Just back from the Veendam - AC problems on the Veendam

[Chetsky]

Good luck to the Pax on the Veendam for this weeks cruise to the Carribean!

We just returned from a 12 day Atlantic Coast cruise this past Sun. The cruise was great - However, the AC went out on day 8 and was intermittent for the rest of the cruise. Some areas of the ship had AC part of the time and none other times. It was so bad that we changed cabins at 11:00PM because we couldn't sleep. The new cabin was tolerable but not by any means cool.

I'll post a review as soon as I can see over the top of my mail and laundry.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Okay - I will look for your eyes and your review.

Welcome home!!

[lorekauf]

Had a lot of problems getting the issue addressed. The supervisors would come into my room and say it was fine. While mine was bad some folks rooms were incredibly hot. A lot of the ship was just freezing!

[gebo]

Not Cool! Hope they fix it by the time we sail. Is there any way to call to find out?

[JimVrhovac]

Can not be any worse than deling with my wife:

When I mention her credit card spending our bedroom is colder than an artic deef freezer......

When I do not do what she wants the room is hotter than a barbacue fire than can singe you from 20 feet.

Has any man out there able to share any ways to deal with a woman when she is going through menopause....

HELP

Jim (without Ruth)

We are on the Veendam 28th and will let everyone know about AC problems...

[CHACruiser]

Our cruise on the Veendam also had A/C problems. Would have thought it would have been corrected by now....:(

[willowoodf]

Our Veendam cruise had AC problems also! We had a fan in our room for quite a lot of the trip, and workmen periodically standing on our furniture working in the ceiling. When our room would get passably cool, we heard the main deck was FREEZING. I guess some ships are prone to plumbing problems, some to air conditioning problems!!

Mary

http://members.socket.net/%7Ewillowood/sm_jlmwestcarib0043.JPG

[damman]

I would echo what lorekauf said regarding air conditioning on the Ryndam. We just got off the ship on Sunday after experiencing problems all week. It took 3 calls to maintenence to get the room cooled down to where we could comfortably sleep. At 1st they increased the air flow, which just blew more hot air into the room. Then they supplied us with a large fan. In the end we were compensated with a $150 per person shipboard credit for the inconvience.

DamMan

[terrydtx]

Makes you wish for the good old days when you could open your port hole to get some fresh sea breeze.:eek:

[sail7seas]

The worst part of it IMO is I hate service calls. I hate when I have to have the plumber or electrician or whoever at home....... I certainly don't want servicemen controlling my schedule when I'm on vacation. Invariably they show up when we are having our Room Service breakfast or when I just get ready to lie down and read with full intention of napping. Or, it's formal night and I need to get in the shower but the plumbers aren't finished yet.

I HATE THAT JUST ABOUT THE MOST of being nuisance things that interrupt my enjoyment of my cruise.

Sure I know they need to do their work but it gripes me it's when I want privacy or quiet time. It's my vacation and I'm supposed to be escaping that 'stuff'.

[JimVrhovac]

Ruth looked at this thread earlies today and said there was no way she was going to be hot. Told her she could open the door.

She did the only thing possible. She went out and bought a 5 Ton Portable AC unit to take on the cruise the 28th "Just in Case" the AC has problems..

Jim (without Ruth)

[terrydtx]

Ruth looked at this thread earlies today and said there was no way she was going to be hot. Told her she could open the door.

She did the only thing possible. She went out and bought a 5 Ton Portable AC unit to take on the cruise the 28th "Just in Case" the AC has problems..

Jim (without Ruth)

I would hate to be your dock side porter and handle your luggage!!!:eek:

[fann1sh]

I'm really sorry to hear more of the "S" class ships are having a/c problems. I know "correct" cabin temperature is a very subjective thing. What's "too warm" for one may be "just right" or even "too cold" for someone else.
But, it's upsetting when the front desk tells you your cabin is "just fine/no problem", when for you it's not.
The problem was very public on Maasdam 2 years ago - no a/c in the dining room (perhaps redirected to keep cabins cool). The waiters were visibly sweating, and everyone else wore the minimum number of layers. I understand the front desk insisted there was "no problem". In fairness, what else could they do? No remedy short of drydock.
I think those of us who are sensitive to heat need to book the newer ships. I'm on Zuiderdam in an aft cabin in a few weeks, and hope the oldest of the Vistas doesn't have a/c problems, too (or that I've chosen a cabin that gets too much sun for a/c to keep up...I've been worried about that last bit recently)

[RuthC]

I think those of us who are sensitive to heat need to book the newer ships.
Really? I was on the Noordam in January and couldn't get my cabin anywhere near "too warm"---it was way too hot! After several nights with no sleep, and several trips to the Front Desk, I was able to get the workmen to get it down to "toasty". And that's with the thermometer set at the coldest it would go.
That's the newest HAL ship.

