awful suite

[George C]

Yep Sandals is a great alternative to cruising, it is not cheap , but no kids and no bar bill and no tipping , went to one a few months ago , pool was so peaceful

[Hlitner]

I just read the OPs post to my DW and her reaction cannot be printed :) But suffice it to say a translation of her reaction into words which can be published would be: "I suppose they did not complain enough!" And seriously, this was my thought too. Complaining to HA after the cruise might get you an apology or some kind of small future credit....but this does not compensate for having part of a cruise ruined! In this situation we would have kept escalating our onboard complaint (documenting each step) until we finally got to the Hotel Manager. Sometimes it seems like there is a protocol to filing a legitimate grievance onboard....and escalating up the chain of command often seems to work. Telling the Guest Relations supervisor your problem might be a good early step. But the next step would be to tell this person to immediately resolve the situation or "please get us an appointment with the Hotel Manager." On most ships a supervisor never wants an issue escalated beyond their level....so this can often provide an adequate incentive to get it fixed.

 

Hank

[Rowsby]

Well I heard from Holland and they gave me a $200 obc for my next cruise. By the way I paid $7000 for the suite on a 9 day cruise. Well fellow cruisers is this a good response or bad?

 

Bad...and insulting.....

I would send a certified, return receipt requested letter directly to Stein Kruse and attach a copy of all 7 pages of this thread....

When you purchased this cruise....you had an expectation that Holland America would follow their own guidelines....and they did not....!!

[sail7seas]

 

 

<snip>

 

. Well fellow cruisers is this a good response or bad?

 

 

IMO, It doesn't matter a whit what we think.

All that matters is if you think it a good response or bad?

Surely you can decide that for yourself.

 

If we all say 'good', will you then be satisfied but if we do not, then you'll be dissatisfied? :confused:

 

Happy you got a response and very happy you came here to tell us the 'rest of the story'.

 

Thank you.

 

[bcd2010]

....you had an expectation that Holland America would follow their own guidelines....and they did not....!!

 

This is what I keep thinking. Is the requirement of an adult in the cabin with those under 18 (?) a HAL policy? The law? (probably not a law - who would have jurisdiction). Does it amount to anything other than a "suggestion"?

 

The person who mentioned escalating the problem was right. On my last cruise, there was a problem that I kept escalating and finally asked to see the HM. I was refused. The GRM came out and asked what she could do for me. I told her she could get the HM. She refused and started to yap further so I told her: "You have 2 choices - take me to the hotel manager or I will notify Seattle." She still refused, so I immediately sent an email to Seattle. That was at 5 pm on a Sunday night. Monday morning, the GRM called me at 9:30 am to set up an appointment with the HM. The problem was resolved somewhat.

 

There is another way to interpret the comment about the sensitivity of those involved - if they think you are too sensitive, they will see your problem as exaggerated.

[cruz chic]

Bad...and insulting.....

I would send a certified, return receipt requested letter directly to Stein Kruse and attach a copy of all 7 pages of this thread....

When you purchased this cruise....you had an expectation that Holland America would follow their own guidelines....and they did not....!!

 

Oh it would be so nice if business did what they should do. United airlines put me thru hell-o on my last cruise. I wrote a letter to the president knowing it would never get there. I got a lousy email from United and not one red cent towards the money I spent to get clothes for my cruise. It's been over a month and I'm still waiting for money from insurance.

[pms4104]

Thats $200 for the cabin or $100 each

Not only is the amount insulting ... but it assumes that you will have the time, money and inclination to take another HAL cruise. I suppose you have the option of responding that their offer is unacceptable for the hell you went thru, and that rather than OBC you would prefer a refund/credit of $XXX (you determine what you want from HAL) of the fare you paid.

 

Very shabby treatment, both onboard and with that paltry OBC being offered to you.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Well I heard from Holland and they gave me a $200 obc for my next cruise. By the way I paid $7000 for the suite on a 9 day cruise. They said they regretted the situation and that I must understand they have to walk a fine line regarding interactions between guests on board. They must consider the described behaviorand the sensitivity of both parties involved. I should be assured that security and Front Offiice staff are trained to handle these situations as they unfold. They acknowledge that I do not believe they took a satisfactorily strong stance on my behalf. They stated thet can empathize with my displeasure. Well fellow cruisers is this a good response or bad?

 

I find this response condescending and, as someone else has said, insulting. The sentence I highlighted particularly annoys me. It translates to "Sorry, but we don't have the [can't use the word that comes to mind, so I'll say 'courage'] to deal with passengers who cause problems."

 

At this point, there's really nothing that can make up for the problems you had. As for the obc, if I'd had an experience like yours with a cruise line, I'd have a difficult time convincing myself to book a cruise on which to use that obc.

[lovetocruise2020]

GeorgeC Said: "Yep Sandals is a great alternative to cruising, it is not cheap , but no kids and no bar bill and no tipping , went to one a few months ago , pool was so peaceful "

 

Yes I agree completely. May I ask which one you went to and if you did I review? I would love to know how it went for you and which room you booked.

