Bar service in Greek ports

[willetstravel]

1 minute ago, SeaShark said:

 

I haven't seen any "official communication" from the Greek authorities either. Wonder why people aren't asking them for an explanation? Maybe easier to blame than investigate? Who knows.

I understand your point, but we book through NCL.  We pay NCL - it seems it is their responsibility to alert us to changes in Greek laws.

[dexddd]

4 minutes ago, willetstravel said:

I understand your point, but we book through NCL.  We pay NCL - it seems it is their responsibility to alert us to changes in Greek laws.

There is an ignore feature here on CC that works well.

[geleisen]

13 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

I haven't seen any "official communication" from the Greek authorities either. Wonder why people aren't asking them for an explanation? Maybe easier to blame than investigate? Who knows.

Is this a parody account? 

There are dozens of ships sailing in Greece and there is only a problem on one. Seems pretty clear where the problem lies... 

[hawkeyetlse]

2 hours ago, TPS123 said:

I think you will be fine on the Jade as from what I understand, they acquired their licence very quickly. 

The last reports in this thread suggest that the Jade is serving drinks to people with the beverage package but still not able to sell drinks. Which means that the problem is solved for most people, but still not solved for NCL (unless there have been further updates to the situation). Was the Jade also redeployed to Greece unexpectedly? What was the timeline with respect to the Gem? 

 

And for the GM on the Gem to tell customers that other ships in the same company are “breaking the law”, that’s really incredible. 

Edited May 24, 2022 by hawkeyetlse

[kochleffel]

6 hours ago, iloveglee said:

Well curiouser and curiouser said Alice. I see the logic of packages are not ‘selling’ you a drink so makes some sense. Not good for those who drink little but enjoy a wine with their meal. I wish Greece had a website like the .yougov website here, where you can search for any law and read it in fine detail. Then again it’d be in Greek so not much help 

One small relief would be that the ship usually sails around the time that dinner service begins, if not earlier.

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, hawkeyetlse said:

The last reports in this thread suggest that the Jade is serving drinks to people with the beverage package but still not able to sell drinks. Which means that the problem is solved for most people, but still not solved for NCL (unless there have been further updates to the situation). Was the Jade also redeployed to Greece unexpectedly? What was the timeline with respect to the Gem? 

 

And for the GM on the Gem to tell customers that other ships in the same company are “breaking the law”, that’s really incredible. 

The Jade was originally scheduled for Athens itineraries.

[willetstravel]

6 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

The Jade was originally scheduled for Athens itineraries.

But it did have some issues on its first two trips of the year from Athens.  

[KeithJenner]

2 hours ago, hawkeyetlse said:

The last reports in this thread suggest that the Jade is serving drinks to people with the beverage package but still not able to sell drinks. Which means that the problem is solved for most people, but still not solved for NCL (unless there have been further updates to the situation). Was the Jade also redeployed to Greece unexpectedly? What was the timeline with respect to the Gem? 

 

And for the GM on the Gem to tell customers that other ships in the same company are “breaking the law”, that’s really incredible. 

We booked the Jade (2nd cruise of the season and one where there was no bar service in Athens) on 31st May last year. I don't know how long it had been on sale before that, but it certainly wasn't a short notice deployment.

[rjmols]

4 hours ago, kochleffel said:

One small relief would be that the ship usually sails around the time that dinner service begins, if not earlier.

on our schedule next week on the Gem 1 night we leave port at 10pm and one night at 8pm so this really messes dinners and entertainment up if we are not allowed a drink to enjoy ( that we have paid for !)

 

[SeaShark]

6 hours ago, dexddd said:

There is an ignore feature here on CC that works well.

 

Sure, that's one approach. However as adults we are forced into anything, right? We can choose whether or not to read a post. If we do read one, we are under no obligation to agree with it, obey it, respond to it, or even acknowledge it...completely our decision.

 

But, ignorance should never be a feature.

[TrumpyNor]

5 hours ago, kochleffel said:

One small relief would be that the ship usually sails around the time that dinner service begins, if not earlier.

The Gem is mainly sailing 7 day-itineraries this summer, and with late departures from two of the ports (Santorini 10.00 PM and Kotor 8.00 PM), that is certainly a huge issue for many. Our Gem cruise is not until July, so hopefully it will all have been sorted out by then... 

Edited May 24, 2022 by TrumpyNor

[KeithJenner]

17 minutes ago, TrumpyNor said:

The Gem is mainly sailing 7 day-itineraries this summer, and with late departures from two of the ports (Santorini 10.00 PM and Kotor 8.00 PM), that is certainly a huge issue for many. Our Gem cruise is not until July, so hopefully it will all have been sorted out by then... 

Kotor isn’t a Greek port, so that should be fine anyway. But you are right about Greek ports being late. We had a 9pm departure from Volos as well as the 10pm from Santorini on our Jade cruise. Other than Hawaii I struggle to think of another itinerary which would be as impacted as these ones.