I finally got an infection and had the chills. At last! Relief! :rolleyes:

[fann1sh]

Oh, no! Now you really have me worried, Ruth! I just assumed the new ships would have the least mechanical issues. I'm so sorry for your problems!
Was this an inside or outside cabin?
Has anyone figured out if there are a/c "problem spots", or if things are totally random?

[JimVrhovac]

When they see our SUV with the U Haul trailer pull up they all run inside the warehouse and the new guys that don't know us are left standing to handle our luggage.

We tip them good. Gave last one $0.25 and he only had to handle 16 pieces....

Ruth & Jim

[RuthC]

Oh, no! Now you really have me worried, Ruth! I just assumed the new ships would have the least mechanical issues. I'm so sorry for your problems!
Was this an inside or outside cabin?
An inside---my usual haunt. My cabin on the last cruise was too hot, too. It may be me, but I believe that if the thermostat is set to the lowest point it should be at least cool. Even to me.

Whenever it happens I wonder if someone with a veranda has the door open. :rolleyes: I know that could be the source of the problem.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Considered "old" in some circles, I don't think that because something is "new" it is necessarily better.:) They used to make things that lasted more than 10 years (the official longest life of any appliances for sale today).

Of course the Veendam isn't old enough to qualify as far back as I'm thinking about! But things can go wrong no matter what the age of anything mechanical.

While the thermostat on Prinsendam last December was very tricky to get just right, it definitely worked. And Prinsendam was originally built in 1987 for Royal Viking Line.

I'm going to L.L.Bean right now to order one of their travel clocks with a thermometer .... that way I'll know whether it's me or them!!!:D

[fann1sh]

Does anyone have any idea what temperature management considers "acceptable/cool enough"? My "cool enough" is 69 degrees :eek: - I know, I know, but it's my sinuses' idea, not mine :rolleyes: !

[RuthC]

Does anyone have any idea what temperature management considers "acceptable/cool enough"? My "cool enough" is 69 degrees :eek: - I know, I know, but it's my sinuses' idea, not mine :rolleyes: !
When I had the person from behind the Front Desk in my Noordam cabin, and the HVAC guys were there, they said it was 76---in a tone that said "what's the problem?". That's with the thermostat set as low as it would go.
Not acceptable to me. :mad: Especially when set that low!

I keep my home A/C set at 70; heat is set at 60 bedtime through next afternoon, 68-70 evenings.

[sail7seas]

My goodness........ if I had to stay in a room 69 degrees, I'd be miserable. I couldn't stand it that cold.

While on our Canada/New England cruises this summer, I picked up some key chains that have small thermometers attached. I love them for using as zipper pulls on my winter jackets .....love to see how cold it is during our exercise walks.

I think I'll be sure to bring one when we cruise so we can see just what the temperature really is.

[Robin7]

I'm going to L.L.Bean right now to order one of their travel clocks with a thermometer .... that way I'll know whether it's me or them!!!:D

What a GREAT idea! I think I'll get one, too, even though I haven't read anything about the Volendam having problems. I blame my lack of heat tolerance on menopause and my sinuses (nod to fellow-sufferer fann1sh).

I'm not familiar with the itineraries but I was wondering if these ships with a/c problems (Ryndam and Veendam) just came off Alaska itineraries? Are they just starting up the a/c systems after using heating all summer? Could that be a cause? Just wondering.

Robin

[HeatherInFlorida]

Robin, LLB has a really nice travel alarm now that includes the temp. It's about $20 (with free shipping right now :)) and folds flat ... great for travel.

