On The Issue of Responsiveness of Cruiselines to Passengers Needs...

[Golfette]

I am really overwhelmed. I was reading the Oceania board. A poster who had booked a cruise was complaining that her request for special dietary needs had not been processed "properly" in that it evidently didn't go to those responsible for the matter even though it was in her reservation requirements.

Posters indicated it was her TA who was at fault for not being knowledgeable enuf to send it where it needed to go. In any event, on the very same day it was posted, a rep from Oceania posted, giving his phone # & e-mail contact no. & telling the poster to contact him and all would be taken care of.

Do you believe that??? Is that service or what? Almost unbelievable.

O.K. HAL, what about that air conditioning that has been out of whack on some of the older ships for a considerable time now. Anyone out there who's gonna take that on on behalf of suffering passengers? Huh?:confused:

[wrp96]

That poster was Frank del Rio the President of Oceania coming to the rescue again.

[Copper10-8]

That poster was Frank del Rio the President of Oceania coming to the rescue again.

Yeah, he has done that before here on CC with another issue involving his line. That's how you keep (and gain) customers, no doubt! More power to him

[sail7seas]

That poster was Frank del Rio the President of Oceania coming to the rescue again.


Good for him. That's great.

[sail7seas]

Just curious as I don't know.

How many ships does Oceana have? I wonder about how many people cruise with them a year??

[garydm]

With that kind of responsiveness, one would think more and more each year!

Gary

[Copper10-8]

Just curious as I don't know.

How many ships does Oceana have? I wonder about how many people cruise with them a year??

They currently have three ships with two new builds on order for a 2010 and 2011 delivery. The three current ships are:

Regatta, formerly Renaissance's R-2 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 1998 and a pax capacity of 684

Insignia, formerly Renaissance's R-1 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 1998 and a pax capacity of 684

Nautica, formerly Renaissance's R-5 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 2000 and a pax capacity of 684

Good talkin' to you today, S7S;)

[Golfette]

Don't know any of the statistics re how many passengers travel with them, but we & two other couples have just booked with them 1st time based on their very good rep.

[sail7seas]

Thanks, John. I didn't expect for them to have new builds underway.

:) Really enjoyed speaking with you. Hope we speak again soon.

[sail7seas]

Don't know any of the statistics re how many passengers travel with them, but we & two other couples have just booked with them 1st time based on their very good rep.


Are you still planning for your HAL cruise?

[hammybee]

He, or his people, know how to work it. I am particularily intrigued how he or his people defend the product and challenge those posters, prone to doom and and gloom predictions.

Here is information for those interested in Oceania:

3 ships, each carrying about 700 pax

Sails from U.S. ports about 7 times, in 2008

Cabin prices, on a per person, per day average to be about 45% higher than prices on HAL.

Auto tips range from $11.50-14.50 per person, per day

12 day sails are the most common- No 7 day sails

Alcohol is not included

All seating is open dining

All attire is casual

Children are not encouraged

For those who want to pay more, tip more, are willing to fly, usually overseas to meet the ship, able to afford the time away, don't mind open seating and a casual enviornment without a lot of kids, I suspect, you will be delighted with Oceania.

[sail7seas]

Thanks, Hammy. That just ruled us out. :) Your description is wonderfully helpful. Nope.......not a good fit for DH and me.

[Copper10-8]

............Children are not encouraged.........



Interesting tidbit:cool: - wonder how they work that one out?

[sail7seas]

Rennaissance either discouraged or barred children. They also had no formal nights as I recall.

I believe both have/had no smoking permitted or extremely limited.

[photodoodle]

He, or his people, know how to work it. I am particularily intrigued how he or his people defend the product and challenge those posters, prone to doom and and gloom predictions.

Here is information for those interested in Oceania:

3 ships, each carrying about 700 pax

Sails from U.S. ports about 7 times, in 2008

Cabin prices, on a per person, per day average to be about 45% higher than prices on HAL.

Auto tips range from $11.50-14.50 per person, per day

12 day sails are the most common- No 7 day sails

All seating is open dining

All attire is casual

Children are not encouraged

For those who want to pay more, tip more, are willing to fly, usually overseas to meet the ship, able to afford the time away, don't mind open seating and a casual enviornment without a lot of kids, I suspect, you will be delighted with Oceania.
Boy, that sounds perfect for me.... except for the price! Life is full of compromises. But it does sound like they walk the walk with customer service.

I think it's not the problems, but an organization's response to problems that is the most telling. HAL is a mixed bag in that department, IMO. Sometimes very good, but sometimes not good enough.

[hammybee]

Interesting tidbit:cool: - wonder how they work that one out?

They don't provide for them and their intineraries ( some of the best) are not particularily attractive to those sailing with children.

