What is the best way to file a complaint?

[nanner10]

Any suggestions, especially from past experience, about who and where and by what method (telephone, email, snail mail, all three?) to file a complaint with HAL? What is the most effective way to get results?

I am researching this for a friend, and her traveling companions, who recently returned from a cruise from h*!!. I think they may be due some form of compensation, perhaps a free cruise!

It started when all their lugggage (5 pieces) was left behind on the (cruiseline provided) bus to the port. Being new to cruising, they didn't even have a carry on. The bus driver, who was rude and abrupt from the start, insisted that they proceed to board the ship while he unloaded the luggage and that the luggage would follow them later. They did not see their luggage again till they returned back to Fort Lauderdale at the end of the 7 day cruise.

The rest of their cruise (their first ever) went about the same way, much of it revolving around the lost luggage and the poor assistance they received with coming aboard with absolutely no possessions! Any suggestions?

P.S. They have heard that the bus driver was fired after this incident.

[peaches from georgia]

Any cruise docs I have ever gotten have a section in the Know-Before-You-Go type booklet on the importance of a carry-on, what to put in it, etc., so your friends shouldn't have been without a carry-on even if it was their first cruise.

Also I have never heard of lost luggage not catching up with the ship at the next port, so this is all very confusing without some more information. Why didn't HAL forward the luggage? What was HAL saying throughout the cruise to them. What ship?

I'm sorry if they had problems, but a free cruise? I doubt it.

[cruise freak]

I am sorry but I don't know how the best way to file a complaint is but I am hoping HAL steps up the plate on this one. I had a similar situation happen to me aboard a Princess ship. I did end up getting my luggage half way through the cruise which we tracked down ourselves and had sent to St. Thomas. I wrote a letter to Princess and they offered nothing. The first sentence in their return letter was "We are glad you eventually received your luggage". The blamed the porters who are not their employees. They stated I should have bought their insurance and then they would have gave me money. Needless to say I will never sail with them again. I hope your friend documented all that happened on the ship and talked to the Purser. I am so sorry for their first cruise being ruined. Good luck and keep up informed.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can't believe that HAL didn't make some kind of an arrangement for their luggage to catch up to them at the next port of call. People who have had luggage lost by the airlines have gotten better results (for the most part) than your friends got.

Have your friends write a letter to Seattle - to the President. And send it return receipt requested.

[lknick]

A polite letter written to the chief operating officer in Seattle is the way to go.

Simply lay out the fact without any emotion.

However, transportation to a ship and happenings on tours is not under the control of HAL, as is stated in the contract for passage and vouchers. So therefore, I doubt you will receive an answer that is satisfactory to you.

[jhannah]

How devistating to not have any clothing or personal belongings for an entire cruise! This is so highly irregular that there must be more to the story than what we know now. :confused:

[nanner10]

Yes, I know they could have, should have, read the booklet, but obviously, they either didn't or didn't take it to heart and were trusting souls.

I always buy insurance, but, many people don't realize all that can go awry. I think they have been through enough, learned their lesson the hard way and I'm just not going to beat up on this older trio about it.

I hadn't planned on listing all the down and dirty details here, I am just looking for the best way and contact numbers for them, so they can make an appeal to the cruiseline. Its up to HAL whether they feel that they should do more for these folks, although I am sure many people will have their own opinions about it.

I know that it is sometimes done. Last year I sailed with a large group of family and friends. The deck that some of the group's cabins (not mine) were on, smelled of sewage for a couple days. The cruiseline volunteered everyone whose cabins were in that section a voucher for 50% off their next cruise.

In response to your questions/comments I will try to clarify those areas you questioned. While I don't have every fact, since I was not there and just heard her story, this is what I understand to have happened.

The people they were in contact with kept insisting that they were unable to locate the luggage, that it was not on board, not at the port and not on the bus.

The Cruisers, remembering the bus driver and his attitude, suspected it never was taken off the bus. They kept insisting that it must still be on the bus. They were told that the bus had been checked and it was not. After continuing to insist over a period of days, they finally pleaded that someone return to the bus again and check it thoroughly. The luggage was then located, shoved way back in the cargo space of the bus. By then, it was midway through their cruise.

At that point they did try to ship it to the next port, however, as I understand it, it either could not, or did not, make it to that destination until after the ship left that port and that was their last port stop. So, no, in this case the luggage never caught up to them until they returned to Fort Lauderdale.

They were offered an opportunity to pick things out of the ships collection of left behind articles of clothing, etc., which helped, but still they were lacking a lot.

Apparently, thinking each day that their luggage would be located and because they were told that no one could authorize reimbursement for any purchases they made and because of financial concerns they limited what they bought to the barest of necessities.

Feeling they did not have the proper clothing, they skipped the formal nights and wishing to have the same meal, ordered room service. The women had no swimsuits. They did make some limited purchases in port.

In addition they had a number of other difficulties, such as with the ships mechanical malfuntions, etc. that I am just not going to list here. They can tell their own story to HAL.

In my honest opinion it just seems that things could have been handled much more graciously, even if HAL was not obligated to do so. They could have quite easily taken some steps that would have salvaged this trio's first cruise experience and made them very thankful to HAL for their efforts. It's just good business.

As I said before, in the end its up to HAL to decide if they wish to do anything more for them. I am just looking for the best way for them to contact HAL.

[DFD1]

Registered letter, return receipt required, to the President of the Line, with a copy to your attorney if you have one.

[jhannah]

The people they were in contact with kept insisting that they were unable to locate the luggage, that it was not on board, not at the port and not on the bus.So obviously they were told this before anyone bothered to go look (or adequately look) on the bus. This simple act of good customer service would have eliminated 80% of the problem early on. Sadly, that seems to be the state of "customer service" these days. Most service people just don't give a rat's patootie! (Excuse my editorializing ... but this is a real sore point with me.) I do hope that the responsible party -- probably the transportation company -- will come through with more than just firing the driver.

[JDee]

Am in general agreement w/all the above posts. Believe the most likely response from HAL would be a letter of apology and possibly a voucher for a token amount (less than $50.00 pp) for a future cruise. As lknick and others stated, HAL assumes no liability for actions of non-HAL employees.

Years ago, used to take the HAL complemenatary bus service from Clearwater to FLL. The bus driver (at most times) would require each pax to take their own luggage and hand it to the baggage handler personally. Tips were in order for both the driver and baggae handler.

Later on, HAL started charging $25.00 pp and at times, the unloading procedure started to change and was as the original poster stated. You left the bus, went directly to check-in, and hoped you luggage would catch up with you.

As the price of bus transportation increased ($45.00 last time I checked), it was not worth the hassle to get to Clearwater for a 6 or 7am departure. Tough to ask anyone to take you there, couldn't park any where near, and cab fare from my home was $35.00 one-way. Conceded defeat on the bus & have been driving it for the past 3 or 4 years.

Have taken the Zaandam from Port Canaveral which was more convenient. Now that HAL has 7-day trips from Tampa on newer ships, will go that route for our next cruise. RCI now has Grandeour of the Seas, an improvement over their old ship, and Carnival Miracle (a brand new one) just started.

Happy cruising.....

[sail7seas]

To respond to you question:


Your choice of any or all of the following:

Customer Service
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Executive Officer
President

Holland America Line
300 Elliott Avenue West
Seattle, WA 98119

You can e-mail to HAL through their link at www.hollandamerica.com (http://www.hollandamerica.com)

There are many telephone numbers but a call to Ships Services will refer you to any Department. 800-541-1576

I am sorry that your friend's first cruise experience was so unsatisfactory.

[lknick]

Registered letter, return receipt required, to the President of the Line, with a copy to your attorney if you have one.The last thing you want to do with any institution when you are negotiating is to open with a threat of litigation.

Such will only cause the institution to forward the letter to their legal department who will reply legalistically. This does not appear to be the result you want.

Nice first...nasty later!

[Ziggy7]

The last thing you want to do with any institution when you are negotiating is to open with a threat of litigation.

Such will only cause the institution to forward the letter to their legal department who will reply legalistically. This does not appear to be the result you want.

Nice first...nasty later!
I agree , dont threaten, just tell them what happened, explaine your emotions during this time, and the lost of dinning experiences due to lack of clothing, etc. It wouldnt supprise me that HAL comes thru more than 50.00 pp. JMHO :)

[Cruising Jake]

It appears from previous responses that a separate company contracts to HAL for the bus service. (I don't know any bus info for a fact. I always fly a day early and take a taxi to the pier. Or have my brother, who lives there, take me.) Maybe get the name of the company from HAL customer service and send the letter to both HAL and the bus company.

[JDee]

Believe the bus company is called "Cruise Connection". They provide bus transportation on both east and west coasts of FL for many cruise lines. They have a web address, but kind of tricky using the _ or -.

Since almost all the cruise lines eliminated the free bus service, only a couple of lines now operate....

[mhshapiro]

Travel insurance would have helped to some extent. Both TravelGuard and Access America provide up to $500 per passenger for "essentials" if baggage is delayed more than 24 hours.

[starysacz]

Agree with Iknick. Explain the problem and do not threaten. We have found that we do get a response and once in a while a shipboard credit. Also, have your TA follow up with a letter.:)

[iluvcruzin]

This is a good question.

From what I was told, the best bet is to write to the parent company - Carnival - and not to HAL directly. The odds are they will get as others posted before as far as an appology. For personalized attention, go to the main source. I've heard it works wonders..

[Celestia]

Don't bother emailing HAL.

Three weeks later I received a reply to an email detailing four issues we found on our cruise (filthy dirty floor in our bathroom which our steward ignored request to clean, steward unable to understand basic English, teens running rampant at late hours in public areas and playing with the elevators all night, and something else).

The reply "explained" to me why I was wrong about each of our complaints, and that my bathroom floor *was* clean.

Funny, I don't recall this man being in our stateroom much less our bathroom...I think I'd have noticed a strange man in there.....

Paper letter to the President might work better.

FW&FS,

Celestia

[trubey]

Paper letter to the President might work better. Celestia
Yeah, send it to 'Santa Claus, North Pole'

lkt http://smileys.******************/cat/8/8_2_62.gif (http://www.******************/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZNxmk043XXPT)

[BillandKateC]

HAL along with all the other cruise lines all now use the company called Cruise Connections. This company has no direct ties to HAL or any other cruise line. This situation is the same issue you would have if an airline such as Delta or US Air were to loose your luggage while you were flying to your cruise. Your real issue is with Cruise Connections and it is they who should be held responsible and it is Cruise Connections who should have been the ones getting your luggage to the next port.

That said, We used Cruise Connections in Oct and I will say that I was not impressed with them. We saw one driver who was rude and did not seem to be enjoying his job. Our driver was fine and when we arrived at the port he told us to be sure that our luggage was all there before he left. When we got off the ship we were told that our bus had a flat tire and we had to wait over 2 hours for a replacement bus to arrive. In the hot sun!

We would never use them again! Its Cruise Connections you need to be mad at.


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