GlennG

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

What would that message be?   

Don't buy Carnival stock.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.  I can appreciate the challenging times that you and your wife are experiencing.  Your recent experiences do not inspire a great deal of confidence in Holland America's response to Covid infection.  We have a cruise booked for October of this year, but it would appear that cruising is still a very high risk activity for folks like us.  We are senior citizens.  Could you please keep us updated, and please know that we are thinking about you?

What about Beechers Mac N'Cheese?  I have noticed that this item is on the evening Main Dining Room Menu.  Is this like Kraft Dinner?

Thank you, Roz, for your comments and review of your recent cruise aboard the new Rotterdam.  While it's disappointing to learn of unsatisfactory experiences while cruising, I'm not surprised that HAL, apparently, is having difficulty shifting gears to accommodate more cruise passengers who are now travelling on its ships.  It would appear that more travelers are becoming more confident in resuming their participation in cruise vacations.

Like you and others, I'm hopeful that HAL can correct the problems that you have described.  As an aside, I'm always concerned when I discover undercooked meat, particularly pork and chicken, while cruising or at any restaurant.

Yes.

Thank you, Fouremo and Woody14.  I appreciate  your willingness to share this important information.

With recent changes in testing expectations, could some kind person clarify testing requirements for those Canadian citizens who are fully vaccinated and wish to board a cruise ship in Vancouver?  

Holland America Health protocols continue to state that all guests must provide a negative Covid - 19 test result taken two days before sailing.

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

San Diego has a single warehouse-like terminal building and I think only three berths.  It is right on a main street and there is no large port area.  The Security gate is about 20 feet from the terminal building.  Traffic is no issue.

Thank you, Crew News for the above information.  You have been very helpful.

We are planning a 2022 cruise, departing from San Diego, in January.  All of our previous cruises have departed from Port Everglades in Florida.  Generally, we have found the embarkation process to be quite efficient and with little stress.  (The exception being the traffic congestion when 6 or 7 cruise ships are in port.)  Here's the question, "What comparisons can you make between the San Diego cruise port and Port Everglades?" 

I'm not surprised by this announcement.  I think that many states want to error on the side of caution.  At one time, we were looking into the possibility of a Hawaii cruise, departing from San Diego, in January 2021.  Because of the required deposits and the uncertainty surrounding these deposits, we never made a booking.  It would appear that we made the right decision.  There are still too many uncertainties regarding the tourist industry and the cruising industry more specifically.

In these very stressful and depressing times, I feel a little bit better about the importance of accountability within the leadership ranks.  I feel a little better about my future patronage of Holland America Line, and I feel better for the thousands of employees who have have worked so hard to help build the cruise industry.

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

HAL did not create COVID-19, but HAL did create certain expectations with regard to cancellations and refunds, and they are not being very transparent or forthcoming about when people should expect their money back.

 

In the absence of that communication, we are instead hearing anecdotally, person by person, about how long the refunds are taking (and the amount of time keeps getting longer). Even a writer on the Points Guy site, who was preparing an overview of how long refunds are supposed to take by each cruise lines' own statements, could only say that Carnival is not being specific, and that refunds should take "about 60 days". (Other lines committed more specifically, and some in less time.)

 

This is not sterling communications by Carnival. In the absence of them telling us what to expect, people come here and share their experiences and frustrations -- and learn from each other. Seems to me that this is what Cruise Critic is about -- it's about providing helpful information for the cruiser, not about praising the cruise line.

 

Some later in this thread said they'd be happy to get their money back by year-end. It's hard to imagine who would be happy to let any other company hold their money for more than 6 months.  By contrast, airlines are required to provide a refund (when they cancel your flight) within a week if you paid by credit card -- one week, not more than 6 months!  If they can do it, why not the cruise lines?  (Possibly because cruise lines are not regulated by the US, so they are not subject to any such watch dog legislation.....)

 

At any rate, cruisers are not cruising right now, so there is little to discuss in that department. What we need help with is navigating the refund process and understanding the possible "new normal" of cruising in a post-coronavirus world.

 

Also, what's with the shaming of people who want their hard-earned money back?  You are sympathetic toward a multi-million dollar industry that wants to hold your money with no reliable communication for months on end, but if an individual who may need their money back at this unprecedented time has the nerve to complain, they are told that they can "afford" the loss? 

This is one of the most thoughtful and intelligent responses that I have read with respect to the COVID virus and its impact on the cruise industry.  Thank you, cruisemom42.

I have appreciated the sharing of frustrations and disappointment with Holland America's response to those customers who are waiting for reimbursement of their hard-earned money.  On a very pragmatic level, this so-called negative discussion has been a positive experience for me, personally.  Without going into detail, I was prepared to provide a significant deposit to HAL in preparation for a possible cruise in 2021.  From these board discussions, I've learned that providing any type of deposit for a future cruise is not a wise thing to do.  For the current times, cash really is king.

Finally, the response of the cruise industry to its contemporary problems has focused my attention on "good corporate citizenship."  The cruise industry is not an example of sterling citizenship.  I understand that it's HAL's job to look out for the share owners of the company,  but corporate citizenship is not enhanced by poor communication (avoidance of monetary issues), tax avoidance, labor law avoidance, and environmental degradation.  Unfortunately, the COVID virus has brought into focus the many shortcomings of good corporate citizenship within the cruise industry.

There's no surprises, here.  It's a very tough situation for all.