As an aside, their cruise contract makes clear that passengers have responsibilities.

GUEST’S WARRANTIES
You warrant that You and all other Guests traveling with You are physically, emotionally and otherwise fit to undertake the cruise or CruiseTour; that You and they have received all medical inoculations necessary; that You and they will at all times comply with the Ship’s rules and regulations and orders and directions of the Ship’s Master, officers and medical staff, and that Your conduct will not impair the safety of the Ship or jeopardize or inconvenience other Guests. We may refuse to embark, or may disembark, confine to a stateroom, quarantine or limit the activities during the cruise at any time or at any port any Guest who may be suffering from contagious or infectious disease or whose presence, or that of any accompanying child, in the opinion of the Master, may be detrimental to the comfort, enjoyment or safety of other persons, or who, in the Master’s opinion, might create a risk of harm to himself/herself or any other person, or who may be excluded from landing at the destination by Immigration or other Governmental Authorities. In such cases, the Guest shall not be entitled to any refund of the Cruise Fare or CruiseTour Fare or any compensation whatsoever.

I think it is a model that all others should follow.

[bepsf]

Thanks, Hammy. That just ruled us out. :) Your description is wonderfully helpful. Nope.......not a good fit for DH and me.



I agree.

Between no Formal Nights and the Plastic furniture on the verandahs...
(Otherwise, I'd book Oceania in a heartbeat)

[Copper10-8]

I agree.

Between no Formal Nights and the Plastic furniture on the verandahs...
(Otherwise, I'd book Oceania in a heartbeat)

Hey Brian, we just had a flash on local TV about a 5.6 tremor in the San Jose area! Feel anything?

[Copper10-8]

Bump

[sail7seas]

I just heard about the quake on Fox News.

If you are posting, Brian, one has to assume you and yours are fine. Thankfully.

[bepsf]

Hey Brian, we just had a flash on local TV about a 5.6 tremor in the San Jose area! Feel anything?


Heck Ya - We're just fine here, Thanks

Bring on some more rough seas...
;)

[Tricia724]

They currently have three ships with two new builds on order for a 2010 and 2011 delivery. The three current ships are:

Regatta, formerly Renaissance's R-2 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 1998 and a pax capacity of 684

Insignia, formerly Renaissance's R-1 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 1998 and a pax capacity of 684

Nautica, formerly Renaissance's R-5 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 2000 and a pax capacity of 684

)

Mr. DelRio is certainly a fine example of a leader who stands behind his product, as he has shown many times. I think we would all like to know that we are as important as he makes his customers feel.

But let's be fair here. His whole company consists of three ships which can handle approx. 2,052 customers at any given time. The smaller the organization, the easier it is to keep a tight reign on the product.

Just imagine if the whole Holland America fleet consisted of the Prinsendam and the Veendam....which hold a combined total of about 2,051 passengers.....with an organization scaled down for those two ships. Don't you think HAL might be able to be more responsive to passenger needs with fewer layers of people to work through?

I'm not trying to take anything away from Oceania, but HAL and the larger cruiselines are not on a level playing field with them. I know they could all do better and should try to do better, but the larger they get, the harder it is.

[cruisecd]

Mr. DelRio is certainly a fine example of a leader who stands behind his product, as he has shown many times. I think we would all like to know that we are as important as he makes his customers feel.

But let's be fair here. His whole company consists of three ships which can handle approx. 2,052 customers at any given time. The smaller the organization, the easier it is to keep a tight reign on the product.

Just imagine if the whole Holland America fleet consisted of the Prinsendam and the Veendam....which hold a combined total of about 2,051 passengers.....with an organization scaled down for those two ships. Don't you think HAL might be able to be more responsive to passenger needs with fewer layers of people to work through?

I'm not trying to take anything away from Oceania, but HAL and the larger cruiselines are not on a level playing field with them. I know they could all do better and should try to do better, but the larger they get, the harder it is.

Just a thought about customer service. I do not believe that it is harder to do it well just because a corporation is large. I continue to be impressed by the exceptional customer experience that is the cornerstone of Disney - and they are huge. You can tell if a company is committed to customer service as a core value, regardless of the size of the organization.

Carol

[herbalsoaplady]

We loved Oceania -

They do not provide children's activities - but there are often children on board.
The excellent service, fabulous food, elegant ship and peace & quite we experienced in May were well worth the price IMHO.

Yes, I agree that the plastic chairs on the veranda are not nice at all - they really were not comfortable for long periods of time. But then I enjoyed the lounges by the pool even more then the veranda - teak lounges, thick pads and lots of thick white towels - and someone coming around to offer tea or get me a drink from the bar - wish I was there now.

Open seating for dinner works very well - we never had to wait for a table.
Perhaps the number of passengers (less then 700) has something to do with the success of opening seating.
Open seating works well as the dining room is rather large and there are other venues to eat in. The specialty restaurants, one Italian and the other a steak house, are elegant and the food was fab . BTW Oceania does not have a fee to eat there .. the number of nights you can book are based on the class of cabin one is in.

There may be no stated formal night but the Captain hosts a cocktail reception for returning guests and attendees were dressed to the nines.

We saw all levels of country club casual and fancy dress on most other nights in the Grand Dining room.

We loved it so much that we booked a Baltic cruise for June 2008 and the Amazon cruise for November 2008. Had to cancel the Amazon as I do not want to take malaria drugs or have a yellow fever shot. I am extremely sensitive to most medications.

Any how - we really wanted to see Alaska and Oceania does not sail there so we booked on HAL - we are new to this line and hope it will be a pleasing experience. BTW we chose the new anytime dining option and will eat in the Lido on formal night. Been there done that before and really am not a big fan of packing a tux and fancy gown for one night. For those of you who enjoy formal night I say have a ball!!

[Frick_&_Frack]

My employer booked Oceania for next August (I believe beginning in Istanbul). He has sailed before - a long time ago - with Cunard.

The ship looks very lovely; except for the fact that flying is involved.

Maybe I can tag along with my employer and his wife and leave DH to fend for himself......:eek:

[Golfette]

Mr. DelRio is certainly a fine example of a leader who stands behind his product, as he has shown many times. I think we would all like to know that we are as important as he makes his customers feel.

But let's be fair here. His whole company consists of three ships which can handle approx. 2,052 customers at any given time. The smaller the organization, the easier it is to keep a tight reign on the product.

Just imagine if the whole Holland America fleet consisted of the Prinsendam and the Veendam....which hold a combined total of about 2,051 passengers.....with an organization scaled down for those two ships. Don't you think HAL might be able to be more responsive to passenger needs with fewer layers of people to work through?

I'm not trying to take anything away from Oceania, but HAL and the larger cruiselines are not on a level playing field with them. I know they could all do better and should try to do better, but the larger they get, the harder it is.

Tricia, I might have agreed with you here except that I just told the Oceania story to my husband who told me about a friend of ours who bought a very top of the line computer from Apple. It crashed about 2 years after he bought it (this story just occurred) & while he had insurance, they had to rebuild the computer from the bottom up. Our friend was incensed over the issue & wrote an angry letter to Steve Jobs himself. Shortly after his "old" computer was fixed, our friend received a phone call from Steve Jobs' assistant who said a current state of the art computer was being sent to him for his trouble, free of charge. Now he has 2 state of the art computers. I believe Apple Computer is a fairly large company, no?;)

[hammybee]

Tricia, I might have agreed with you here except that I just told the Oceania story to my husband who told me about a friend of ours who bought a very top of the line computer from Apple. It crashed about 2 years after he bought it (this story just occurred) & while he had insurance, they had to rebuild the computer from the bottom up. Our friend was incensed over the issue & wrote an angry letter to Steve Jobs himself. Shortly after his "old" computer was fixed, our friend received a phone call from Steve Jobs' assistant who said a current state of the art computer was being sent to him for his trouble, free of charge. Now he has 2 state of the art computers. I believe Apple Computer is a fairly large company, no?;)

It sounds to me like your friend had a warranty, perhaps an extended warranty. The cost of an initial warranty is included in the price we pay for a product. Extended warranties require additional out of procket expenditure. We get what we pay for. In this case, it sounds like your friend may have received more than he paid for. That's the criteria most consumers use to judge service levels in of any business.

Apple has a warranty business unit and I am sure they all respond to communications made to Mr. Job as Mr. Job's assistants. The entire company is comprised of Mr. Job's assistants.

Millions of people cruise, every year. In any business, a small percentage of consumers are not going to be happy with the product. Some of them have legit. beefs and some of them want something they did not pay for.

When the product is something like a computer, it's fairly concrete. Either it works or it does not. Having enough problems with a certain configuration means the manufacturer knows it has a defect and the best of them address the defect, after the fact, when the product is under warranty.

If cruising were only as concrete. If only.........

[Jade13]

Oceana sounds a lot like smaller cruiselines I have cruised with in the Galapagos and Great Barrier Reef. On both of those there were under 100 pax and the casual and open dining worked fine.

Btw, Celebrity Azamara (sp?) sounds a lot like Oceana with the more casual dress code (I think that is what someone told me).

[sail7seas]

Golfette.......

I think you might have missed my question. If you don't wish to answer, I certainly understand.

Are you still planning to go on your HAL cruise or are you/have you cancelled?

[blueboro]

I agree.

Between no Formal Nights and the Plastic furniture on the verandahs...
(Otherwise, I'd book Oceania in a heartbeat)

I would sure take plastic furniture over no Air Conditioning for almost half of an 11-day cruise that my in-laws just went through on Veendam. While my wife and I loved the service and food a our Zuiderdam cruise almost two years ago, I was shocked at the condition of the ship. Broken glass in shop windows with duct tape, carpeting with duct tape, holes in the cabin hallways. Looked like a Girls Gone Wild Weekend had just left the ship.

[hammybee]

I would sure take plastic furniture over no Air Conditioning for almost half of an 11-day cruise that my in-laws just went through on Veendam. While my wife and I loved the service and food a our Zuiderdam cruise almost two years ago, I was shocked at the condition of the ship. Broken glass in shop windows with duct tape, carpeting with duct tape, holes in the cabin hallways. Looked like a Girls Gone Wild Weekend had just left the ship.

Perhaps the girls did. Or perhaps it had a rough ride.

Recent reports from the Zuiderdam are glowing and she's not due in for a dry dock till 2008.

[Copper10-8]

Red hat ladies convention, perhaps? Heard they can get wild at times when there are no male dance hosts onboard!:eek:

[u4ea]

Red hat ladies convention, perhaps? Heard they can get wild at times when there are no male dance hosts onboard!:eek:

Are "Red Hat Ladies" the same as "red light ladies"?:confused:
:eek:;)
Mark....

[O2B@C]

Oceana sounds a lot like smaller cruiselines I have cruised with in the Galapagos and Great Barrier Reef. On both of those there were under 100 pax and the casual and open dining worked fine.
Btw, Celebrity Azamara (sp?) sounds a lot like Oceana with the more casual dress code (I think that is what someone told me).

No question, Azamara is Celebrity's attempt to compete in Oceania's market. Not quite as small as the ships you're talking about, but MUCH smaller than any mass market or even "premium" line, and with a passenger-to-dining-table ratio that makes open seating work pretty easily. Both have a price point between premium and luxury, and attempt to deliver some (but not all) aspects of luxury level pampering, combined with small ship intimacy and a relatively casual atmosphere and dress code.

By the way, it's OceanIa, not Oceana.

[herbalsoaplady]

The report of no A/C on the Volendam concerns me. We are booked on this ship for Alaska in 2008. If the A/C is not up to snuff for warm climate cruising what mechanical issues might be troubling this ship in Alaska. I'll sit tight for now - but will carefully monitor the Alaska board for reports once Volendam returns to Alaska in the Spring. There is no way I am willing to part with more then $8,000 for the cruise/tour plus expensive air fare to experience less then optimum conditions.

I realize that stuff happens .. hopefully HAL will fix the problems that folks are reporting.

Duct tape on broken glass and carpet - surely not!

[Golfette]

Herbalsoaplady - you made the point re the A/C that concerns me most. I can understand having problems like that for a few months at most. These reports go back much further than that. I consider A/C (& heating, I guess) a prime requisite especially in the tropical climates that HAL cruises. Just about as necessary as food & water. The fact that HAL has done nothing about it for a long time and seems to pooh-pooh cruisers' complaints really bothers me. My husband has respiratory problems & I shudder to think what might happen if we were "locked" on a ship for a week or more without A/C.

I realize it will cost the ship a lot of money to take the ships out of service long enuf to fix the problem; however, it is costing their passengers a lot of money (to them) to pay for a cruise which they have planned & looked forward to for a long time. A cruise in which they cannot sleep, are physically uncomfortable and, in the case of respiratory problems, cannot breathe.

My point in this thread - other than to congratulate Oceania for a job well done - was to illustrate how some corporate entities respond to consumer problems. I realize the A/C is a much larger problem; however HAL has not responded to it.

Sail, thank you for asking. From the posts from passengers on the Oosterdam on which we cruise 12/8, it does not indicate the Oosterdam is having a problem. If I should hear of any, then we will cancel the cruise.

[terrydtx]

The sad thing is not one word has been posted from HAL management addressing the issues posted on CC about the A/C problems that seem to be endemic this fall on the older ships sailing warm weather itineraries. I have sent 2 emails to HAL regarding the reported and posted A/C problems on the Volendam and so far no response. I guess when you pay 45% more for your cruise (Oceania) you can get 100% more customer service and commitment to their satisfaction. HAL’s answer so far to the A/C problems is to issue in some but not all cases a measly $150 or so SBC!!:eek:

[hammybee]

From the posts from passengers on the Oosterdam on which we cruise 12/8, it does not indicate the Oosterdam is having a problem. If I should hear of any, then we will cancel the cruise.

To the best of my knowledge, trip insuance does not cover fear of AC/plumbing failure as a bonafide reason to cancel a cruise and get your money back.

Those with serious health issues, dependent upon controlled climates, probably should not cruise on any cruise line. There is always a risk that plumbing or AC will fail in one or more cabins, on any cruise. And as of this moment, it certainly sounds like there is a greater chance of this happening in some cabins on some HAL ships, than others.

I continue to read that the problems are limited to some cabins/areas, not the entire ship. I have no doubt that the appropriate crew are working non-stop to correct those problems and I would say this of any mainstream cruise line. And maybe the only way to adequately address the issues is to take the ship (s) out of service and rebuild the systems, wherever this kind of work is performed. What do I know of plumbing/AC issues.

I also understand that if say 25 cabins out of 700 have had serious problems, it is not sufficent to cancel a cruise for all passengers.

If a cruise line is aware that the AC and/or plumbing for a given cabin is not up to snuff, the responsible thing to do is to give the intended occupants notice, before they board and work it out.

[Golfette]

If a cruise line is aware that the AC and/or plumbing for a given cabin is not up to snuff, the responsible thing to do is to give the intended occupants notice, before they board and work it out.

That's all I ask. Is it really too much?

[serendipity1499]

There is no excuse for HAL not to anwer an e-mail! And the quoted 45% is not entirely accurate..

Was not going to comment on this thread, but in all fairness to Golfette, I too was very impressed with FDR not only this time but when he posted on the HAL board last year & helped another one of his Passengers..l. He really cares about negative publicity...Just because HAL is larger it should not make one IOTA of Difference..We had a complaint with a Door Hardware Co., a subsidiary of Black & Decker (a very large Co.)..When they received our letter the Dir. of Consumer Services for B & D called me & also the Dir. of Consumer SVCS for the other Company called me..They sent us new door hardware & an extra gift which was worth almost $300.00..The extra gift was totally unexpected & unnecessary! We would not hesitate to use their products again..

We are considered “dyed in the wool” HAL passengers, having 100 days..Never had a bad cruise!... We're also going to try to book a 36 day cruise on HAL next year..However, I will not bury my head in the sand & defend all HAL policies..

If Oceania’s policies are quoted they should be accurate..Several folks stated that Oceania’s fares are 45% higher than HAL’s..That may be true in some cases but not in all cases..Next Month we are booked on a 26 day cruise, on Oceania to the Amazon…The cost of our cruise for the same cabins are less than we paid on HAL to the Amazon in 2006 for 25 days! In addition we have Pre-paid gratuities..

Re Dress Code: It was stated that Oceania is “Casual”, which again is not entirely accurate..There is Casual, meaning Jeans, t-shirts & shorts & there is “Elegantly Casual”, meaning Country Club Casual.. HAL permits Jeans in the dining room, Oceania does not! This is from Oceania’s WEB site:

“Dress Onboard” -For the comfort and convenience of all Guests, the onboard ambiance is casual but elegant throughout the cruise and country club and resort-style attire is appropriate for both men and women. We do ask that Guests refrain from wearing shorts, jeans, t-shirts or tennis shoes for evening meals in all of the restaurants. Bathing suits without a cover-up should not be worn in any of the indoor restaurants. Attire ashore is recommended to be casual and comfortable and we place a particular emphasis on appropriate footwear, including good walking shoes and in some destinations, reef-walkers and beach sandals. Some tourist sites may require specific attire. Please consult with the Destination Services desk for more information. “

Gratuities: $11.50 in most cabins except $3.50 extra for Penthouse, Vista & Owners Suites..This policy seems reasonable to me..

Specialty Restaurants: All are FREE!

Children: While Oceania does not cater to families & does not have separate venues for Children, they are not discouraged! .Years ago our Son traveled with us all over the World..We never had special venues for him to attend..We did things as a family & He was never bored..

Smoking: Oceania has separate Smoking Areas..Smoking is not permitted in cabins or verandas..A few months ago a Man was warned about smoking on his veranda..He continued to do so & was put off the ship at the next port..

JMO & my apologies for the length of this post…..Betty

[hammybee]

Trying to push the previous post to a readable state.

[hammybee]

With the exception of the occasional Oceania response, cruise lines do not respond to individuals on message boards. I am not sure it is reasonable or practical for a cruise line of size, to do so. The founder and CEO of Virgin Airlines also uses this approach- picking/choosing and sometimes reaching out to the people. It's great PR. I admire this.

The CEO of Oceania has personal experience with the bankruptcy of his cruise line, the former Renaissance Cruise Line. In many ways, this cruise line was ahead of its time, small ships, so-called exotic intineraries, no smoking, no children, no formal nights, no fixed seating, no travel agency and eventually, no money.

He came back and formed Oceania.

He eventually needed outside capital to grow the company and sold a significant stake in it. People are concerned that this means he has given up control of the product and the future experience will be diminished. It's fear of the unknown.

It seems to me, he/his people are fighting for the survival of Oceania and a greater percentage of his past and future clients are yaking on CC than with more established cruise lines. Sometimes, smaller has its advantages.

I sincerely hope Oceania survives, this time. We all love a the underdog and this underdog learned a few lessons, along the way.

[serendipity1499]

Sorry folks..Trying to get my second post deleted..:) Cheers..Betty

[sail7seas]

I think we all benefit from 'the more the merrier'. I'd far rather see more cruise lines thriving than less. Competition is excellent for the consumer in just about every way IMO

[iancal]

Oceana is at the top of our list for next cruise. We have heard nothing but GREAT things about them AND there is no formal dress requirement. We am booked on a Westerdam cruise-our first HAL. I sent an email via their web site concerning a question that we had...probably two months ago. No answer-not even an acknowledgement. I am in the services business....this speaks volumes to me. We are looking forward to the cruise though.

[InTheWASide]

Oceana is at the top of our list for next cruise. We have heard nothing but GREAT things about them AND there is no formal dress requirement. We am booked on a Westerdam cruise-our first HAL. I sent an email via their web site concerning a question that we had...probably two months ago. No answer-not even an acknowledgement. I am in the services business....this speaks volumes to me. We are looking forward to the cruise though.

So what's the question?

I bet someone on here knows it

[InTheWASide]

It's great that the CEO can do that, but as someone mentioned, the Eurodam will hold more than Oceania's entire fleet.

HAL holds over 10 times what Oceania does on any given day...

Anyone know of a cruise line where 21000+ passengers a day has their CEO lurking on Cruise Critic?

It's a noble thought but not too realistic in my opinion

[terrydtx]

It's great that the CEO can do that, but as someone mentioned, the Eurodam will hold more than Oceania's entire fleet.

HAL holds over 10 times what Oceania does on any given day...

Anyone know of a cruise line where 21000+ passengers a day has their CEO lurking on Cruise Critic?

It's a noble thought but not too realistic in my opinion

The size of HAL is no excuse for HAL’s management to not respond to issues raised by their customers whether on this board or by email. This CC board specific to HAL is one great place to read the views and issues of its loyal customers. It would be safe to assume that HAL’s CEO has underlings working for him who could spend a few minutes a day monitoring the postings on this board and report back to the CEO on what is going on with their customers both positive and negative. Having spent many years in marketing I know it is much easier to keep customers than attracting new ones, but it only takes one bad experience to loose a customer. A customer who has had a bad experience will tell on average 10 people about that bad experience, but when he has a positive experience on average he will only tell 3 people. Look at this board alone and the negative experiences get much more postings and hits than the positive ones. How many have posted in the last 2 weeks about the A/C problems vs. those who had no problems. To the occasional visitor to this board it could be interpreted that all HAL ships have A/C problems. In conclusion HAL’s CEO would be smart to be monitoring this board and in some form addressing the issues being discussed by their past, current and future customers

[hammybee]

.

This CC board specific to HAL is one great place to read the views and issues of its loyal customers.

How many have posted in the last 2 weeks about the A/C problems vs. those who had no problems. To the occasional visitor to this board it could be interpreted that all HAL ships have A/C problems. In conclusion HAL’s CEO would be smart to be monitoring this board and in some form addressing the issues being discussed by their past, current and future customers

The CC boards are also a great place to read the reviews/isues of unloyal customers. Who knows if employees of other cruise lines or cranks in general, plant issues. Who knows the motivation behind posts, on all the boards.

There is enough on the first two pages of any message board, at any time, to dissuade anyone who is skeptical about cruising in general or of a particular cruise line.

Like most, I am aware of the reports about recent AC issues on some HAL ships. If the CEO and other top management of a cruise line, any cruise line, needs to read about it here, he/she has substantially greater problems than AC issues.

And like most, I have no idea what's up with plumbing and/or AC on the current list or just how many cabins have been impacted or if those cabins are having repeat problems.

There were a few nasty reports of plumbing issues on the Statendam and Maasdam, this past summer. This went on for awhile and then- poof either the crew got to the root cause and fixed the problems or those subsequently impacted never heard of CC.

21,000 passengers a day are onboard a HAL ship. Less than 1% of them come to CC to share their perceptions, good, bad or otherwise.

I am sorry, 1% is not good enough for me to draw any conclusions about anything.

[Golfette]

Sure hope you don't get one of those boiling hot cabins, Hammy;) .

[sail7seas]

T

There were a few nasty reports of plumbing issues on the Statendam and Maasdam, this past summer. This went on for awhile and then- poof either the crew got to the root cause and fixed the problems or those subsequently impacted never heard of CC.



