awful suite

We had a suite on the Noordam. It was a great cabin but unfortunately next to us were 3 boys ages about 10 12 and 14. Their mother put them in a suite while according to Hollands manager the mother made other sleeping arrangements. So for 9 nights we heard screaming wrestling and loud TV into the early morning hours. I would call security and it would stop. Also they threw apples and knives overboard and who knows what else. I told security and was told by the 10 year old "Thanks for ratting on us." Holland did nothing to get this mother back to this cabin. Holland also made no apology to us. I wrote to Holland and still have not received a response.

We had a suite on the Noordam. It was a great cabin but unfortunately next to us were 3 boys ages about 10 12 and 14. Their mother put them in a suite while according to Hollands manager the mother made other sleeping arrangements. So for 9 nights we heard screaming wrestling and loud TV into the early morning hours. I would call security and it would stop. Also they threw apples and knives overboard and who knows what else. I told security and was told by the 10 year old "Thanks for ratting on us." Holland did nothing to get this mother back to this cabin. Holland also made no apology to us. I wrote to Holland and still have not received a response.

Wow!! That is absolutely unacceptable!!! I'd have been not only doing something about it. I can only surmise what I'd have done in this type of situation, but I think I might have done the following:

1. Knocked on their door until (a) Either I got tired of knocking and/or they answered the door.... (might not be to good an idea, but ....

2. Called Security (which you did!!)

3. If it continued I would go directly to the Security Office next to the Front Desk and been very vocal (not loud, but demanding) that they take care of the situation, whatever they had to do to get it resolved to MY satisfaction...

I can put up with a lot, but screaming Brats, NO WAY!!

It is kids like those 3 that give all kids a bad name:(

I sure hope that HAL responds and in your case I think you more than likely deserve something.......You did not receive the relaxing cruise you expected due to the HAL personnel on board the ship not enforcing in some way the policy of one adult, at least, in the stateroom......

Joanie

A cabin filled with unsupervised kids that age should not be permitted. IMO HAL owes you more than just an apology.

I am so sorry to hear this report. That was a terrible way to have a "vacation". HAL really should have done something about this -- like put them off the ship. I thought they had rules about no unaccompanied minors in a single cabin.

I hope your concerns do reach upper management and there is both a recognition and resolution on this - none of us would want to face such a chronically disruptive experience.

Just when we thought tobacco smoke was the worst problem, constant noise that affects neighboring is unacceptable. Though there are other reports about crying infants as well, but there was little that could be done about that.

Very sorry this happened to you.

Security dropped the ball IMO

Minors are not supposed to be alone without an adult in a cabin.

HAL broke their own rule and you suffered for it.

I'm sorry this happened to you and HAL should have done something to correct the issue. I couldn't have handled it.

I have to wonder about the mother. Who would leave 3 unruly boys alone in a cabin with a balcony? It's surprising that one of them didn't go overboard.

thats what I thought what would have happened if one of the boys went overboard. I sure Mommy would be sueing now. I hal did nothing I would wait for these brats to fall alseep and pound on thier door and wake them.

Surely this is a safety issue. Where is the ubiquitous legal department when we need them?

Unreal! I'm sure the mother thinks they are little angels. Either that or she hoped they'd throw each other overboard. HAL was trying to not offend anyone but they ended up doing just that. What is wrong with people?

Wow! What kind of mother leaves her children unsupervised for all hours:eek:

Can't believe (an no I am not saying I don't believe you) that HAL did nothing about this. It's against their own rules.

Security really dropped the ball on this one and so did HAL.

Very disappointing - I hope you hear something positive from them.

Please do come back when you get the reply and let us know how you made out/what they said.

This is truly a case of something should be done for you IMO

So far not a word from Holland

What a shame that your cruise had to be ruined by such antics.

I would encourage you to really pursue the matter as the situation should have been nipped in the bud.

Do you have a TA? They are usually pretty good at getting a resolution that you would be satisfied with.

I don't think I would have been confrontational to them in any way as entitled teens can be aggressive and scary. However I would camp at the front desk until security acted. I am surprised that they weren't evicted as you read all the time about families being put off the ship due to the actions of the children.

I don't know if this would be proper procedure or not but after the 1st incident when Security did nothing to resolve the problem I would have gone to the Hotel Manager and demanded that I be given a different cabin explaining why.

Ideally the mother would be in a veranda or higher category and mother would be forced to exchange cabins with me. That way she could discipline her children as she saw (heard) fit.

I don't know if this would be proper procedure or not but after the 1st incident when Security did nothing to resolve the problem I would have gone to the Hotel Manager and demanded that I be given a different cabin explaining why.

Ideally the mother would be in a veranda or higher category and mother would be forced to exchange cabins with me. That way she could discipline her children as she saw (heard) fit.

The only thing is the op was in a suite - why give that up?

The mother and the three boys should have been shipped to the engine room:rolleyes:

We had a problem with kids on a cruise a few months ago. Neither security, guest relations or the hotel manager seemed very concerned. It really does spoil a cruise. I did write a letter to HAL just to let them know how unruly kids can spoil a cruise. First I got a note back stating they would contact the ship personnel and followup. About 4 weeks following that I got a very nice 2 page letter back from a VP. I was impressed with their follow up. They gave all 3 in our cabin a free night in the Pinnacle. I was not looking for anything when I wrote them. My complaints were nothing compared to the poster here.

We had a suite on the Noordam. It was a great cabin but unfortunately next to us were 3 boys ages about 10 12 and 14. Their mother put them in a suite while according to Hollands manager the mother made other sleeping arrangements. So for 9 nights we heard screaming wrestling and loud TV into the early morning hours. I would call security and it would stop. Also they threw apples and knives overboard and who knows what else. I told security and was told by the 10 year old "Thanks for ratting on us." Holland did nothing to get this mother back to this cabin. Holland also made no apology to us. I wrote to Holland and still have not received a response.

I would have taken my phone and made videos with the volume on. Then I would have posted them to YouTube and sent the links in an email to Holland America. That would have been on Day 2. You would have received a response very quickly. Negative social media scares the hell out of corporations!

I would have found the Captain after no success with Security. One can always find the Captain if need be. DEFINITELY you should have been listened to and something done about it.

We had the same problem on another cruise line in an ordinary cabin. Calls to security did nothing. I personally went over to the room and banged on the door to no avail. Finally after about three days I went to the front desk to complain. Spoke to a very nice rep who kept appoligizing for the noise and disturbance, but was basically blowing me off until I used one sentence and then all of a sudden her ears perked up and she started to make notes. I said. "Well don't blame anyone if that cabin is totally destroyed by the end of this cruise." Thats when she looked at me and said. "What do you mean?" I said. "I hear banging and thumping all the time it sounds like those kids are wrecking the place." From that moment on those kids in that cabin were as quiet as mice. The cruise line was not upset that passsengers would be disturbed, but the cabin being wrecked and costing them money (or at least needing to make repairs to a cabin) got their attention.

NOTE: We finally figured out that (the kids were younger than the op's) they were about 5 8 and 10. They were being supervised by their sister and elderly woman (maybe grandmother) in the cabin next door. She was about 12 and grandmother who was very old and didn't come out of the cabin very much.

At the end of the cruise we found out that Mom and dad were in one of the big suites at the top of the cruise. The morning of disembarkment we saw the whole tribe Mom & Dad with the Concierge ( who would look at no one but "his passengers") the three brats being drug along by the 12 year and granny bringing up the rear. It was a very sad situation. Mom and Dad living it up in one of the big suites while granny and the kids were in the bowels of the ship. Some things just make you wonder about people.

I would have taken my phone and made videos with the volume on. Then I would have posted them to YouTube and sent the links in an email to Holland America. That would have been on Day 2. You would have received a response very quickly. Negative social media scares the hell out of corporations!

Love that idea:).

We had the same problem on another cruise line in an ordinary cabin. Calls to security did nothing. I personally went over to the room and banged on the door to no avail. Finally after about three days I went to the front desk to complain. Spoke to a very nice rep who kept appoligizing for the noise and disturbance, but was basically blowing me off until I used one sentence and then all of a sudden her ears perked up and she started to make notes. I said. "Well don't blame anyone if that cabin is totally destroyed by the end of this cruise." Thats when she looked at me and said. "What do you mean?" I said. "I hear banging and thumping all the time it sounds like those kids are wrecking the place." From that moment on those kids in that cabin were as quiet as mice. The cruise line was not upset that passsengers would be disturbed, but the cabin being wrecked and costing them money (or at least needing to make repairs to a cabin) got their attention.

 

 

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The cabin steward/housekeeping would have known if damage was being done to the cabin,,,,, wouldn't they?

We had this on a cruise as well and found it unacceptable that no one would help us. Three boys next to our suite, throwing food to the birds which in turn swooped down on us, standing on balcony furniture, loud tv and music... I spoke to the boys and got the "finger". Never saw the parents and security did nothing. My fear was one of them falling over the railing. Such a shame that this is allowed to go on.:confused:

There's no valid excuse or reason for HAL's Security or other staff to be only minorly concerned about the yelling, screaming, banging, etc. at all hours as reported above. While it (the noise and the response) really hacks off those in nearby cabins, there could be other repercussions as well.

Think about this scenario: lots and lots of noise and banging and screaming at all hours in the cabin next door, you report it but Security and other onboard staff treat the issue rather casually and act as tho you are the crank, at some point a tragedy befalls your neighbors (it could be anything from the kids getting seriously injured during their rough-housing to them finishing off the no-host mini-bar and having a terrible accident, like going overboard) ... I would think HAL would have more than a little responsibility in the outcome because (1) they apparently, contrary to their stated policy, do permit minors alone in cabins and (2) other passenger concerns/complaints were treated dismissively.

As for the raucous behaviors reported by a couple of people here ... perhaps the ill-behaved children, and their poorly supervising parents, are relatives of highly-placed Seattle or onboard personnel. Ergo, they're entitled to do as they wish and everyone else has to put up with it.

Or perhaps the mother is a CC participant who has been told by other CC folks - "don't worry, once onboard you can rearrange who is sleeping in which cabin". Oh how many times I have read this, and I have thought that this could be the the outcome. Of course, folks on this board assure all of us that their darlings are well behaved and trustworthy to be in a room by themselves. Well, some are.

Not speaking of the OP, but we collectively have brought this on ourselves by repeatedly telling folks how to separate themselves from their children in terms of cabins.

But, I do think the comment about "friends of highly placed ......" a bit unnecessary. While it is certainly a possibility I think it highly improbable. In my experience, the very few problem children and teenagers I have experienced on HAL, do not fit in these categories but rather simply have parents who either are blind to their children's true behaviors so trust them to be on their own, OR simply want to enjoy their own trip and turn the kids loose on others. I think these are more the garden variety of passengers who think, as you said, "...entitled to do as they wish and everyone else has to put up with it."

I also think it is a case of HAL crew being afraid to upset the passengers (parents in this case) - as we hear in so many posts about dining room attire and such.

By the way, most young people I have met/seen on cruise ships are fun and simply enjoyable. But, a few have truly been terrors that would fit in the group OP experienced. So sorry you had to experience this.

Do we keelhaul the parents or the kids?:confused:

OP: I am so sorry this happened to you. No one would have been happy. What really upsets me is that HAL did nothing to resolve this situation. Not sure what I would have done in this situation, but I do know I would have been very upset if the staff on the ship did not handle the situation. I hope HAL gives you a more fair compensation than a free dinner at the Pinnacle. To me that is almost an insult. :eek: