I Stand Corrected ~ Review from a Disgruntled Eurodam Cruiser

[CruisinManiac]

In the thread about the Eurodam coming in late because of a bum anchor, I mentioned that I was surprised no one had complained about this cruise. Now I stand corrected after having just read one of the worse HAL reviews ever! :eek:

This guy was clearly not happy with his cruise. :rolleyes: How about others that were on the same cruise? Any comments?

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63356

[Destin Mom]

Wow. He is certainly passionate about his dislike for HAL. We have been on the Zuiderdam and have an upcoming Eurodam cruise booked. We clearly had a very different experience. A few of his comments seem a bit far fetched or exaggerated to me, but I was not there. I can understand the frustation with the anchor/ arrival delay. As an outsider reading the review, I was struck by the fact that the OP received $375 (pp?) OBC based on a bad experience on a 10 day Panama cruise. Seriously? As a percentage of cruise fare and assuming they booked a comparable V class cabin, that was awfully generous. I wonder if HAL refused to grant an additional concession and thus the review?

As an aside and do not intend to imply the OP is one of these people, but we know a lady who is in charge of housekeeping at a higher end resort near us. She said it is amazing how many guests complain of similar things that are WAY out of the ordinary using the EXACT same wording to describe the event. Apparently, there are certain phrases to use, things to complain about, etc. that are published for travelers use to get money back. If the business owner/ operator does not grant the refund or credit request, the person blasts them on trip advisor or similar web sites.

The problem that owners/ operators have is discerning which complaints are legit and which are people looking for money. Two truly horrible reviews from the same party on a cruise line that is generally regarded as one of the better ones seems a little suspect...especially considering the Eurodam is a new ship...but I wasn't there.

Interested to hear from others on the same sailing.

[sapper1]

I would say that nobody could ever accuse me of using improper language in any post I have ever made on this forum, but here goes------What a s**t head:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[jtl513]

An astonishing review, for a ship I rank as my second favorite! (Noordam is 1st)

I'm just glad I wasn't on the cruise with this boor. He probably made a lot of people unhappy to be there. :D

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the link. I read his review.

Then I went and checked the member list -- his name is not on it -- apparently he just registered to post his review.

[Homosassa]

I read the review. One comment: How do you "drug" an anchor? Did it need iron supplements?

[RaceAddict]

I read the review. One comment: How do you "drug" an anchor? Did it need iron supplements?

And since we're arguing semantics, I'm curious how the anchor could be 400 feet long on a ship that's only 936 feet long. Seems like overkill to me.

[sapper1]

And since we're arguing semantics, I'm curious how the anchor could be 400 feet long on a ship that's only 936 feet long. Seems like overkill to me.
The anchor scope under ideal conditions would be five feet for each foot of depth and under rough conditions, about seven feet to one foot of depth.
If there is not enough line out and the angle is too steep, the anchor will drag, rather than digging in.

[sail7seas]

We were on Eurodam back-to-back including the week about which that person wrote his review.

Of course, it's no surprise to anyone here I disagree with almost everything he wrote as it would be difficult to find a more hard working crew than we found on Eurodam.

We have cruised HAL a great many times and can truly say we found it astonishing the variety, service, preparation of so many choices at breakfast, lunch and dinner in Lido. It is impossible IMO for anyone to not find something they like. It is about the best Lido we have ever enjoyed and even had dinner there one night which is something we never do.

I don't wish to make this a review as I plan to do one later but I cannot let that review be 'unanswered' due to several factual inaccuracies. Whether he liked the service or not, liked the crew or not, liked the food or not is subjective but it is fact that the Captain came onto the speaker system to tell us what was happening.

At no time did my DH or I 'wonder' what was happening as the Captain announced it to us all with clarity and sufficient information. I clearly remember he spoke at least twice but it might even have been a third time. All Officers were out and about. Suite Farewell Party was held same as scheduled. Of course, Captain was busy on the bridge but the Hotel Manager, CD, Bar Manager and other officers were present. There was no 'hiding' and Hotel Manager Stan Kuppens stood at the gangway during debarkation as the guests left and was there to 'take whatever heat' some felt they needed to vent. That's an admirable thing to do IMO
Shame the 'reviewer' didn't mention any of this.

Yes. We dragged anchor for some two miles or so I am told. I also 'heard' they ultimately cut the anchor chain. I can't confirm that is true. What the 'reviewer' may have meant with his reference to 400 might be number of feet of anchor chain that was dropped. I have no clue what that number is.

All guests were offered free internet to make changes to on-going travel plans. Telephone calls for making new arrangements were no charge. I used my Acer in our cabin about midnight for almost 30 minutes and there was no charge on our shipboard bill. I had an internet package but I definitely ran over my minutes remaining in the package.

Breakfast hours were extended and they even served us lunch though the ship did dock around 12 something.

That ship was cleared of all guests and luggage within about two hours and the RSVP Charter and all their piles of luggage was loaded and ship sailed by about 7 P.M. That is only two hours past schedule and they made it to Curacao on time and docked as planned. No delay!!!

Cabins were cleaned. All the guests were debarked and the arriving guests checked in and sent directly to their clean cabins.
That is one fine crew that was able to accomplish all that IMO Some pretty fine work by onboard crew and all those working shore operations. Shore Operations people really shined that day. Only very experienced, able people could have had things flow so smoothly.