....Or, possibly, in some cases, the condition was not near as drastic as was reported?? Maybe it was never mentioned again because no one else noticed/encountered it?


Don't know; just speculating!

[Jade13]

Oceana is at the top of our list for next cruise. We have heard nothing but GREAT things about them AND there is no formal dress requirement. We am booked on a Westerdam cruise-our first HAL. I sent an email via their web site concerning a question that we had...probably two months ago. No answer-not even an acknowledgement. I am in the services business....this speaks volumes to me. We are looking forward to the cruise though.

Call Guest Relations.

[hammybee]

Or better yet, iancal, call your travel agent. That's what they are there for.

[OceanLiner]

It's strange that this thread came to my attention today, in that just today I met a man who was wearing a jacket that appeared to have some sort of cruise logo. It turned out to be Oceania and the man talked to me for about an hour about how he really liked this cruise line.

[sail7seas]

Sounds like he is a 'walking advertisement' for them. :D

Actually......who am I to talk? The other day, I ran out to the store wearing my HAL lightweight jacket. Has a discreet but beautiful HAL logo right on the front of it. My favorite of all Logo's. ;)

This One:

[ekerr19]

I will share my HAL story here. Some of you may have heard it before, but I was very impressed with HAL's response to me - the first and only time I sent a complaint to HAL.

Several years ago we were on a Holiday cruise aboard the old Noordam, she was supposed to be going into drydock in Mobile, Alabama and we elected to take the additional 2-day cruise from FLL to Mobile.

There were 42 pax who elected to do this. However, in FLL, HAL boarded a number of contractors, workers, etc. who immeditely began repairing almost all areas of the ship. Aside from that, these guys "mingled" with the guests and took over certain areas of the ship (hot tub) when they were off duty. Sure it was only 2 days, but believe me - it was bad.

I wrote a letter to my TA complaining about it. I mean there were areas of the ship completely off limits most of the time - and work going on all around us. My TA forwarded my letter (at my request) to the CEO and Director of the Board (at that time) Mr. Lanterman. Several days later I received a call from Mr. Lanterman's assistant saying he wanted to speak to me. We ended up getting compensation (which I had not asked for) for a portion of the cruise and upgraded on a subsequent cruise. Mr. Lanterman was apologetic and concerned about what had happened and very nice. I was impressed that he would take the time to contact us and get our thoughts and feedback about what had occurred. It spoke volumes to me. :)

[sail7seas]

That is, indeed, very impressive. No surprise what a brilliant job he did overall with the company. Thanks for sharing that story, Laura.

I have heard that Mr. Kruse has also called guests about an issue that was brought to his attention and that he provided appropriate apology and offered a 'little something' to make up for the inconvenience/disappointment.

[innlady1]

He, or his people, know how to work it. I am particularily intrigued how he or his people defend the product and challenge those posters, prone to doom and and gloom predictions.

Here is information for those interested in Oceania:

3 ships, each carrying about 700 pax

Sails from U.S. ports about 7 times, in 2008

Cabin prices, on a per person, per day average to be about 45% higher than prices on HAL.

Auto tips range from $11.50-14.50 per person, per day

12 day sails are the most common- No 7 day sails

Alcohol is not included

All seating is open dining

All attire is casual

Children are not encouraged

For those who want to pay more, tip more, are willing to fly, usually overseas to meet the ship, able to afford the time away, don't mind open seating and a casual enviornment without a lot of kids, I suspect, you will be delighted with Oceania.

They have some interesting itineraries, too. They do go into St. Barth's, which is what we'd love to do.

[innlady1]

I am really overwhelmed. I was reading the Oceania board. A poster who had booked a cruise was complaining that her request for special dietary needs had not been processed "properly" in that it evidently didn't go to those responsible for the matter even though it was in her reservation requirements.

Posters indicated it was her TA who was at fault for not being knowledgeable enuf to send it where it needed to go. In any event, on the very same day it was posted, a rep from Oceania posted, giving his phone # & e-mail contact no. & telling the poster to contact him and all would be taken care of.

Do you believe that??? Is that service or what? Almost unbelievable.

O.K. HAL, what about that air conditioning that has been out of whack on some of the older ships for a considerable time now. Anyone out there who's gonna take that on on behalf of suffering passengers? Huh?:confused:

Customer Service, for sure! Very impressive.

[Copper10-8]

...........Several days later I received a call from Mr. Lanterman's assistant saying he wanted to speak to me. We ended up getting compensation (which I had not asked for) for a portion of the cruise and upgraded on a subsequent cruise. Mr. Lanterman was apologetic and concerned about what had happened and very nice. I was impressed that he would take the time to contact us and get our thoughts and feedback about what had occurred. It spoke volumes to me...........


