mimianderson

My TA located in Miami Florida when he responded to my "SOS" email on Saturday early evening.  When he spoke to HAL, they verified the email to which the notice had been sent and it was an old defunct email for him at their company.  My personal experience with HAL email has also been bad.  I changed my personal email address over 4 years ago and despite multiple attempts to change my email through my online HAL account, through the Mariner direct telephone line and through our TA, emails have continued to be sent to my old address.  Interestingly, my room downgrade reassignment (the only notice I've received directly from HAL) was sent to my current address.  

If someone could be so kind as to let me know what those 4 choices are, OR to provide a link to the "other thread", I would appreciate it.  It will be helpful when I speak to my TA tomorrow.   My TA says he is holding something for me - with more details to come.

I want to make one thing perfectly clear - my issue with HAL is NOT that they have had a technical problem and had to cancel the cruise.  Stuff happens and that is why, as a company, there should be alternate plans for communication and remediation in place.  HAL seems to be hit or miss in both departments.  We have the technology in place today to determine whether emails have been received and READ - Celebrity requires me to link back to them when they have a message of importance.  HAL apparently doesn't or doesn't care.  It seems to be hit or miss and the onus has been placed on the passenger to make themselves aware of this problem and to pursue a solution.  I really think that is bad customer service.   

Thank you all.  My TA is now working on it as I dragged him away from his Saturday night dinner.  

11 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

If I'm not mistaken, from the information shared as long ago as Wednesday night, you'll be receiving a full refund of the fare you paid.  Is that not correct?  Sorry your cruise was in a downgraded category level, but doesn't it count for something that it matches your dates and it's free?  I don't see HAL charging you neptune prices for a regular verandah.

 

Sue/WDW1972

To date, I have received no information whatsoever.  My travel agent just called and they had sent the info to him on an incorrect address - he is now working on it. 

I do not normally rant about something in print, but this time I am just plain mad!  We just received notice that we have been rebooked on the Zuiderdam on Feb 1 with a 7 CATEGORY DOWNGRADE from our Neptune Suite to a lower level promenade deck 5 balcony cabin.  We received no communications from our travel agent, and nothing other than a notice of our new cabin number from Holland and an email with our new confirmation number.   They did not even identify the new ship nor the reason for this change.  I was able to contact my travel agent a few minutes ago and he did not receive notice either.  After many many minutes on hold at Holland America, I finally got to a supervisor who informed me that the Nieuw Amsterdam was going into repair and our cruise had been cancelled.  We have been "reassigned to a cruise sailing on the same day to the best available cabin."  I am thoroughly disgusted with the lack of communication from Holland - there has been no information made available to us at all.   I am not willing to spend the amount we spent on a suite with an itinerary we wished to experience on an balcony cabin on promenade deck to an itinerary I don't want to take.  If I wanted to do that I would have booked that cabin in the first place.

I have monies tied up in speciality dining, airline fares (that I did on my own) hotel, rental car, and a retreat cabin for the cruise ($400).  I have a house sitter scheduled for the time off, have taken time off from my tutoring job and rescheduled a sub etc. etc.    I honestly get that things happen, but when they do, you set up your maximum customer service operation and try to make it right for your customers.  Shame on you Holland America for making me chase you down to try to get back what should be owned me and shame on your for assuming that I would be happy to  think that I would be ok being downgraded 7 categories on a different ship with a different itinerary without even offering me a choice?  Will you be trying to keep my fare?  Will you give me hard time over refunding  me money for things I am not going to be able to enjoy or even experience?  Shame on you - this is simply greedy and self-serving.  Its easy to reassign cabins by computer, its harder to give someone a choice.  And its even harder to treat someone with respect.  You have lost a customer forever.

On our upcoming Quest trip to Mexico departing San Diego on Feb 8th, there will be three significant international events that I normally love to watch on TV and also celebrate with friends and family. The 2018 Winter Olympics broadcast their opening ceremonies on Feb 9th at 6AM EST, lent begins on Wednesday, Feb 14th with its associated Carnival events taking place the week(s) before and culminating in Mardi Gras on Feb 13th, and the Year of the Dog Chinese New Year's celebration will take place on February 16th. Does anyone know if the games will be broadcast anywhere on ship - and/or if the entertainment crew sets up fun events to acknowledge and celebrate these worldwide events?? We were just on the Celebrity Reflection for Halloween for a TA and the entire ship got involved with costumes, a party, special menus and more.