[lorekauf]

When I had the person from behind the Front Desk in my Noordam cabin, and the HVAC guys were there, they said it was 76---in a tone that said "what's the problem?". That's with the thermostat set as low as it would go.
Not acceptable to me. :mad: Especially when set that low!

I keep my home A/C set at 70; heat is set at 60 bedtime through next afternoon, 68-70 evenings.

I know they were saying mine was fine too. I had it set on the very coldest setting and it was very warm. They told me it was fine. I come from Canada not from Indonesia so what is fine for them is hot for me!

[booboo29]

Ruth and Jim,

Are you planning to post from the Veendam next week? We get on after you and I will be very interested to hear what you have to say about the AC.

Have you begun packing the Uhaul yet?? I love your packing lists:D

Jennifer

[CCaroleAnn]

Captain Albert of the Veendam has a lovely Weblog. If anyone is really concerned about the AC problems just ask him. :p

http://www.avidcruiser.com/albert/

[sail7seas]

I'm so sorry to hear how uncomfortable some of you have been on Veendam. I'm sure the Engineers/Hotel Manager/Captain would like nothing more than to have it fully repaired and operational as quickly as possible. All of us know they are doing everything possible to get it fixed and I hope they succeed VERY soon.

Hope you can enjoy your cruise in spite of the weak a/c.

[Cruising-along]

When I had the person from behind the Front Desk in my Noordam cabin, and the HVAC guys were there, they said it was 76---in a tone that said "what's the problem?". That's with the thermostat set as low as it would go.
Not acceptable to me. :mad: Especially when set that low!

I keep my home A/C set at 70; heat is set at 60 bedtime through next afternoon, 68-70 evenings.

I'm with you Ruth, that's way too hot for the cabin temp! If my cabin was 76 degrees I'd be sitting in the ice bucket :rolleyes: We keep our house cool too (not too hard in the temperate NW) ;)

[terrydtx]

Between the endemic plumbing problems with the Statendam and the A/C problems on the Veendam, it makes you wonder about the rest of the maintenance aboard HAL ships. HAL’s standard compensation of $150 shipboard credit for these kind of problems seems far short of what should be demanded by the passengers affected by these chronic problems. There is no excuse for no AC or flushing toilets when we pay on average $2000 per person to sail with HAL, We can go camping and be without AC and working plumbing by choice, but to book a cruise for large sums of money and have to put up with these conditions in unconscionable. The Veendam will be in the Caribbean for the winter and those of you booked may want to rebook on other ships.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I've been reading Captain Albert's weblog for quite awhile now and it is so interesting and fun to read. I'm not tempted to bug him with a question about the A/C.

I'm sure he is well aware there's a problem and I'm equally positive that there's nothing they want to do more than fix it. They don't need the headache of miserably hot passengers!:o

We keep our home between 76 and 77 during the day and 73 when we sleep. It's remarkably cool at those temps. However, we have 10' ceilings and that may make a difference. So we don't need it cold, but there's nothing worse than being in a small cabin that's hot. So let's all hope they get it fixed soon!:)

[tjcox9]

Geez, we were on a 30 day cruise on the V-dam which included the Amazon two years ago and our cabin had no air-conditioning. There were no cabins available to move to until someone was injured and had to leave the ship. At that point we were able to move to his cabin. Fortunately, that was before we reached the Amazon.

We were provided a fan and someone came around several times a day to check the temperature until we were moved. Actually, the staff handled it as well as they could I think, but it was definitely uncomfortable for a few days.

I was sorry someone had been injured (getting on the tender) but sure was happy to have a new cabin!

[Tricia724]

.

Whenever it happens I wonder if someone with a veranda has the door open. :rolleyes: I know that could be the source of the problem.

We had a problem with our AC, and we knew that the people two doors down were keeping their veranda door open. They must have secured it with a loose cord or something, but we could hear it swinging back and forth every time we sat on our balcony. We told our cabin steward about it, and he just said "Yes, I know."

Finally the Captain made an announcement on the PA system when he was doing his daily report from the bridge and asked everyone to please keep their veranda doors closed because it was affecting the air conditioning. Maybe some people woke up, because our cabin was much better after that.

[KingsCt]

Just returned from Veendam. Our cabin was 81 degrees (according to my digital thermometer) after the fifth day of a 12 day cruise. It never cooled.