Impressive! Btw, does anyone know how Kirk Lanterman is doing health wise? He had some serious issues last time I heard

[sail7seas]

He's making a wonderful recovery. It was slow at first but I've been told he had some excellent rehab and is very much improved.

[kryos]

For those who want to pay more, tip more, are willing to fly, usually overseas to meet the ship, able to afford the time away, don't mind open seating and a casual enviornment without a lot of kids, I suspect, you will be delighted with Oceania.
You'll also be delighted with Oceania if you prefer a relatively non-smoking ship. Oceania has some very, very restrictive onboard smoking policies. I don't believe any smoking is permitted in cabins or on balconies, and there are only like two areas on the entire ship where smoking is allowed ... one indoor and one outdoor I believe.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[hammybee]

Oceania is more likely I think, to attract a very different passenger base that the masses who choose 7 day Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska sails.

The overwhelming majority of Oceania's sails require an overseas flight and the number of days pushes two or more weeks. These intineraries are designed to attract more seasoned cruisers.

Generally speaking, the more one has sailed, the less likely they are to be bothered by the majority of things that seem to bother people on 7-10 day sails. And I think the more one sails, the more one understands that sometimes, ship happens and life goes on.

I do not recall reading a thread of a World Cruise and/or substantially longer sail, on any cruise line, where a poster let anything ruin their cruise.

And it seems most of these sails have run into many of the same issues that sooner or later plague all ships, hurricanes, really rough seas, rain, sweltering temps, assorted plumbing issues, fire, AC issues, mechanical issues, an unappealing dinner menu, leaky cabins, tablemates from
hell-o, drunks, smokers, earthquakes, pirate attempts, missed ports and on and on. ( RuthC, what have I missed? :) )

It's a very different perspective than what one is more likely to read on any CC board.

[advocado]

Oceania is more likely I think, to attract a very different passenger base that the masses who choose 7 day Caribbean, Mexico and Alaska sails.

The overwhelming majority of Oceania's sails require an overseas flight and the number of days pushes two or more weeks. These intineraries are designed to attract more seasoned cruisers.

Generally speaking, the more one has sailed, the less likely they are to be bothered by the majority of things that seem to bother people on 7-10 day sails. And I think the more one sails, the more one understands that sometimes, ship happens and life goes on.

I do not recall reading a thread of a World Cruise and/or substantially longer sail, on any cruise line, where a poster let anything ruin their cruise.

And it seems most of these sails have run into many of the same issues that sooner or later plague all ships, hurricanes, really rough seas, rain, sweltering temps, assorted plumbing issues, fire, AC issues, mechanical issues, an unappealing dinner menu, leaky cabins, tablemates from
hell-o, drunks, smokers, earthquakes, pirate attempts, missed ports and on and on. ( RuthC, what have I missed? :) )

It's a very different perspective than what one is more likely to read on any CC board.

Hammybee -- Well said. I completely agree with your observations. Spot on.

Harvey

[LegalSailor]

They currently have three ships with two new builds on order for a 2010 and 2011 delivery. The three current ships are:

Regatta, formerly Renaissance's R-2 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 1998 and a pax capacity of 684

Insignia, formerly Renaissance's R-1 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 1998 and a pax capacity of 684

Nautica, formerly Renaissance's R-5 acquired in Nov 06, 30.277 gross tons, built in 2000 and a pax capacity of 684

Good talkin' to you today, S7S;)

I'm always looking for good reasons to get out of the HAL comfort zone (don't get me wrong, certainly my favorite line) but actions by the Line's President to that degree coupled with the size of the ships has me looking at going for one of their cruises right now!

[RuthC]

And it seems most of these sails have run into many of the same issues that sooner or later plague all ships, hurricanes, really rough seas, rain, sweltering temps, assorted plumbing issues, fire, AC issues, mechanical issues, an unappealing dinner menu, leaky cabins, tablemates from hell-o, drunks, smokers, earthquakes, pirate attempts, missed ports and on and on. ( RuthC, what have I missed? :) ) .
Running out of pillow chocolates :eek: .
I've experienced most of the things on your list, but running out of pillow chocolates was the tough one to endure. The rest have become great stories to talk about. :)

[hammybee]

Running out of pillow chocolates :eek: .
I've experienced most of the things on your list, but running out of pillow chocolates was the tough one to endure. The rest have become great stories to talk about. :)

It was too easy to come up with the list. All I had to do was sit back and recall all your war stories.
( forgot cabin mate who wear hats):D

[RuthC]

( forgot cabin mate who wear hats):D
That was a tablemate.
Then there was the "guaranteed share" who introduced herself by saying we'd be roomies for 35 days, or "until one of us can't stand the other anymore". I should have known right then. She acted as if the cabin was hers, and I was a squatter there. :rolleyes: