Beware!! Westerdam Capt. Waits for noboby

[IRL_Joanie]

I've e-mailed IRL_Joanie to tell her that I've PDF'd the thread as far as it had grown when I did it earlier tonight-20 pages at that time. It's quick and easy for me; took about 5 minutes. It's all in one PDF now but about 7 MB so when I hear from her that her e-mail can handle that I'll send it along to her or I can put it in my FileChute and send her the download link. I'm assuming she wants to read it when she's not online. I guess it's public information given that anyone can read here, so if anyone else wants it, let me know. Sig at the bottom.

 

Or tell me that I shouldn't distribute it!:)

 

 

Just emailed ya back Marney. You better believe I want this thread:D

 

Joanie

[wilsonqbc]

as they say you snoooze you loose

 

1st line ashore, vessel not docked.

 

All fast (All lines moored) Vessel docked. (from where I come from anyways)

 

gangway fast/secured other time.

cleared by authorities. other time

[innlady1]

Among my earlier cruise photos, I have photos of the port signs. Photobucket is not cooperating with me...I've tried all morning to get them to post.

 

Anyway, I checked all of them and the only thing listed is the port name, and the "All Aboard" time. This is the important thing for pax to note. This also tells me that the sailaway time can be adjusted due to the tides, etc. That all the passenger needs to be concerned about is the "All Aboard" time.

[mszula]

I feel for you; but I can't quite reach you.

[jtl513]

As a matter of fact just last week I came across this post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=23392612&highlight=#post23392612

 

On the Princess thread he states he is a Hotel Mgr who has for 35 years served on 28 different ships for 8 different companies..

Based on that post I think I know who he is but I'm not positive...;)

Cheers...:)Betty

Did you see today that he posted on another thread that he "has worked for HAL and Princess"? That implies to me that he works for neither currently.

[serendipity1499]

Did you see today that he posted on another thread that he "has worked for HAL and Princess"? That implies to me that he works for neither currently.

 

Oh No, haven't seen that post....Guess I'm mistaken & don't know who he is..Thanks..

Can't believe this thread is still going...What's worse is that I'm becoming addicted to it, when I should be working on paper work & taxes.. :eek:

 

Cheers...:)Betty

[Pettifogger]

Football has a rule against "piling on." It's too bad the Cruise Critic doesn't.

[xxoocruiser]

Beware cruisers!!! I recently went on a cruise on the Westerdam and in the port of Aruba I was left behind with my wife and 2 kids begging the ship to wait a couple more minuites for me. When we booked this cruise the departure time in Aruba was 5pm but once we arrived it was announced the "All aboard time" was 4:30. The gangway was lifted at 4:41 as outlined in the ship log. What horrible service!! To sail early when a customer is missing from the ship?? I was 5 minutes too late. Granted I should have been more timely but mistakes, accidents do happen. My wife pleaded for them to wait, there was even communication from the port security that I was running to catch the ship and the Captain stated that he "waits for no one". I offered $1000.00 to lower the gangway back down ( the ship was still docked, just untied with gangway lifted) or even tender me out and again the Captain stated that he waits for no one. BEWARE!! Horrible service with no regard to passenger safety. Long story short my wife and 2 kids had 2 1/2 days at sea without me and I had to fly back to Ft. Lauderdale to meet them. Why would a ship sail early when passengers are missing?? This was my 10th cruise and I will never sail Holland America again. Even there corporate customer service was bad with a focus on covering there A$$ and backing the Capt. on his bad decision. Don't be late or this cruise line will leave you, no questions asked!!!

 

 

The port departure time never changed fit was still 5:00 PM as when you booked the cruise. Though the ships log noted the gangway was pulled up at 4:41 PM the ship did not actually leave port until 5PM. A ship is not like a car it just can't pull out of the split second the last person comes on board. It takes 20-30 minutes of prep once the gang way in pulled up. I'm also willing to bet you were not the only family that failed to meet the ship sometime during the cruise.

 

This happens all the time. It's your responsiblity not the captains to make certain you're on board. That's why you were told to be back on board at 4;30Pm. It was printed in the news letter you received the night before, it was announced as tours were leaving the ship and it's always clearly posted by the gangway when you're departing. Service was not horrible you just failed to comply. Offering to pay $1000 to hold the ship never works. The cruise line has a designated time they must arrive and must leave port. Otherwise they pay hugh additional fines in port fees and taxes running into the 10's of thousands of dollars. Unless you were going to pay the cruiselines full additional cost to hold the ship don't even think that a captain has to wait for you. Bottomline was you failed to get back in time and it's was hard lesson to be learned.

[Choinski]

Beware!! Westerdam Capt. Waits for noboby

 

I believe you misspelled 'No Booby'

 

<BR>

[usha]

[Storylady]

 

 

Thanks for the "laugh". Your picture is perfect. Somehow this thread doesn't want to stop. I think that it has become addicting. There have been 409 posts and more than 18,358 people reading it (obviously all of us who are posting on this thread have looked at it more than once). Thanks again, you really made my day.

[savannahgirl1]

I have read every single post and agree with everyone, his fault, no questions asked. I am not here to go on about it BUT I am here to volunteer to be the Black Sheepie. I don't mind, really. So can I please be the black sheepie, please?

 

I will add one thing, awhile back a poster mentioned people take ship excursions because of their age and not so sure about going on their own. I do disagree, my husband and I are 35 and 37 and always take ship sponsored excursions for the very reason this thread was started, we don't want to be left. We very well could organize our own excursions but when in a foreign country I'd rather know if some unforeseen thing happens, the ship will still be there. Call me chicken, but I don't want the problem this man faced. ;)

[Down-Unders]

 

 

 

 

 

St Patrick would turn in the grave if he could see what the World has become!

 

 

:):):):):)

[iancal]

...and how long should they wait? I have a major beef that the airlines don't wait either...on those odd occasions when it is an on time departure.

[serendipity1499]

I believe you misspelled 'No Booby'

 

<BR>

 

 

LOL

 

Thanks for the "laugh". Your picture is perfect. Somehow this thread doesn't want to stop. I think that it has become addicting. There have been 409 posts and more than 18,358 people reading it (obviously all of us who are posting on this thread have looked at it more than once). Thanks again, you really made my day.

 

Omg...Do you all realize this post was only started only 67 Hours ago.. In less than three days, it's had more than 400 posts in 21 pages & more than 18,000 lookers...:eek:

Are we all Nuts or what! ;);)

Guess, I should really try to break this addiction! ..It's also happy hour anyone want to join me for a glass of Baileys ?..

Cheers...:)Betty

[momatibm]

Ah, have been on the Veranda or Promedade deck when the pages have been going ofr the 'missing' passengers. Only in St Maarten did I understand the possible problem -- there is horrible traffic from the french to the dutch size, the best one was the guy who had the nerve to say he had 30 seconds before 'All aboard" and what was the problem.

[jtl513]

I believe you misspelled 'No Booby'

 

<BR>

That was my joke back in post #21. :p

 

Want another laugh? Look at the guy's profile -

 

Biography

its all about family and fun

 

They had a great time this cruise!

 

Occupation

director operations

 

I wonder how well his company does on deadlines! :p

[innlady1]

 

LOL

 

Omg...Do you all realize this post was only started only 67 Hours ago.. In less than three days, it's had more than 400 posts in 21 pages & more than 18,000 lookers...:eek:

 

Are we all Nuts or what! ;);)

 

Guess, I should really try to break this addiction! ..It's also happy hour anyone want to join me for a glass of Baileys ?..

 

Cheers...:)Betty

 

Betty, and it's even more amazing that most of us are in agreement with each other for once! I'll toast to that! ;)

 

Usha...love the photo!

[Balconies R Us]

I was just thinking that "sheeple" run in flocks not herds. A much kinder and gentler term. I do not see sheeple stampeding as a herd onto the ship at "all aboard". At all aboard the flocks of sheeple use decorum and a willingness to obey the directions of their shepherds. There is safety with the flock and not straying with the "black sheeple" that want to change the rules to fit themselves.

Silly I know but just a thought!;)

[sjclynn]

Would you like it better if they said were in port until 4:30 but didn't get under way until 5:00? I doubt it.

 

I'm with you. When I am on the ship I am totally ship centric. The 'must be on board' time no longer matters. I want to know when I need to be up on deck to view the departure which is conveniently listed as 'departure' time.

 

As for losing 30 minutes of vacation, that doesn't happen. I am on vacation from the moment my key is in my pocket as I leave for the airport until the key comes out of my pocket when I get back.

[VermeulT]

I have an idea! They should play the videos of people getting left behind with a running script on the bottom of the screen, "Do not let this happen to you, get back to the ship on time!" in all the rooms, every time someone turns the TV on.

 

Why not? They feel a need to show people how to wash their hands.

[Cruisin' Chick]

OMG, the OP flamed HAL, and I do believe not only will he ever do that again, but I think at this point, he's been beat into submission. The up side is, he probably won't cruise aboard HAL again. Given his repeated defense of his position, I'm suggesting he books another cruise line in the future. Now its time to give this post a rest.;)

 

No, because other cruiselines have the same deadline: you ignore sailaway time and you should be watching the ship sail away. From the dock.