What I have written are facts... not subjective. This is what happened. The reviewer seems to have missed all this.

I hope to write a review as this was an interesting two weeks aboard. We enjoyed ourselves and have loads of compliments and praise as well as a few 'observations' to share.

[Mary Ellen]

Passengers can, and will, have different experiences on the same cruise. Opinions will differ. FACTS should not. When someone states a fact that is incorrect, such as their statement: "Unfortunately Carnival Cruise Lines bought Holland America Line and Princess Cruise Lines several years ago, and they have slipped ever since", they lose all credibility with me.

Carnival bought HAL in 1989, about 21 years ago. The reviewer said they were in the 33-43 age bracket. I can't believe someone in that age bracket would describe 21 years as "several".

[mamaofami]

That's quite a lot of anger expressed by the reviewer. It's hard to believe the service on HAL was so bad, especially knowing how hard the crew works.

Welcome back, Sail. Looking forward to your review.

[Rustynail]

I think the poster is frustrated and will have different feelings when he/she calms down in the days to come.

[jtl513]

"Unfortunately Carnival Cruise Lines bought Holland America Line and Princess Cruise Lines several years ago, and they have slipped ever since", they lose all credibility with me.Besides, since the reviewer has only been on one prior HAL cruise, not very long ago, how could he possibly know what the line was like before it was bought by Carnival? :confused:

[gregdude]

I suspect the OP has an ulterior motive concerning HAL and this is the way he/she is trying to get even. You will notice that there are no specifics about anything said, it's all vague statements intended to inflame the reader.

[etohliver]

For someone who went on HAL for the first time last year, this guy seems to somehow know that they have gone "downhill" since being aquired by Carnival. Fishy.

[CruisinManiac]

I think the poster is frustrated and will have different feelings when he/she calms down in the days to come.

I doubt that poster will be calming down. :D

And while you are checking out that review, check out another passengers report from the same cruise. Total opposite!

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63257

An astonishing review, for a ship I rank as my second favorite! (Noordam is 1st)

Noordam was my favorite, with the Oosterdam coming in 2nd. I know my Eurodam cruise will never equal the Noordam cruise (how can you beat any cruise to the Mediterranean!) , but I sure hope it beats this guys cruise. lol

sail7seas - As always, looking forward to reading your review. :)

[RaceAddict]

The anchor scope under ideal conditions would be five feet for each foot of depth and under rough conditions, about seven feet to one foot of depth.

Yes of course. But the "reviewer" said anchor, not anchor chain. If one is going to make comments such as he/she made, then getting details right is essential. Otherwise, credibility is lost...

[Cristiano]

What a load of of BS....this so called review by this so called person chipeerob needs a realignment of their perspective on life.

Perhaps they had expected a big free upgrade based on their previous complaint re the Zuiderdam and no such "entitlement" was forthcomimg so they said we'll fix HAL !

We did have a similar situation on our cruise....unfortunately they were "aussies"..... had booked a cabin expecting a substantial upgrade but where never given one and all they did was complain, whine, whinge, were going to remove the tipping and never travel HAL again!

This was the Eurodam on a 28 day cruise and I cannot speak highly enough of the ship, staff, food, amenities, cabin etc.

I kept saying to my DW we must be on a different ship to them

I hope chipeerob will stay well away from HAL in the future as they suggested and we will all be better off.

Having got all that off my chest we are all entitled to an opinion and it would be nice to see someone who was on that same ♦cruise provide a review.

All I can say is get a life because at the end you will not have one!

ciao,

Cristiano.

[Copper10-8]

Too much prune juice makes you a bitter person!:cool:

[Northwest Wind]

all they did was complain, whine, whinge, Just curious, what is the difference between whining and whinging? And how exactly is whinge pronounced? Does it rhyme with "ring" or "binge"?

[jimmy2x]

Just curious, what is the difference between whining and whinging? And how exactly is whinge pronounced? Does it rhyme with "ring" or "binge"?

Binge;)

[janiceah]

I just want to thank sail7seas for posting what did actually happen on the ship. I hate to think people would read this person's review and take what he/she wrote as the truth. It still amazes me how people's experience can differ on the same ship. I guess it's like that with everything in life. The review just didn't match what we've been reading about the Eurodam lately so it was great to get some clarification.

[rich_cathybrock]

I, too, found the "anchor" issue a bit odd, as we are boaters and the information the OP provided doesn't seem to make sense.

We have sailed Holland on all but one of our cruises. We have had excellent service in nearly all instances, and in the case of the last sailing on the Zuiderdam, which was our first experience in a Deluxe Suite, we had an unfortunate flood in the room, and a whole lot of problems with the laundry package (bascially, stuff left the room but never came back, and I lost a few things along the way). It was not an altogether pleasant experience, BUT:

1 - The ship sailed under Code Red for all but three days

So we realized that a lot of the issues we experienced are just normal stuff that happens when everyone is working triple time. The staff in Neptune had their hands full keeping a few people who were ill out of the lounge until they were cleared to be in there, and they spent a lot of time catering to the one or two "high maintenance" passengers who had no problem moving in at their desk.

I noticed a multi-page complaint on the Concierge's desk on the second day from one of these gems, and couldn't help but think to myself that we'd all have less of the Concierge's time because they would be busy all week oiling this "squeaky wheel".

At the end, we had a stellar cruise despite a few service inconveniences, especially considering the strain the crew had been under.

We paid a lot of money for this Suite, and upon our return, I wrote Holland to advise them of the issues we had experienced. I started my letter by saying I was not seeking a monetary refund (I was not), but was merely pointing out that my room had been flooded and this went unresolved for four days, and that some clothing was lost.

They responded with a generous future credit, and moreover a letter which appeared to me to be quite sincere, stating their apology for the negative experience. This was, in my opinion, more than fair, and we are using the credit to go back for more in September.

Just my two cents...

[Oceanwench]

The review makes me think the writer was trying to shake HAL down again for more OBC and didn't get it.

[Cristiano]

That is what I get for being Idiosyncratic :rolleyes:
Whine = verb to complain in an unreasonable, repeated, or irritating way
Whinge = intransitive verb to whine
So the same meaning and I should have used only one.....sorry I do come from the land downunder maybe that is the problem :confused:
Could also have been a "slight grey moment" :)

ciao,
Cristiano.

[hammybee]

For additional entertainment, go back to this review and check out the associated port review this poster made about "Barbados" , which most know as, HMC.

I tend to find that the majority of reviews tell me more about the reviewer than what's being reviewed.

[baggal]

The review makes me think the writer was trying to shake HAL down again for more OBC and didn't get it.

I agree that it sounds as though the writer is trying to shake down HAL for something.

I wish the writer would come to this thread to answer what specifically was so bad about the food. I was on the Zuiderdam twice and the
Eurodam twice and I can assure you that the food was excellent!

[carribeansol]

And since we're arguing semantics, I'm curious how the anchor could be 400 feet long on a ship that's only 936 feet long. Seems like overkill to me.

As a boat owner, the proper lenghth for a boat anchor to be out is 3.5 times the depth of the water . Now I am sure that does not hold true on a ship this size. I did ask my husband who was in the Navy on a friget and he said that would be about right for the ship he was on which is smaller than a cruise ship when they are anchored off shore in 100 feet of water.

Sorry, after finishing reading the rest of the post I see someone replied to this already and he said 400 foot anchor not chain. I was just excited to just know something on this boiard instead of a newbie.

Just a note: I AM SO EXCITED TO BE GOING ON MY FIRST HAL CRUISE. The posters (minus this guy) are so positive and passionate about their cruise line. It makes me feel like we made the right choice.

[suse]

A grain of salt. Guy's got a chip on his shoulder. Wish him well. He won't be back. (kind of strange, though, don't you think?):confused:

[rafinmd]

I'm not really a HAL person, but this review seemed questionable to me, and not indicative on what I last saw on HAL in 2002. Just out of curiosity, I searched the member data base for the reviewer, and the person does not appear to be a valid cc member. I tend to think this review slipped in under very suspicious circumstances.

[CruisinManiac]

For additional entertainment, go back to this review and check out the associated port review this poster made about "Barbados" , which most know as, HMC.

I tend to find that the majority of reviews tell me more about the reviewer than what's being reviewed.

Could you link to that review, please. I couldn't find anything else on him.

[rafinmd]

Could you link to that review, please. I couldn't find anything else on him.

I hope you can go directly to this link:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/portreviews.cfm?EntryID=63356

If the above link doesn't work, go to the bottom of the review and click on "Read the Eastern Caribbean ports review (http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/portreviews.cfm?EntryID=63356) by chipeerob"

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Welcome Home Sail :)

I am in agreement with all of you that this guy seems a bit nuts :D and not one word is believeable.

Personally I would cheerish a few extra hours on the Eurodam which is also my second favorite ship and actually pretty close to being tied with my favorite;)

[CruisinManiac]

"Half Moon Cay." This place was just awful!

That's the first negative thing that I have ever read about HMC. :eek:

[jtl513]

For additional entertainment, go back to this review and check out the associated port review this poster made about "Barbados" , which most know as, HMC.That is funny! "Rip off the locals" on HMC!

[mechcc]

That is funny! "Rip off the locals" on HMC!

I thought that was rather funny myself. :D He also needs to invest in a world atlus.

[kjw869]

I'm astounded that the food became so unpalatable and the service so poor in just three weeks since we disembarked off the Eurodam.

The service was wonderful, my steward was always visible and the Front Desk and the Neptune staff was exceptional. Along with the dinners in the Tamarind and Pinnacle, the food in the MDR was wonderful.

Considering this person got a $375 credit each for a previous "bad cruise" on another HAL ship, I'm sure Holland America will be happy to have them sail with someone else. We'll be on the Oosterdam in May, and I'm be happy they will not be onboard.

[Limeygirl]

Every one of his port reviews was fairly negative, too. I think the guy has a stick up his "aft"

How can EVERYTHING be negative? Sometimes life is what you make it. Hopefully, He WON'T sail HAL again, so the rest of us can!

[abb4k]

I also like that this guy says he kept paying for water! Unless he CHOSE to order Perrier or some other bottled water, there is no reason he couldn't have had the ship's "tap" water for free.

Credibility just a wee bit lacking.

[mrw323]

I always question the source when something is said that is directly opposite from just about every other comment I have read. Personality is what gets you in the door - character is what keeps you there. Some people have neither.

[serendipity1499]

I read the review. One comment: How do you "drug" an anchor? Did it need iron supplements?

drug2  /drʌg/ http://sp.ask.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/IPA_pron_key.html) Show Spelled Pronunciation [druhg] http://sp.ask.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/Spell_pron_key.html)
–verb Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. Nonstandard. a pt. and pp. of drag. (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=drag&db=luna)


Too much prune juice makes you a bitter person!:cool:

Oh John, you are so Bad! LOL

The review makes me think the writer was trying to shake HAL down again for more OBC and didn't get it.

Agree with you 100%..
Wonder how many other cruises this person has been on?.

In my opinion this review is Hogwash!

hog⋅wash  /ˈhɔgˌwɒʃ, -ˌwɔʃ, ˈhɒg-/ http://sp.ask.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/IPA_pron_key.html) [hawg-wosh, -wawsh, hog-] http://sp.ask.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/help/luna/Spell_pron_key.html)
–noun 1.refuse given to hogs; swill.2.any worthless stuff.3.meaningless or insincere talk, writing, etc.; nonsense; bunk.



CruisinManiac..At the bottom of this review is a link to many (over 150) Eurodam Cruise Reviews....Two Reviews were for the same cruise, same date..Most people including the two for that date, gave the Eurodam 4 or 5 waves..Check them out...Hope you have a wonderful cruise..

Cheers...Betty

[WillK]

The review makes me think the writer was trying to shake HAL down again for more OBC and didn't get it.

My thoughts exactly. I'm reminded of the couple that was doing this on a "professional" basis on RCI ships several years ago.

[mmeadows]

Think of reviews like Olympic judging... you got to dismiss the best and worst, and focus on the middle. Reviews like this show that some people won't ever be satisfied. The person went on the cruise expecting a bad experience, and got one. On the other end, someone who got married usually has an "amazing" time.

[Willsot]

A very, very suspect review.

[saltandpepper02476]

I just returned from the Eurodam 2/6/10 "anchor" cruise. It was a great trip and everything was just perfect. We were in a suite and could not have asked for anything more wonderful. The captain kept us informed about everything that was happening along with a letter delivered to every stateroom. Coming back into FLL was difficult as we were bucking 50-60 gale force winds. Breakfast hours wee extended and lunch was being served in the Lido beginning at noon. The hotel manager was at the gangway as everyone left and was taking peoples complaints an critical comments. I can feel for people who had to change flights but things do happen. In 17 cruises I have never docked late. All in all it was a great week.

[twinkletoes4445]

The review makes me think the writer was trying to shake HAL down again for more OBC and didn't get it.

I was thinking the same thing....

[ger_77]

Wow, after reading the scathing review of the Eurodam, then going to see his review of the ports of call, only one thing came to mind. It's contained in a quote from a Maxine cartoon: "Well, aren't you just the most adorable black hole of need!" He really doesn't have anything positive to say - even the fact that it costs $4 to get to downtown in Charlotte Amalie . . . he could have walked for less. ;)

We've been on various Holland America ships and one of them in particular had great problems (water streaming like a shower through the overhead light fixture onto our bed comes to mind), but things were repaired, our bed was changed out and we were happy cruisers. I really think the experience is what you make of it - if we can be on a lovely cruise ship where I don't have to worry about cooking or cleaning, DH doesn't have to be concerned about driving or my navigation skills, it's all good.

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[brucory]

That is what I get for being Idiosyncratic :rolleyes:
Whine = verb to complain in an unreasonable, repeated, or irritating way
Whinge = intransitive verb to whine
So the same meaning and I should have used only one.....sorry I do come from the land downunder maybe that is the problem :confused:
Could also have been a "slight grey moment" :)

ciao,
Cristiano.

The words whinge and whine are often used together in Australia Cristiano, so you were on the money! You could have added a few more to describe the way this moron wrote his review.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Taxguy77]

Too much prune juice makes you a bitter person!:cool:

You must be young, it's to LITTLE prune juice. :p

[brucory]

You must be young, it's to LITTLE prune juice. :p

How funny!! I giggled at this too! It is rare that Copper is wrong, but if this guy had consumed too much prune juice, he would likely not have been so full of "S***".

:D:D:D

[Taxguy77]

How funny!! I giggled at this too! It is rare that Copper is wrong, but if this guy had consumed too much prune juice, he would likely not have been so full of "S***".

:D:D:D
I've never seen Copper wrong before, and thought I made a humerous comment. I must concede to yours, however. I almost laughed muself out of the chair.:D Good thing I had just put my coffee down.:cool:

[sparky-elpaso]

This guy wouldn't have been happy if he had the whole ship to himself with the entire crew waiting on him - special cooked to order meals in the dining room - free booze - ports of call all to himself, etc.

[trvlcrzy]

If one is going to make comments such as he/she made, then getting details right is essential. Otherwise, credibility is lost...

I agree. On the Ports review for Grand Turk, he/she mentions the hurricane damage and names Hurricane Hugo in 2008. I was hunkering down in a college dormitory's stairwell during Hugo... in 1989! Does he/she mean Hurricane Ike of 2008?

My stand... if you don't know the precise information of a fact, don't refer to it specifically. Call it "hurricane," and let it go! Also, if you are posting using the Internet... you could open another window and search for the precise fact.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Serendipity, you beat me to it! I think this illiterate individual means that the Eurodam DRAGGED the anchor!

If you are going to make such a fuss, at least be grammatically correct about it! :eek:

Anyway, the ships must have morphed OVERNIGHT into the worst cruise ship ever. As I was on it the week before, and had a wonderful time. I class myself as an experienced cruiser, and you can see from my signiture I have pretty discerning tastes, and I really rated Eurodam!

Theres always one angry little person though, but heck, what would we discuss without them??:D

[CruisinManiac]

CruisinManiac..At the bottom of this review is a link to many (over 150) Eurodam Cruise Reviews....Two Reviews were for the same cruise, same date..Most people including the two for that date, gave the Eurodam 4 or 5 waves..Check them out...Hope you have a wonderful cruise..

Cheers...Betty

Yes, I know. ;) That's why I linked to the other review (on my post #16) to show those of us that another passenger had the total opposite experience. I read all of the reviews. :) Eight more days until I cruise! :D

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just returned from the Eurodam 2/6/10 "anchor" cruise. It was a great trip and everything was just perfect. We were in a suite and could not have asked for anything more wonderful. The captain kept us informed about everything that was happening along with a letter delivered to every stateroom. Coming back into FLL was difficult as we were bucking 50-60 gale force winds. Breakfast hours wee extended and lunch was being served in the Lido beginning at noon. The hotel manager was at the gangway as everyone left and was taking peoples complaints an critical comments. I can feel for people who had to change flights but things do happen. In 17 cruises I have never docked late. All in all it was a great week.

Thank you for your comments and glad you had a great cruise. ;)
In 19 cruises, we have docked late twice. Once, we were late into Baltimore because of rough seas. We had already planned to stay a post cruise night in Washington and tour. The other time, we actually had two and a half sea days added to our cruise when hurricane Wilma came through Florida. Fun times! We had no problem changing our flights, and it didn't cost us a thing.

He really doesn't have anything positive to say - even the fact that it costs $4 to get to downtown in Charlotte Amalie . . . he could have walked for less.

I think $4 is a pretty good fare!

I agree. On the Ports review for Grand Turk, he/she mentions the hurricane damage and names Hurricane Hugo in 2008. I was hunkering down in a college dormitory's stairwell during Hugo... in 1989! Does he/she mean Hurricane Ike of 2008?

I noticed that, too. Perhaps T&C received an earlier hit and the OP was not aware of the latest hurricane. I was on my way to Wild Dunes, Charleston, SC to celebrate my 10th anniversary during hurricane Hugo. My parents beach place was destroyed. What college were you in?

I think about the only thing that the OP didn't complain about was his cabin, and he had one of those VH! :eek:

[manbehindthecurtain]

FYI:

most HAL ship's have 13 lengths of anchor chain per anchor on board, one length being 27,5meters or 90.2feet. So a total of 357meters or 1173feet.

How do we know how much chain we lay out? At each length there is a different shape of shackle, which is painted red. The number of white shackles before and after this red shackle indicates the number of lengths.
Most captains normally use between 4 and 6 lengths of chain when anchoring at HMC, of course all depending on conditions.

[Mary Ellen]

As a boat owner, the proper lenghth for a boat anchor to be out is 3.5 times the depth of the water . Now I am sure that does not hold true on a ship this size. I did ask my husband who was in the Navy on a friget and he said that would be about right for the ship he was on which is smaller than a cruise ship when they are anchored off shore in 100 feet of water.We had this topic arise on one of our cruises. Shortly after anchoring off of Kona in Oct 2006 an earthquake occurred not too far away. The Zaandam shook like nothing any of us had ever experienced. :eek:

As part of the activities on that cruise there were Q&A sessions which various ship's personnel. When a Bridge Officer was the one on the 'hot seat' for one of these, of course a big topic was 'why did we feel the earthquake on the ship??' He explained that the ship lets out the anchor chain 3x the depth of the water. Thus about 2/3 of the chain is on the ocean floor. In our situation the seismic waves had just traveled up the chain to the ship. It was interesting feeling the earth move while on water.

So, trusting the information we were told, a cruise ship would let out 3 times the depth in anchor chain.

[loerie]

it ryhmes with binge!Its a British thing.

[jkm151]

I am sorry you had such a bad time. We were on the Eurodam the week before and had the best cruise ever. Love Holland America.

[Sea King]

What a s**t head:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Amen to that

wonder what time the saucer landed from Ork to pick him/her/it up for the return flight to outer space

at least, he/she/it didn't have to put up with TSA:eek:

[trvlcrzy]

I noticed that, too. Perhaps T&C received an earlier hit and the OP was not aware of the latest hurricane. I was on my way to Wild Dunes, Charleston, SC to celebrate my 10th anniversary during hurricane Hugo. My parents beach place was destroyed. What college were you in?

I was at UNC-Greensboro. Ironically, the original (and usual path) was to head toward my hometown, so my parents said, "Stay where you are." The path changed and went farther inland toward Charlotte. My room was on the eighth/top floor of the dorm, but the RAs moved us all into the bottom of the central stairwell. The basement had large floor to ceiling windows, so that wasn't a good option.

[camofwilliamsburg]

We are new to HAL and I am trying to get a few friends to join us for Eurodam on Jan 15-22, 2011. I read this persons review and I am not put off by anything except one thing.... does HAL charge for water? I drink a lot of that and usually just go to the bar near the pool and ask for a glass of ice water, many times a day. Pls clarify this.

[jtl513]

I think about the only thing that the OP didn't complain about was his cabin, and he had one of those VH! :eek:Maybe. He said VH, but 4144 is a VD. Just another factual error.

... and I am not put off by anything except one thing.... does HAL charge for water?Only the bottled water in your cabin or obtained at the gangway leaving the ship.

[Copper10-8]

We are new to HAL and I am trying to get a few friends to join us for Eurodam on Jan 15-22, 2011. I read this persons review and I am not put off by anything except one thing.... does HAL charge for water? I drink a lot of that and usually just go to the bar near the pool and ask for a glass of ice water, many times a day. Pls clarify this.

If you walk up to any HAL bar steward or bartender and ask for a glass of water, you'll have no prob getting one, free of charge. Like John (Jtl513) says, bottled water is a different story and comes with a charge

[Love the beach]

You can also help yourself to all the ice water you want, 24/7-- on Lido deck:).

[SabreSailor]

IMO This clown wasn't likely looking for a better deal from HAL. If he had serious problems - in his mind - the way to have dealt with them is rationally with HAL management. We've had some issues with HAL (nobody's perfect including us!) and a calm professional letter to Seattle gets a like response. How generous would you expect HAL to be if you blasted them on a site as popular as CC?

[FrankNJ]

The anchor scope under ideal conditions would be five feet for each foot of depth and under rough conditions, about seven feet to one foot of depth.
If there is not enough line out and the angle is too steep, the anchor will drag, rather than digging in.

The poster is absolutely right . I am a boater myself. The anchor "rode" should have a "scope" of 5 to 7 times the depth , including the distance from the anchor roller to the water. In 50' of water the Eurodam should have out about 250 feet of anchor rode, which I'm sure is all chain to hold a "boat" that big . Typically the expression "to drag anchor "
means that an intentionally deployed anchor is not holding well and is allowing the boat to
move more than intended .

Now , I just wish I could find out what happened ? Did the Eurodam really unintentionally
deploy it's anchor ? Cause that will definitely slow the ship down , if not in fact cause a
sharp stop and turn to the side . Or did it just get stuck on the bottom? Anybody know?

[Oceanwench]

IMO This clown wasn't likely looking for a better deal from HAL. If he had serious problems - in his mind - the way to have dealt with them is rationally with HAL management. We've had some issues with HAL (nobody's perfect including us!) and a calm professional letter to Seattle gets a like response. How generous would you expect HAL to be if you blasted them on a site as popular as CC?

Not every person is able to deal rationally with management. Some people get irate and demanding. And when they don't get what they want, they threaten to "go public."

That's what his review seemed to be.

Did his tone seem that of a rational person? I think not.

I work for a newspaper, and I can tell you that we are constantly getting calls from people who are mad at a restaurant, grocery store, car dealer, dog groomer, etc. etc. They want the paper to print *their* story so they can "show" them. I had one man call because he got sour milk at McDonald's - he went back to complain and they offered him another carton. That wasn't enough, he wanted more, he wanted retribution, and he demanded we write a story. It was hard not to laugh at him. :D

I have sailed on the Eurodam - not on the reviewer's particular cruise, but close enough that it was the same crew. I completely disagree with everything negative he said about the ship, its crew and its food.

[satchiesmom]

I don't have nearly the number of cruises ( 4, 2 on Westerdam and 2 on Ryndam) on HAL that many on these boards do, but I can't imagine how the reviewers experience can be so far from what I've experienced on HAL ships. We have had wonderful service, good food, wonderful spacious cabins and more. Could it really be that different on the Eurodam, the newest ship in the line? Blows my mind. All I could think of when I read this "review" is "One hit wonder".

[CowPrincess]

deleted

[jtl513]

Now , I just wish I could find out what happened ? Did the Eurodam really unintentionally
deploy it's anchor ? Cause that will definitely slow the ship down , if not in fact cause a
sharp stop and turn to the side . Or did it just get stuck on the bottom? Anybody know?As I understand it, they intentionally anchored, but it got snagged and they burned out a winch trying to retrieve it. They tried maneuvering to free it but that failed also, so they cut the anchor chain and departed.

[jackiedanny]

Just curious, what is the difference between whining and whinging? And how exactly is whinge pronounced? Does it rhyme with "ring" or "binge"?

no difference, means the same, pronounced to rhyme with binge

[Love the beach]

Not to hijack this thread-- but something caught my eye and I have been thinking more about it since reading the post by the woman who has to cancel since her DH just had a heart attack. In the review below (from the positive Eurodam reviewer) it states that they were able to book & get onboard the very same day----so what's with the having to be booked at least 72 hrs prior???


http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63257

[serendipity1499]

Not to hijack this thread-- but something caught my eye and I have been thinking more about it since reading the post by the woman who has to cancel since her DH just had a heart attack. In the review below (from the positive Eurodam reviewer) it states that they were able to book & get onboard the very same day----so what's with the having to be booked at least 72 hrs prior???


http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63257

Many Posters are under that erroneous impression..There is no rule stating Psgrs must be booked 72 hrs before departure..It depends on the Cruise Line & the Ship..