We were given a different cabin on a higher deck - same situation!

We complained many times and were told on the next-to-last day of the cruise that there was a problem with the ships unit. . . .no S**t!. . .Really?!!

Time to retire or dry-dock the rust bucket Veendam and her sister Ryndam. I understand they both have had difficulties over the past few years.

After over 100 cruises, this was the most uncomfortable.

[Kolleen]

Someone asked about the Volendam. In October of 06 we sailed on her in the S. Caribbean. Although we were lucky, some of the cabins didn't have ac. Also, the diningroom was without air. The tables closest to the windows suffered the most. People were bringing paper fans to dinner to try and keep cool.

Hot staterooms could ruin a cruise for us. My husband spends a lot of time relaxing and sleeping in the stateroom, and neither of us can handle hot weather. That is why we moved to the mountains in S. California (the ones that are currently burning). It all ready drops to the 30s at night which is just how we like it.

[serendipity1499]

Wow...It's funny, how the range of temps affect each of us so differently..Will have to tell DH about this thread !;)

We live in Sunny Florida, where the heat has been way over 90-95 degrees for months..It finally cooled down to the 70's this morning..Our Home AC is set at 79 degrees all the time..DH has been complaining that it's too cold in our bedroom at night even though we have a lightweight blanket on our bed....I, on the other hand, become so hot during the night & must go down to the foot of the bed to cool off..The AC blows down directly on me & after a few hours I can go back to the head of the bed & sleep with a light blanket..LOL :)

Last night he put the thermostat up to 80 & still complained about the cold..I got up in the wee hours & put another blanket on him..Of course he's skinny (6' 1" & only weighs 165)..I'm 5' 1" & need to lose 10 lbs & have had the same complaints for more than 20 years..;)

76 in our cabin would probably be too cold for us...:)

So if anyone is terribly hot in 76 degrees, we'll be happy to switch cabins with you...LOL.:cool: .Betty

[HeatherInFlorida]

Betty, I would die sleeping at 81 ... just too hot. And I like a comforter.

Today the weather here in South Florida is so wonderfully perfect. I have all my doors open with a fabulous breeze and it's 82 ... perfect.

I am very concerned about this news because it's the first I'm reading it about the Veendam in recent months. I've been following this board and I don't remember anyone reporting such a problem.

We've never had a problem with A/C on any HAL ship or any other ship for that matter. If it's this bad in all the cabins, I just feel we'd be hearing about it more than we have.

I'm not doubting what anyone is saying; I'm just hoping the incidents are extremely isolated. They cannot take a ship into the tropics and have everyone in 80+ degree cabins. They'd have a revolution at the front desk on their hands.

I also know that there is not a night I go into the dining room without a jacket of some kind ... yet I will sometimes see men practically mopping their brows! So I guess along with everything else, temperature is subjective!:)

[duck tune]

I am on the Veendam now and will confirm that the AC problems continue. At the show the first night there were several passengers reporting very uncomfortably hot cabins and they were visibly perspiring, this cruise is full so no empty cabins to move to. I was fortunate in that my Verandah cabin on deck 9 was fine until yesterday when it started to get colder and colder - as my DH would say if he were with me - "you could hang meat in there". I reported it to the front desk and 4 hours later it was still freezing but was fixed by the time I returned from early dining. A guest relations lady checked the temp at about 9 p.m. last night and it was 73% so she turned the thermostat down and I turned it back up when it started to get colder. I had a call from the front desk this a.m. asking if the room was better, and it has been but there are hot and cold spots all over the ship. The captain did verify that there was a problem with the AC a day after we left Tampa and that some repairs had been made but it would be a good idea to have clothing that can be put on or removed depending upon the AC/Heating.

[blueboro]

Between the endemic plumbing problems with the Statendam and the A/C problems on the Veendam, it makes you wonder about the rest of the maintenance aboard HAL ships. HAL’s standard compensation of $150 shipboard credit for these kind of problems seems far short of what should be demanded by the passengers affected by these chronic problems. There is no excuse for no AC or flushing toilets when we pay on average $2000 per person to sail with HAL, We can go camping and be without AC and working plumbing by choice, but to book a cruise for large sums of money and have to put up with these conditions in unconscionable. The Veendam will be in the Caribbean for the winter and those of you booked may want to rebook on other ships.

My in-laws were on the 12-day cruise and were offered no compensation or shipboard credit. Their staterooom was very hot for at least 2 days and then "cooled down" to about 79. Should they write to someone at HAL to ask for a credit on a future cruise and if so who?

[prescottbob]

Ahoy!

I left the captain a short note on his blog site:

Ahoy Captain!
"Seems there are many posts on various message boards regarding the air conditioning problems your ship and the Volendam are experiencing as they reposition to the Carribean for the winter. Would you be kind enough to expand on the mechanical / ventilation problems the ships and others are having and reasons thereof?
Thanks so much.
Look forward to meeting you sometime."

Perhaps he might address the problem. I also enjoy his posts.

Bon Voyage and Good Health!
Bob:)

[terrydtx]

Ahoy!

I left the captain a short note on his blog site:

Ahoy Captain!
"Seems there are many posts on various message boards regarding the air conditioning problems your ship and the Volendam are experiencing as they reposition to the Carribean for the winter. Would you be kind enough to expand on the mechanical / ventilation problems the ships and others are having and reasons thereof?
Thanks so much.
Look forward to meeting you sometime."

Perhaps he might address the problem. I also enjoy his posts.

Bon Voyage and Good Health!
Bob:)

Bob, it sounds like he didn’t address the problems with the passengers during the cruise so do not hold your breath that the Captain will do so on a blog.

[sail7seas]

Duck Tune posted about Captain Schoonderbeek just a few posts above.

The captain did verify that there was a problem with the AC a day after we left Tampa and that some repairs had been made but it would be a good idea to have clothing that can be put on or removed depending upon the AC/Heating.

I doubt he has time to discuss the a/c problem with each guest individually but it does seem he acknowledged there is/was a problem.

[Chetsky]

The probelm with the AC started in the evening of the 7th of a 12 day cruise. After the CD and the comedian started making jokes about the lack of AC it was no longer possible to ignore. On day 10, the Captain finally commented about the AC on the "1:00PM Captains Announcement from the Bridge" and acknowleded the AC issues.

I called or talked with someone at the front office seven times before I finally strongly suggested that they fix my AC or move me to another cabin NOW. So on day 8 at 11:00PM we changed cabins. The AC in the new cabin was at best tolerable, however, the rest of the ship continued to have probelms the rest of the cruise. During one of my conversations with the Front Office they even tried to explain that "the ship takes several days to become acclimated to the heat after coming from a cold climate". PUULEASE!

These are just facts - I'm not complaining overall it was a great cruise.
After all "The worse cruise I ever took was just wonderful".

[Golfette]

We would have a real problem with overheated cabins. My husband has a respiratory problem & always sleeps with the window open and/or the AC on even in the dead of winter.

I could understand this if it hadn't been going on for some time. But there are reports on this ship and the Ryndam having difficulties for quite a while. Yes, it would cost the cruiseline money and cause a lot of problems to take the ship out of service to fix the problem once & for all. However, at least then they could offer guests the basic right to a livable cabin and air conditioning in the public rooms. If CC has these complaints, and only represents a small portion of the cruising public, then there are others having problems too. It is not too much to ask of a cruiseline/hotel in the 21st century. I think it reflects badly on HAL that they don't take proactive action on this matter. If we knew the ship was having problems with their AC/heating, we would cancel immediately for health reasons. I think we have a right to know this before we cruise. After all, it's not as though we can leave once we're aboard.

[duck tune]

Yes, I will again verify that the Captain did indeed verify with a general announcement to the entire ship that there were problems and that attempts were being made to fix the problems. However, I have to agree that when people have gone to the front desk, including myself, the first thing asked was "did you adjust the thermostat and how long ago? Maybe there hasn't been enough time for the adjusment to occur?" That is not a good response. Just be honest and do your best to try and fix the problem and I'm fine but don't pretend a problem doesn't exist.

Reminds me of the "One Pod Oosterdam" situation last December!

[booboo29]

I can handle too cold in the cabins, but 80 degrees when I am trying to sleep will not work. We keep our house about 62-65 degrees at night and 70 in the day, at the most. I like blankets when I sleep. I am going into our cruise with a positive attitude, hoping things will even out by then.