I think Holland America Line and all of the major cruise lines are looking at their cash situations.  This includes the deposit requirement for future cruises.  Yesterday, I made some inquiries about a future cruise in 2021.  The quoted fare seemed reasonable, but I was told that the price of the deposit would have to be raised.  In an abundance of caution, I did not book.  Quite frankly, I'm worried about the solvency of the cruise industry.

1 hour ago, Himself said:

My question is Will we have an Alaska season and  if we do have one, when will it start?

It's not likely that an Alaskan season will materialize.  Even at the best of times, cruise ships are not exemplary places of good health.  While Donald Trump and other optimists are looking forward to Easter as a partial opening of our economy, health officials and scientists are less optimistic.  In an abundance of caution, I would hope that the Alaska season would be put on hold until 2021.

With most of the "cruise industry" on pause because of the international pandemic, it will give Holland America Line and other cruise lines the opportunity to clean and sanitize all of their ships.  While cruise staff work very hard at keeping their stations clean, it's difficult to really sanitize and clean facilities that are in continuous (and high density) use.

Princess has made a very wise and responsible decision.  I would hope that Holland America Line will follow this leadership.  Health professionals will likely be supportive of this decision.

My wife and I are planning to board the Oosterdam in January.  While we have been on this particular ship previously (about 10 years ago), we are feeling a little bit uneasy about the current condition of this ship.  While I would agree that "bad news generally drives out good news", we cannot ignore the current commentary and reviews that have described the recent experiences of cruisers on the Oosterdam.  My wife and I, particularly, have come to respect the views and commentary of Hlitner.  From a personal perspective, it's difficult to ignore multiple reviews of a particular ship that describe an observable decline in quality entertainment, food quality, and the physical condition of passenger ships.  We certainly do not consider ourselves experts or seasoned cruisers, but I will say that defending mediocrity isn't my cup of tea.  As other experienced cruisers have reported, the sad decline in the quality of cruising is not limited to a single cruise line.  At our age, we simply do not want to cope with mediocrity.  I believe that there are still quality based land vacations that would meet our personal needs and expectations.  I hope HAL enthusiasts are not offended by my opinions, but I think that honest commentary serves all visitors and participants at this site.

I didn't perceive the OPs review as being 95% negative.  KirkNC mentioned that the Pinnacle Grill experience was one of the best he has experienced.  More important, KirkNC mentioned that "...The crew in general was as great as ever."

I don't think KirkNC needs any support from me, but he was trying to giving reasons for his decision to leave the ship (and thousands of dollars) behind.  The issues, documented by Kirk, are very serious, and I'm grateful that he took time to share his experiences with us.  Most important to my wife and I, it provides us with information that is helpful in choosing future cruises.

Thank you, KirkNC, for your detailed and specific accounts of your recent trip on the Maasdam.  As a person who relies of the advice and knowledge of experienced cruisers, I have to tell you that the review of your experiences is very much appreciated and will be taken into account as we plan for future cruises.

My wife and I are in a little bit of a dilemma when it comes to future bookings of Holland America Line cruises.  We definitely prefer sailing on the smaller HAL ships, but in researching future cruises, we are noticing some disturbing patterns of "problems" with respect to the older ships in the fleet.  The physical condition of the smaller ships seems to be deteriorating in a very significant way.

Thanks, also, for your documenting your serious concerns about food.  Food isn't subjective.  Rotten food and under-cooked chicken are not subjective.  These very serious problems are a recipe for serious intestinal problems.  (Washing hands is not a substitute for serving dangerous foods.)

Lastly, I want to commend you for not tolerating the conditions that you have described.  Leaving the ship and leaving many thousands of dollars behind describes a person who is consistent with his values and reasonable expectations.  Please be assured that you have given and wife and I some serious "food for thought."   We will not be booking the Maasdam in the future.

1 hour ago, AryMay said:

On the Veendam now and just arrived on Grand Cayman. Captain has announced the ship has had a propulsion failure. 
 

We have 4 large tender boats and a tug pushing up against the side of the ship. The Veendam is on emergency power and we have been told to not use elevators. 
 

Might be an interesting day...
 

 

This isn't good news.  I've been spending some time researching the recent reviews of the Veendam, and it appears as though this particular ship has had more than its share of problems.  With the recent dry dock repairs and renovation, I thought that the Veendam would become a more favourable alternative for us in the Caribbean.  (My wife and I are not huge fans of the large, new ships in the Holland America fleet.)  As a bare minimum, my wife needs reliable  access to elevators that actually work.  Please keep us posted on the response to this troubling problem.

2 hours ago, mvaughn11 said:

@GlennG can you please elaborate? Many here have replied that Canaletto is good. What has been your experience that you would rate it like Olive Garden? 
 

Any info. you could provide would be helpful. We are on NS for our 1st HAL cruise in 2 weeks and want to be able to make an informed decision. Thanks!

Sorry for the ambiguity.  To be more specific, I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the Olive Garden.  Canaletto is probably a "step above" the Olive Garden.  In my opinion, Canaletto is certainly not worth the "up-charge" that is currently levied from HAL patrons.  Don't rely on my assessment, however.  Most of the replies on this board have been quite positive.

If you like the Olive Garden, you're going to love Canaletto.

The Wyndam is right across the street from the cruise terminal.  Even with luggage, you should have little problem in walking to your destination.  There is a Maritime Museum close to the cruise terminal, and Little Italy is a three or four block walk from the Wyndam.  In short, there's a lot of stuff to do in this small area of San Diego.