Check out the Federal Register dated Aug 23, 2007 Vol. 72 No 163..Column 1 Pg 2 states:

Quote:

For sea travel, CBP will require vessel
carriers to transmit passenger and crew
manifests for vessels departing from the
United States no later than 60 minutes
prior to departure. For vessels departing
from foreign ports destined to arrive at
a U.S. port, CBP is retaining the current
requirement to transmit passenger and
crew arrival manifest data at least 24
hours and up to 96 hours prior to the
vessel’s entry at the U.S. port of arrival.
DATES: Effective Date: February 19, 2008

Unquote

If you live near a port & want a last minute cruise this is the way to do it..There have been many cruisers who live in Florida & have gotten last minute cruises by calling the Cruise Line on day of departure...Every Company has it's own rules, so don't be afraid to call each cruise line & ask to speak to a Supervisor about last minute bookings..

Cheers....:)Betty

[jagoffee]

Makes me wonder if the reviewer had a nice flight back to New York City?

[yogi2929]

Something tells me he wouldn't have a fun time on the Paradise out of Long Beach either.

[Love the beach]

Many Posters are under that erroneous impression..There is no rule stating Psgrs must be booked 72 hrs before departure..It depends on the Cruise Line & the Ship..

Check out the Federal Register dated Aug 23, 2007 Vol. 72 No 163..Column 1 Pg 2 states:

Quote:

For sea travel, CBP will require vessel
carriers to transmit passenger and crew
manifests for vessels departing from the
United States no later than 60 minutes
prior to departure. For vessels departing
from foreign ports destined to arrive at
a U.S. port, CBP is retaining the current
requirement to transmit passenger and
crew arrival manifest data at least 24
hours and up to 96 hours prior to the
vessel’s entry at the U.S. port of arrival.
DATES: Effective Date: February 19, 2008

Unquote

If you live near a port & want a last minute cruise this is the way to do it..There have been many cruisers who live in Florida & have gotten last minute cruises by calling the Cruise Line on day of departure...Every Company has it's own rules, so don't be afraid to call each cruise line & ask to speak to a Supervisor about last minute bookings..

Cheers....:)Betty

Thanks for clearing that up, Betty.
Marge

[gammasip]

Obviously this reviewer is angry and needed to "lash out"....for whatever reason.

[serendipity1499]

An astonishing review, for a ship I rank as my second favorite! (Noordam is 1st)

I'm just glad I wasn't on the cruise with this boor. He probably made a lot of people unhappy to be there. :D

Sorry folks for hijacking this thread...I was actually wondering why we haven't heard from HammyB in a while & came acrosss this old thread..

John, See that you've been on several R & S class ships plus the Amsterdam..

We enjoy the smaller ships..At the moment the Prinsendam is our favorite followed by the Amsterdam...We were on the Westerdam's maiden Trans Atlantic voyage several years ago.. However, we still enjoy the smaller ships..

That being said, I've been reading so many wonderful reports from you all about the Noordam & have wanted to try it since her maiden voyage...

So when our friends suggested a 20 day on the Noordam next November, we grabbed it....Unfortunately, we could not get an assigned cabin & had to take a "C" guarantee, which we would be very happy with..This is our first guarantee..

Have two questions of you..

Would you tell us why the Noordam is your favorite ship?

And, I'm finding it difficult to read the smaller printed version of the deck plans.Looks like VH 4001, 4002, 4003, & 4004 on Upper Promenade deck 4 & VF 4002 & 4005 on Veranda deck 5 all have the solid metal railing.. Also believe that all VE & VF cabins have the plexiglass..Am I correct or if not, do you know of any other cabins which might have the solid metal railing?

Would welcome comments from others who have been both the smaller ships & the Noordam...

Thanks everyone!

Cheers..:)Betty

[PROCRUISE]

In the thread about the Eurodam coming in late because of a bum anchor, I mentioned that I was surprised no one had complained about this cruise. Now I stand corrected after having just read one of the worse HAL reviews ever! :eek:

This guy was clearly not happy with his cruise. :rolleyes: How about others that were on the same cruise? Any comments?

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63356

Any review is purely subjective but this passenger is truly just negative. We like HAL, counting the days until we board The Noordam, and we like Carnival. I suppose on each ship we've been on there has been something we didn't like but what we did like overshadowed any negative. So, we'll just keep cruising with both lines, because we love to cruise!

[Boytjie]

I'm astounded that the food became so unpalatable and the service so poor in just three weeks since we disembarked off the Eurodam.

And it magically improved immensley by the time we boarded late due to that drugged anchor!

I am still amazed at how fast they turned the ship around for us to sail only 2 hours late.

Other than playing Guess What We Are Getting For Room Service Breakfast, we had none of the issues the reviewer had.

[Jade13]

In the thread about the Eurodam coming in late because of a bum anchor, I mentioned that I was surprised no one had complained about this cruise. Now I stand corrected after having just read one of the worse HAL reviews ever! :eek:

This guy was clearly not happy with his cruise. :rolleyes: How about others that were on the same cruise? Any comments?

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63356

"Our table steward, and waitstaff in the Rembrandt could have licked my feet, and would have gotten nothing. The food was horrible, and the service of it was just bad. Cold, bad food. Nothing worse. Its said one should gain a pound a day on a cruise. I lost weight. The food was just awful on the Eurodam, a bit better on the Zuiderdam, but that's not saying much."

Wow.

So, why the delay?

[Boytjie]

Sorry folks for hijacking this thread...

If you have questions (unrelated to the current topic) to be answered, why don't you just start a new thread?

This way you will only hear from those that read this thread rather than anyone out there that might respond.

[jtl513]

Sorry folks for hijacking this thread...I was actually wondering why we haven't heard from HammyB in a while & came acrosss this old thread..This thread had died out on Feb 19, so I don't think anybody would object to hijacking at this point. :)


We enjoy the smaller ships..At the moment the Prinsendam is our favorite followed by the Amsterdam...We were on the Westerdam's maiden Trans Atlantic voyage several years ago.. However, we still enjoy the smaller ships..My DW likes the Amsterdam best because of the size and decor and "feel" of it. She puts Noordam as her favorite Vista, and 2nd overall.



Have two questions of you..

Would you tell us why the Noordam is your favorite ship?You know, I'm hard-pressed to come up with a list of very many specific reasons. It just "feels" right to me. I like newer ships, and although the Eurodam is now the newest, I didn't like many of the decor choices there, and it didn't feel anywhere as comfortable to me as the Noordam. I like both of the N's captains - Mateboer and Scott, particularly Scott - and I like the fact that it has "full sized" Crow's Nest and the Explorations Cafe is down below. I like the ceiling in the MDR, although the Westerdam's is virtually the same. Maybe some of my preference for the N comes from the fact that we've been on it twice in Dec, and it's been beautifully decorated both times, and we might have been in a cheery mood, but yet we were the Zuiderdam in Dec and a lot of things on that ship I didn't care for very much. (Admittedly, it was shortly before the major refit, and a lot of things were seriously in need of repair.) I think the only thing that the Noordam "needs" is a Tamarind!


And, I'm finding it difficult to read the smaller printed version of the deck plans.Looks like VH 4001, 4002, 4003, & 4004 on Upper Promenade deck 4 & VF 4002 & 4005 on Veranda deck 5 all have the solid metal railing. Also believe that all VE & VF cabins have the plexiglass. Am I correct or if not, do you know of any other cabins which might have the solid metal railing?
No, 4002 & 4005 are on deck 4. The easiest way to put it is that all of the verandah cabins in the range from 4001 to 4042 have the steel-wall railings. None on any other deck have them, so a VF on deck 5 has the plexiglas.

I hope you enjoy the Noordam as much as we do!

[Rutland Gate]

Just curious, what is the difference between whining and whinging? And how exactly is whinge pronounced? Does it rhyme with "ring" or "binge"?
"Whinge rhymes with "Binge" and is an English way of Whining.

[serendipity1499]

This thread had died out on Feb 19, so I don't think anybody would object to hijacking at this point. :)
My DW likes the Amsterdam best because of the size and decor and "feel" of it. She puts Noordam as her favorite Vista, and 2nd overall.
You know, I'm hard-pressed to come up with a list of very many specific reasons. It just "feels" right to me. I like newer ships, and although the Eurodam is now the newest, I didn't like many of the decor choices there, and it didn't feel anywhere as comfortable to me as the Noordam. I like both of the N's captains - Mateboer and Scott, particularly Scott - and I like the fact that it has "full sized" Crow's Nest and the Explorations Cafe is down below. I like the ceiling in the MDR, although the Westerdam's is virtually the same. Maybe some of my preference for the N comes from the fact that we've been on it twice in Dec, and it's been beautifully decorated both times, and we might have been in a cheery mood, but yet we were the Zuiderdam in Dec and a lot of things on that ship I didn't care for very much. (Admittedly, it was shortly before the major refit, and a lot of things were seriously in need of repair.) I think the only thing that the Noordam "needs" is a Tamarind!
No, 4002 & 4005 are on deck 4. The easiest way to put it is that all of the verandah cabins in the range from 4001 to 4042 have the steel-wall railings. None on any other deck have them, so a VF on deck 5 has the plexiglas.

I hope you enjoy the Noordam as much as we do!


John ...Appreciate your input..We've sailed with Capt Scott before & he is a delightful man..Looking forward to sailing with Capt. Mateboer as have his book & enjoyed it so much would love to get it autographed..

Thanks again..

Cheers.... Betty

P.S. Brandy's business was closed up!;)..LOL You're right, she needs lots of Dog biscuits to keep her happy...:)

[Kentskie]

I think the poster is frustrated and will have different feelings when he/she calms down in the days to come.

Good observation. DW always says to write the letter then let it sit for a few days. The perspective frequently changes given time and reflection.
Ergo the "off with their heads they should all be hung from the mast" becomes "I was a bit disappointed by..."

[IRL_Joanie]

I would say that nobody could ever accuse me of using improper language in any post I have ever made on this forum, but here goes------What a s**t head:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I'm with 100% on this one Sapper1!!!:D:D:D

This thread started while I was on my cruise on the Westerdam. My thanks to whoever brought it to the front page today!!

Since this thread started there have been 8 reviews written for the cruise review by chippeerob the OP asked about. Of those 6 reviews, one was chippeerob who gave it a 2, 2 reviewers gave it a 3, 2 cruisers gave it a 5 and the other 2 gave it a 5+....

As always, the cruise is what you make of it! The one bad review says he was disappointed (well worse, but I am being nice) and that the island had been flattened by Hugo.... EXCUSE ME??? Did you notice any hills or rises on Turks and caicos when you were there? I was just there and that island is FLAT to begin with!!! LOL Like I said, a cruise is what you make of it, and he made his horrible not only for himself, but also anyone unlucky enough to have been traveling with or near him...

Joanie

[Tampa Girl]

Sail - I hope you are going to post your review on the same forum!