Bumped from Oosterdam 10-29-05 for lesbian cruise--anyone else had this happen?!

[RobbieCruises]

As for saying these two groups couldn't coexist (replying to the second tangent going on), that's not true if these weren't whole-ship charters. Very few groups interact anyhow, but I would be very comfortable with either/both these groups on my cruise, and many people would be! I have a gay son and listen to the radio stations in question every day. All this sense of polarism is exaggerated by the media : ) (I'm in the media, too.)

[want2travelbad]

This thread has gotten off track, but I hope it is okay to chime in and reply to the OP. I have been away from this board for awhile, so am getting in on this discussion late. I have been bumped from a HAL cruise, for a charter, and I have lived to tell the tale! My family was to leave on the "O" Mexican Cruise, departing from San Diego, this coming weekend. We had already booked our nonrefundable airfare prior to learning we had been bumped. Our flight was with America West and the change fee was $100 pp, or $300 for our family. Also, we were limited to traveling next week, as it is Spring Break and our child is getting to an age where pulling him out of school is getting more difficult. HAL's initial offer to us was a $50 pp shipboard credit. Not okay. So, I worked with my online TA, and counter offered: we asked for HAL to pay our airfare change fees (in the form of a $300 shipboard credit); and to allow us to reschedule on any 7 day sailing/itinerary that HAL sails, during any period of the year that worked for our family in the same stateroom category for no additional money. HAL met our requests, and agreed to provide the $50 pp shipboard credit they initially offered on top of everything, even though we didn't request it.Also, we have to pay a little more for port fees/taxes. The outcome? We will be sailing on the "O" in July, to Alaska, in the exact same stateroom we would have sailed if we had gotten to take the Mexican cruise. We are in a Category D, balcony, and would have spent quite a bit more money had we booked this cruise directly. We are quite happy with the way HAL ultimately handled it, although I will admit I was a psycho woman for about a week when this was all unfolding.:eek:

[stanford's girl]

want2travelbad,

WOW!! It seems like HAL's standard offer is a $50pp shipboard credit. By holding out and countering, you got a great deal that worked out well for your family. It's nice to know that HAL came through for you. I'll keep this in mind if I ever get bumped from a cruise.;)

[kryos]

...or lose their six-figure salary for letting this happen!:eek:

Excellent point! :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

(I guess the reverse of this is if Olivia doesn't get enough bookings by the drop-dead date from HAL to charter the whole ship, they cancel and disappoint their own customers).

No. I don't think that's how it would work. If Olivia didn't get enough bookings to charter the whole ship, then Olivia's group would sail, but they would sail right along with everyone else that booked the cruise. This means that they couldn't "customize" the cruise for their own members; i.e., couldn't have their own entertainers in the show lounges, couldn't alter HAL rules such as dress codes, etc., and would basically have to live compatibly with others sharing the boat with them. I only wonder, though, if certain groups can even co-exist on a ship due to the differences in philosophies and such (i.e., Olivia and a Christian group).

 

However, when you do a whole ship charter, from what I understand you have a lot of leeway in terms of customizing portions of the experience; i.e., bringing your own entertainment along, etc. Some of the Christian groups do this. They charter the whole ship and then order that the bars and casino be closed for the duration of the cruise. They also bring along Christian entertainers who replace all of the ship's entertainers for the week.

 

By the way, the reason I said that a Christian group would never sail with an Olivia group is because Christian groups generally tend to be family-oriented. I cannot imagine, based on the Christian parents I know ... as well as my knowledge of the faith ... that any parents would be willing to have their children "exposed" to wide-scale practice of the gay lifestyle while onboard. Many of these same parents homeschool their children specifically as not to have them exposed to much of what is going on in the world today, and if they will go that far (homeschooling is no picnic), I doubt they would take their children on a vacation where they will be exposed to something that Christian teachings generally denounce.

 

Christian groups are a big force in the vacation market today. And, believe me, HAL is gonna be taking very good care of that Christian group when they bump them from this sailing ... especially if they wind up having to ask them to move their event to another date. They are going to be giving them some really big credits and other incentives to keep them happy, or else they are going to get cut out of the Christian market for many years to come. Of course, I am sure the Olivia group has a bit of clout as well and has to be treated carefully.

 

Like I said ... I don't envy the HAL executive who has to deal with this mess, nor do I envy the employee who allowed it to occur.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita