make it from the UK to florida without a passenger mutiny. I can't imagine how annoying it must be to try and sell american craft beer on a cruise ship, too. If you've got Dave's brewery in downtown Miami and you want it on your cruise ship, you have to first of course strike the marketing deal with Dave's Brewery....then get your account and logistics set up with their distributor (who also wants money)....and customs/ATF/whatever likely wants to be involved since this is international. I did some promotional work for a bourbon distiller and got to chatting about this topic (in reference to them selling it on cruise ships).....yeah, the hoops that everyone has to jump through to appease the tax man is crazy.

[KeithJenner]

It could have also just been the difficult of getting certain beers in large enough quantities over there. Wasn't it primarily american brews that were running out?

 

 

I can understand the issues with some of the beers, but they were out of a lot of wines as well (ones that NCL sell on other ships in Europe).

Edited November 11, 2015 by KeithJenner

[Loonbeam]

Have to wonder if a ton of people being on the UBP played havoc with their projections as well. Add in it being a new ship with new venues, etc and they basically were guessing how much they need, and with transport costs and limited storage space probably guessed conservatively.

[NoahtheRed]

I can understand the issues with some of the beers, but they were out of a lot of wines as well (ones that NCL sell on other ships in Europe).

 

Well, either way, here's hoping they get their act together. If FDR wants to make a big deal out of being a higher brow experience than NCL of years past, he needs to be sure those supply manifests are nice and fat. The biggest ship in the fleet shouldn't have shortages :P

[gddeluca]

While I understand the possible need for fresh food to be eliminated, there was no excuse for the liquor/wine shortages. I drink Stingers, and I'd guess half the bars didn't have the needed liquors. Also, the Italian Prosecco was spotty in availability and non-existent the last three days. By the last two days, you couldn't get a glass of ANY champagne, from ANY country. By the last day you couldn't even get a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. What's the point of an UBP if you can't get the drink you want?

 

No way I can believe food regulations explain the wine shortage, that's simply shoddy planning on NCL's part.

[mbmorri]

OK everyone we are on the ship on the 14 November 2015.

 

I promise the minute I get back, I will post everything that is going on.

 

I know that it drives everyone a little crazy, cause it does me.

 

All of you on the TA gave us so much info, I just want to pass on what I find out to those who are sailing after me.

 

Is there anything else that someone would like to know?

 

The last time I will most likely be on is Fri AM or early PM.

[NoahtheRed]

OK everyone we are on the ship on the 14 November 2015.

 

I promise the minute I get back, I will post everything that is going on.

 

I know that it drives everyone a little crazy, cause it does me.

 

All of you on the TA gave us so much info, I just want to pass on what I find out to those who are sailing after me.

 

Is there anything else that someone would like to know?

 

The last time I will most likely be on is Fri AM or early PM.

 

Status of whether Margaritaville is complimentary or cover charge.

Status of whether District is included or not included in UBP

Status of smoking onboard, particularly in reference to the casino area.

Status of the Thermal Spa (apparently parts of it are still being worked on?)

How well stocked are the bars? Are there unforseen shortages of things you shouldn't run out of?

Wait times for restaurants, both to be seated and to get your meal.

Pictures of the tap/bottle list at District

[TifffanyD]

OK everyone we are on the ship on the 14 November 2015.

 

I promise the minute I get back, I will post everything that is going on.

 

I know that it drives everyone a little crazy, cause it does me.

 

All of you on the TA gave us so much info, I just want to pass on what I find out to those who are sailing after me.

 

Is there anything else that someone would like to know?

 

The last time I will most likely be on is Fri AM or early PM.

 

I'd like to know the times & dates for Howl at the Moon.

 

Also, which nights have parties and/or themes.

 

Thank you!