Jennifer

[cruzinwieds]

Lets hope that the folks on the 10/28 cruise can post that the problems have been fixed.

[cmitch9999]

agree that maybe no news is good news on the hot and stinky conditions!!
xx fingers that cool and febreezeey cruise days are ahead of us.

It is the way in which the cruise lines handle these situations that can really turn ON or OFF future customers.

I sympathize with the already have sailed groups who were negatively affected.. the announcements, bit of compensation and clueless purser desk people don't impress me that HAL really took ownership of how this affected your vacation.

staying tuned to the current cruisers reports as they filter in.

Chris Mitchell
sailing 11/18 Veendam

[BigBearLady]

Hot staterooms could ruin a cruise for us. My husband spends a lot of time relaxing and sleeping in the stateroom, and neither of us can handle hot weather. That is why we moved to the mountains in S. California (the ones that are currently burning). It all ready drops to the 30s at night which is just how we like it.[/quote]

I hope you and your home in the mountains are all safe from the fires. I live in Palm Springs, CA, but I have 2 vacation cabins in Big Bear (the other side of the mountain).

[FlaFan]

Was on the 10-21 sailing. a/c on-off issue was only 1 of many issues I addressed in email to EVP of Guest Relations. Doubt will ever get response, but had to "air" my complaints. 2nd formal nite dress code was reverted to casual because of a/c conditions, but menu stayed the same. A lot of us got confused and thought 2nd formal nite got moved back another nite so didn't plan on going. oh well, no big deal cause the food was bland, the svc pathetic and the wait staff unattentive for the most part.

Do a lot of cruises (2-3 a year) on the 2 biggies so what does Carnival care if I like Princess over HAL-- it's all still in the family. First HAL cruise since Westerdam II in '93-- back when tips included and experience was awesome.. get what you pay for I suppose. What do we expect? Lower prices = lower svc.

btw, saw another post on the house band, HALCats.. we had Janice as lead singer.. sad when she has to read the notes to "Jammin'".. what it has 7 total words to it.

Just booked Navigator OTS 5-nite out of FLL Jan 14. Fla resident specials from $329 and up.. what a deal. time to get back on the horse. who knows. perhaps this was just 1 bad apple out of the bunch on this HAL sailing.. and at least for 1st time cruisers on that sailing, expectations bar was set really, really low. do enjoy the HAL ship design, but Veendam is showing her age quite a lot.

[bubblesmm2]

Just came off of the Veendam. First 2 0r 3 days there was a problem with the air conditioning but it was finally fixed. But then a plumbing problem
happened on one deck and it took most of one day to fix. However we went about the ship and it really wasn't so bad. When we disembarked all things seems fine.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Just came off of the Veendam..............

Really appreciate your comments, bubbles, but just a little confused. You say you "just got off", but I thought Veendam would be coming in tomorrow. When did you get off?

[u4ea]

btw, saw another post on the house band, HALCats.. we had Janice as lead singer.. sad when she has to read the notes to "Jammin'".. what it has 7 total words to it.

We're jammin
I wanna jam it with you,
We're jammin, jammin
And I hope you like jammin too

Ain't no rules, ain't no vow, we can do it anyhow
I and I will see you through,
'Cos every day we pay the price with a little sacrifice
Jammin till the jam is through.

We're jammin
To think that jammin was a thing of the past,
We're jamming, jammin
And I hope this jam is gonna last

No bullet can stop us now, we neither beg nor will we bow
Neither can be bought nor sold.
We all defend the right, JAH JAH children must unite
Your life is worth much more than gold.

We're jammin, jammin
We're jammin in the name of the Lord
We're jammin, jammin
We're jammin right straight from JAH

Holy mount Zion
Holy mount Zion
JAH sitteth in Mount Zion
And rules all Creation

Yeah, we're jammin, jammin
I wanna jam it with you
We're jammin, jammin
I'm jammin, I hope you're jammin too

Jam's about my pride and truth I cannot hide
Too Keep you satisfied.
True love that now exist is the love I can't resist
So jam by my side.
-----by Bob Marley


Hope your next cruise is better:cool:
Mark....