 

My clients are loving Sanctuary Cap Cana, a lot of rooms have private pools and huge rooftop terraces, as well as hot tubs, and the price is right.

 

They did start allowing children since Secrets sold the resort, but the amount of children is very small and they have no children's programs etc. They also do not allow them in the nicer restaurants.

 

I do hope Sandals picks up this resort, they are in th buying mood right now.

 

The only true way to get away from a lot of kids or kids entirely are places like these.

[peaches from georgia]

I find this response condescending and, as someone else has said, insulting. The sentence I highlighted particularly annoys me. It translates to "Sorry, but we don't have the [can't use the word that comes to mind, so I'll say 'courage'] to deal with passengers who cause problems."

 

At this point, there's really nothing that can make up for the problems you had. As for the obc, if I'd had an experience like yours with a cruise line, I'd have a difficult time convincing myself to book a cruise on which to use that obc.

Nothing annoys me quite as much when it comes to cruiselines than there being no recourse for a legitimate problem other than accepting an OBC on another future cruise. So you have a situation on a cruise which could have been remedied but wasn't, and you have to spend thousands more on another cruise to get even a small refund on the ruined cruise?

 

What other company do you deal with as a consumer that operates like this? You order an expensive meal in a restaurant and the food is not good- you might get something comped on that meal or a gift from management but not a $5 off coupon on your next meal there of $200 or more. You buy a suit or dress and the stitching is imperfect- the store offers you a discount price on that clothing, not come back and buy $1000 more in clothing and we'll give you 10 bucks off. If I spend a lot of money and have a legitimate problem that's the product I want and should have remedied, not my next purchase. What a racket!

[George C]

GeorgeC Said: "Yep Sandals is a great alternative to cruising, it is not cheap , but no kids and no bar bill and no tipping , went to one a few months ago , pool was so peaceful "

 

Yes I agree completely. May I ask which one you went to and if you did I review? I would love to know how it went for you and which room you booked.

 

My clients are loving Sanctuary Cap Cana, a lot of rooms have private pools and huge rooftop terraces, as well as hot tubs, and the price is right.

 

They did start allowing children since Secrets sold the resort, but the amount of children is very small and they have no children's programs etc. They also do not allow them in the nicer restaurants.

 

I do hope Sandals picks up this resort, they are in th buying mood right now.

 

The only true way to get away from a lot of kids or kids entirely are places like these.

 

We did the Whitehouse in Jamaica for 8 nights durring Thanksgiving week, did there Ochos rios years ago, we will do same one agin with next year or 2, did have a review on tripadvisor. Resurants were all very nice way better than MDR but not as good as Pinnacle.

[Mtn2Sea]

After spending $7000 on the cruise and then being offered $200 OBC for a ruined vacation, which was due in part to HAL's failure to properly respond, I would run, not walk, to another cruise line. HAL's response is an insult!

[lovetocruise2020]

We did the Whitehouse in Jamaica for 8 nights durring Thanksgiving week, did there Ochos rios years ago, we will do same one agin with next year or 2, did have a review on tripadvisor. Resurants were all very nice way better than MDR but not as good as Pinnacle.

 

Thanks GeorgeC!

I have yet to get to Whitehouse, or send a bride there, so I can't wait to read your review!! :)

[chiquita cruiser]

Hello fellow cruisers:

Just finished reading this posting. I was lurking because we have been considering taking a cruise on HAL since we like to try different ships and we have never been to some of the ports that are on HAL's itineraries. However since we have all our perks with RCI and X, we have been reluctant to jump on board. Well, your postings have done it for us as we have never had a problem on RCI or X that they did not resolve to our satisfaction.

 

Upon reading your many postings, we will not be taking that cruise with HAL! A company that does not listen to grievances and cannot support their own policies is not my idea of a well run group. What a bunch of nonsense in that letter!! I would return it to them requesting an apology for once again treating you in such a condescending manner and send a cc to the President of the Company. I say take your $$ to another cruise line where you will be appreciated.

 

May your next sailing be smooth..

C

[Boytjie]

Hello fellow cruisers:

Just finished reading this posting. I was lurking because we have been considering taking a cruise on HAL since we like to try different ships and we have never been to some of the ports that are on HAL's itineraries. However since we have all our perks with RCI and X, we have been reluctant to jump on board. Well, your postings have done it for us as we have never had a problem on RCI or X that they did not resolve to our satisfaction.

 

Upon reading your many postings, we will not be taking that cruise with HAL! A company that does not listen to grievances and cannot support their own policies is not my idea of a well run group.

 

It seems to be an isolated incident and it would be a shame to base your decision on just this one incident.

[sail7seas]

It seems to be an isolated incident and it would be a shame to base your decision on just this one incident.

 

 

I agree.

To base your decision to avoid a cruise line because of one report of dissatsifaction may be a little hasty and you could be missing the chance to have a wonderful cruise.

 

We have sailed 80+ times on HAL and you can be absolutely positive, had we ever encountered that sort of attitude or response from on board crew, we would not have been accepting of it. It has never happened to us..... thankfully.

 

(I am in no way saying it didn't happen to OP but I am saying it is not common based upon my personal experience.)

 

[Linda&Vern]

It seems to be an isolated incident and it would be a shame to base your decision on just this one incident.

Thank you for pointing that out Peter. Indeed, HAL is so much more than this one incident. I would like to suggest that "Chiquita Cruiser" experience a HAL ship for themselves before reaching a thumbs down conclusion. :) Just my thought.

[Joe Dandy]

This one incident lasted 9 days. I can't go back because it could happen again. It could happen on another line as well. The cruise industry is very competitive and they will not come down hard on anyone. Although I was on Celebrity when a 16 year old punched another boy and he was told to stay in the cabin until the cruise was over, about 3 days.

[George C]

This one incident lasted 9 days. I can't go back because it could happen again. It could happen on another line as well. The cruise industry is very competitive and they will not come down hard on anyone. Although I was on Celebrity when a 16 year old punched another boy and he was told to stay in the cabin until the cruise was over, about 3 days.

 

, If that happened to me I would never sail that line again, they dropped the ball on that. There are too many other lines out there. I thought they would do more.

[Windsailer]

a letter, not an email. Attach the email you originally sent to Guest Relations, and explain why, in detail, you think the compensation was inadequate. What 9 day cruise were you on?

[Watson's aunt]

I would have found the parents cabin and every time the kids bothered yo go find them or wake them up every time they woke you. I wonder how fast HAl would act then

[Paul S]

It's very easy to say after the event what one might or might not have done. However, in my experience when things are going wrong most people just want to fade into the background.

 

On a P & O cruise thrugh central America and the Caribbean a few years back (my first cruise, for a special birthday) we were delayed on the way out from London by a faulty plane chartered by P & O, the whole situation of which was extremely badly handled by the company. We were told that a catering truck had driven into and damaged the aircraft.

 

Just before we were due to disembark the cruise the leaving passengers were told there was a problem in the UK with the plane for the return charter flight, blamed on a catering truck driving into the aircraft!!!, that we would all be put up in a hotel overnight, our luggage would be left at the dockside and we would be given a plastic carrier bag, should find our own bags and take just what we needed for the night. Everyone was complaining amongst themselves, but when I stood up, addressed fellow passengers in the lounge and said we should stay on board and refuse to disembark until we had been given proper assurances on hotels, return flights, etc. nobody was prepared to join me, and we ended up like refugees picking through our soaking bags in rain on the dockside (but after we left the ship the passengers were coming up to tell me how brave I had been). Ever since, I have found it somewhat amusing to read all the postings of "what I would have done".

 

There were numerous other problems, but despite prolonged vociferous complaints after we got back home, P & O didn't really want to know.

 

Paul

[3rdGenCunarder]

I would have found the parents cabin and every time the kids bothered yo go find them or wake them up every time they woke you. I wonder how fast HAl would act then

 

That approach is appealing at first thought, but I wouldn't deal with the parents directly. In my experience, the worse the kids' behavior, the nastier the parents are if you say something.

 

As Paul S said, it is easy to think of something to do after the fact, and given the age of this thread, I have had lots of time to think of an approach. It just occurred to me that one way to get the attention of the security people would have been to call the front desk and say "The kids in the next cabin are alone and they're climbing on the railing. I'm so afraid one of them will fall! Can you do something about this?"

[vbmom87]

The front office staff on any HAL ship are trained to be robotic and give canned responses. We love the HAL experience as long as it does not involve interacting with the front desk because this is where HAL fails miserably.

 

We will do anything to avoid dealing with them.

 

So very true!!!!

[serendipity1499]

Thats $200 for the cabin or $100 each

 

I'm not sure that our opinion really matters..

 

We were on a 68 day cruise on the Prinsendam & paid a lot more than $7,000 for our cruise..We boarded in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan 5 & the Air Cond. in our cabin was not working..We have an atomic clock with the temp. on it..It was always between 79 & 80 degrees & quite uncomfortable...The Engineers kept trying to fix the air to no avail..The Front desk took periodic temp readings & it constantly remained the same.. Our Stewards even brought us a fan, which helped a bit..The Engineers eventually ordered a new part for the air cond. & finally a week later, on Jan 12, were able to fix it..

DH & I were laughing, as on that day it was cold & rainy outside..But we were very happy that it was finally fixed & never asked for, nor expected any kind of monetary compensation.. By the time the cruise was nearing the end, we had even forgotten about the Air not working..

On March 12, two days before we disembarked we received a very nice letter of apology from the Guest Relations Mgr. which also stated that HAL in Seattle had decided that we should receive a small OBC, close to the amount you were offered, as compensation for our discomfort at the beginning of the cruise..We were astonished as it was completely unexpected.. But, we felt it was a very nice gesture on HAL's part..

Therefore, I agree with Sail that only you can decide if the $200 compensation is adequate..

Cheers...Betty