[TrumpyNor]

7 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Kotor isn’t a Greek port, so that should be fine anyway. 

Of course it isn't - my frustration kind of took over for my reasoning for a moment there.... 😉

Edited May 25, 2022 by TrumpyNor

[Woppo]

I have had this response from NCL, who in fairness responded very quickly, about this situation and I am afraid nothing really adds up!  We are not due to sail until September so hoping this is resolved very soon for those who are sailing sooner.  I will be keeping an eye on this before we pay in full as we may cancel.

[KeithJenner]

Someone on Facebook has just reported being able to get a drink whilst in Mykonos on the Gem.

[KeithJenner]

19 minutes ago, Woppo said:

I have had this response from NCL, who in fairness responded very quickly, about this situation and I am afraid nothing really adds up!  We are not due to sail until September so hoping this is resolved very soon for those who are sailing sooner.  I will be keeping an eye on this before we pay in full as we may cancel.

I’d have to ask why you should stick with the information coming from NCL when it was so obviously incorrect, and in conflict with that was printed in the freestyle daily.

 

The thing that has annoyed me most about this was when NCL were saying that the reports were false. Openly calling your customers liars is not a good look.

Edited May 25, 2022 by KeithJenner

[TPS123]

I too can confirm that the Gem is serving alcohol today while moored off Mykonos to drinks package holders. Thankfully!! 

[willetstravel]

1 hour ago, TPS123 said:

I too can confirm that the Gem is serving alcohol today while moored off Mykonos to drinks package holders. Thankfully!! 

Yay!  Happy for you TPS!  Any drink package right, as in those that elected the free at sea package and didn't upgrade to the premium?

[hawkeyetlse]

6 hours ago, nygints27 said:

I've requested a refund of the beverage taxes for us both for those four days and for the beverage package.

Did you purchase the beverage package yourselves, or do you mean the Free At Sea gratuities? I agree that for a full port day with no alcohol service, a refund is justified. They certainly have the means to verify that you weren't able to use the package. For earlier port departures, I think I would just make up for lost drinking time in the evening, but I realize that not everyone wants to do that. Plus it's hard to drink extra drinks while also ordering extra shots to replenish my strategic stockpile (AKA gym bottle) for the next day in port in Greece…

 

When did you pay beverage taxes, since you say that the Gem wasn't paying any taxes to Greece?

[mypleasure]

On 5/24/2022 at 7:09 AM, KeithJenner said:

There are a few on Facebook. Apparently one person spoke to the HD on the Gem and asked why the Escape and Jade were serving but the Gem wasn’t. He told her that the other ships were breaking the law and he wasn’t going to do that. Someone else on the Escape confirmed they were serving.

Yes that was me! He said they were breaking the law and he didn't want trouble with Customs. He then seemed to find a new place to hold his staff meetings! I didn't see him until about 3 days later. I did see the F & B manager and the Bars manager. They sent me a bottle of wine. I also got a hug from a bar tender who had heard my conversation with the HD. I was in Bali Hai when they opened the bars just before we left Athens. Perhaps as we were docked right next to the Escape he went over and talked to their HD? Or did he get the red howler from Miami as I think the saw what was written here and on Face Thing groups,

[Tijmen]

Any updates on this? Just spoke to someone at NCL and they said that they don't serve drinks while in port in Greece "during the day". So at dinner we're supposed to get served...

[phillygwm]

On 5/17/2022 at 6:18 AM, Cardex said:

Currently on the Gem in Corfu. This is our 4th Greek port and can confirm that NO alcohol is allowed to be sold on the ship while docked/tendered in Greece. I have heard this is a very new law. No one is happy with this including the staff/crew. We have learned to stock up on beverages before docking 😁

Wow.  I did a Greek Isles cruise pre-pandemic.  I found it to be super crowded, so not my favorite to begin with.  Subtract alcohol from the mix and I'd have been reaching for pharmaceuticals 🙂

[snorklinbarb]

From what we experienced and were told on Escape (4/25-5/31) those with beverage packages could be served alcohol. but no selling of alcoholic drinks while in Greek ports.

 

No grumbling on the Greek Isles cruise, I guess because most had the package.  

[vanchelle]

1 hour ago, snorklinbarb said:

From what we experienced and were told on Escape (4/25-5/31) those with beverage packages could be served alcohol. but no selling of alcoholic drinks while in Greek ports.

 

No grumbling on the Greek Isles cruise, I guess because most had the package.  

Your experience confirms what my TA got in an email reply when I asked her to investigate. Packages = alcohol. Otherwise no sales of alcohol in ports. 

[KeithJenner]

11 hours ago, Tijmen said:

Any updates on this? Just spoke to someone at NCL and they said that they don't serve drinks while in port in Greece "during the day". So at dinner we're supposed to get served...

All sorted now. You can get drinks if you have the beverage package.

Edited June 3, 2022 by KeithJenner