[Cruisin' Chick]

You "sheeple" are missing the point! Yes I am to blame, no question about it. And for all your questions about what happened to me, that also doesn't matter as the ship or my wife did not know( accident, mugged, kidnapped, shot, drowned, or at the bar??) My question that no one seems to care or understand is why these cruise lines say that they will be in a port and "depart" at a stated time when I guess they know and we know that the time of true departure is either always a 1/2 hour early or at the Captains discretion. Why can't the cruise lines be honest and clear and state they will be in a port at 4:30 as opposed to 5:00. We the "sheeple" lose 1/2 hour of our vacation and even more because some of you paranoid/scared get on hours before "all aboard tome". So is it false advertising to say the ship "departs" at one time only to find out the "all aboard is different" What does the word "depart" mean in their brochures and advertising?? This is why I challenged the fact that the ship would leave before a published "departure" time even though not all passengers are on board. Yes the story is true the ship did change even the date we were to be in Aruba as well as the "departure" time (even though this time means nothing) from 11pm to 5pm. So should the cruise lines be honest with us and publish the fact that the ship actual departs at 4:30 is the true question. The problem seems to be cruise passengers are "sheeple" and are more concerned about eating with the "herd" Baaa! And for those that say they were watching and didn't see me running, that is because I was stopped/detained by Aruba port authority which was communicating with the Captain and ship as they were looking for me. I must say that my adventures and the experience getting back was far better than being at sea with rude and inconsiderate passengers of HAL. I just felt bad for my wife...She was stuck with you. I would be careful as KARMA could strike and this could be your story. My FAULT 100%. Live and learn. So why don't you posters use all this energy to change the cruise industry so they publish true departure times or at least wait until the published departure before they leave a passenger/customer behind. Time to be TRUE and accurate.

 

Maybe you should just save up the bucks you would be spending on a mass market cruise, and then spend it on a private yacht. Then you can control when you come and go into a port (of course, you would have to negotiate with TPTB as to port fees, which will be based on how long you are spending in the port).

[RevNeal]

Reading this thread has been like watching a train wreck.

Yikes! :eek: There's something about it that makes it difficult to not watch.

 

The pastoral side of me cannot help but feel sorry for the OP and his family, even though he really did it all to himself at every point ... including his posting his mistakes here. I will grant you that confession is good for the soul, however a big part of true confession is both:

 

1. True Contrition, and

2. A Firm Purpose of Amendment

 

Based upon what the OP has posted, up to now, I don't discern contrition regarding this event. Contrition come when one is truly sorry for having trespassed the laws of God and Man precisely because one knows that it is wrong to do so. In this case, however, it would appear that the OP is simply sorry he got caught. Being sorry one got caught isn't contrition, though people often confuse one with the other.

 

Also, I don't see much in the way of a Firm Purpose of Amendment. For there to be a Firm Purpose of Amendment, the penitent must not only be contrite, they must also have a desire to not do it again; in order to have such a desire, one must first admit that there is something that they commit themselves to not doing again. By shoveling the blame for getting left behind off on the Captain, the OP is trying to absolve himself from any guilt for the consequences of his actions, thus leaving nothing for him to amend. Indeed, he has been busy playing "pass the buck," appearing to admit a degree of blame but not being willing to admit that getting left behind was the direct consequence of his action.

 

Again, I truly do have compassion for the man and for his family. I feel sorry that his cruise was ruined and that he also ruined his family's cruise. It must have been especially traumatic for them.

[Jade13]

R

 

 

Again, I truly do have compassion for the man and for his family. I feel sorry that his cruise was ruined and that he also ruined his family's cruise. It must have been especially traumatic for them.

 

Hi RevNeal!

 

Most of the posts are not compassionate and many mean spirited. The analytical side of me just wants to know what really happened. Again, my guess was that he really thought the departure time (5:00pm) was the "All Aboard", or basically he could board at 5:00pm. That it wasn't anything more than that (such as speculation that he was drinking somewhere).

 

I just wish the Op would have posted something to the the affect that it was his first cruise and he really thought the listed departure time of 5:00pm was when he needed to climb on board. Whether he was there at 4:41pm doesn't matter if he needed to be onboard at 4:30pm.

 

I just got back from an Azamara cruise and thought the posted "All aboard" times which the cruise line listed as 15 minutes before actually departure (4:45pm for a 5:00pm departure) was cutting it close with passengers. Other than that these were all really seasoned passengers we met so I never heard of any problem.