remuneration for an extremely bad cruise

[maysdot]

Sounds like 11/8 sailing ? We were on this trip, but fortunately not in one of the affected rooms. After talking with numerous people on board who were affected, and reading the continuous string of posts about this problem going back several prior sailings, I agree with your contention that HAL knowingly placed passengers in what should have been out of service rooms.

A shipboard credit and future cruise credit is a pretty poor way to handle this IMO. Because this was a willing act by HAL, I would expect a full cash refund, not a credit to spend more money with a provider who just willingly took advantage of you.

I hope that members will keep posting about this issue until HAL does right by those affected. Remember that we are all just one unlucky cabin pick away from this type of callous disregard for customers, and need the voices of many consumers to get anything corrected.

I know this doesn't shed any light on your original question about the final outcome based on actual experience. I hope everyone involved gets compensated fully, but as you are aware of, the language of the cruise contract puts you at the mercy (or lack of) of the cruise line. Although on my evaluation I rated my experiences very well/excellent, I clearly marked the box saying that I would not consider cruising again with HAL, and used the comment space to give a long negative statement on this disregard for customers comfort and medical safety(90 degree temps and 79% humidity are potential medical issues in a room with no AC). I thought I would surely get an e mail asking/commenting on my survey, but nothing so far.

 

In response to your last statement..'I thought I would surely get an e mail asking/commenting on my survey, but nothing so far'.....don't hold your breath....you will never hear from HAL again...at least not unless you sail with them again, and then you will receive a card in your cabin acknowledging that you had filled in a card on your last cruise. I can't remember the exact wording ( I have received at least 3 of them and will see if I can find one), but I think they say that they hope that you will find their service on your present cruise better......just something like that....maybe with a phone number or name, but basically they never address the issue/issues you brought up in the survey. I used to fill in the questionnaires when HAL gave a prize for passengers who passed them in early, but don't bother any more....as I said before, they really could care less. I find that in the past few years HAL has really slipped in their Guest Service Dept...actually I think that they have even eliminated the position of Guest Services Manager!!:(

[Tampa Girl]

I can understand certain cabins having A/C problems, but I having difficulty envisioning three full decks being without A/C. Is this, perhaps, an exaggeration?

[OlsSalt]

Yes, without a doubt. DH cannot sleep without AC. Don't you think when a steward is making up the bed and cleaning the cabin for the next guests about to board and the present occupant who sweltered all week in that cabin is still there waiting to disembark, that is pretty much proof HAL is 'knowingly' selling a defective cabin? Those saying HAL may not know about the problem cabins are either naïve of how cruiselines operate or are super-cheerleaders who will excuse anything. Remember the thread about the balcony door that leaked water into the cabin and the steward admitted the carpet had been soaked and smelly for weeks? That's 'knowingly' showing contempt for your customer. And don't start me on the 'future cruise credit' con game!

 

What has called knowingly defective cabins apparently when checked by staff according to one member review was apparently within the normal HAL temperature ranges, and there was some A/C flowing. One could not conclude from that report that the AC was not working. It was working but not to the level a particular passenger wanted. That makes this situation extremely tough to deal with.

 

Need to get all sides of this before reaching any conclusions as to whether HAL was "knowingly" selling an objectively defective cabins. Maybe more will come out about this.

 

But the common wisdom would be to stay away since this is an ongoing reported problem for some passengers. And cabin temperature comfort is a very important part of the decision-making process. Why take the chance? :confused:

[OlsSalt]

I can understand certain cabins having A/C problems, but I having difficulty envisioning three full decks being without A/C. Is this, perhaps, an exaggeration?

 

Perhaps. Only way to know what was happening is to look at the recorded temperature readings, which apparently according to one report remained within HAL acceptable limits, even though that passenger found them unacceptably hot. Best might be that future passengers check ahead of time what a cruise line calls their acceptable cabin temperature limits, so there are no surprises afterwards.

[OlsSalt]

There have been so many reports of air conditioning failures on the Zuiderdam over the last two years that HAL must have heard the odd rumour by now. :rolleyes: If they have heard the rumours and have done nothing to remedy the situation, then they are knowingly selling the defective cabins.

 

According to the recent Member Review part of which was just posted here, when checking an allegedly "defective" cabin they found the temperature range to be within the HAL acceptable limits. In that case, how would one validate HAL was selling intentionally defective cabins?

[OlsSalt]

There have been so many reports of air conditioning failures on the Zuiderdam over the last two years that HAL must have heard the odd rumour by now. :rolleyes: If they have heard the rumours and have done nothing to remedy the situation, then they are knowingly selling the defective cabins.

 

 

What other HAL ships routinely do the Panama Canal? How does HAL deal with rumors here or anywhere when their own tests find those allegedly defective cabins are within their established normal acceptable temperature ranges? That is a tough one.

[bernie5]

We sailed on HAL (Zuiderdam) to the Panama Canal for her 73rd and my 75th birthday celebration. Bad choice! We boarded, went to our suite, and determined that the air conditioning was not working. I notified the front desk and was told it would be fixed "soon." "Soon" never happened so we spent ten days in a hot and humid suite.

 

I am convinced that HAL boarded us and other passengers knowing full well that the a/c was out.We were told that three decks were affected for the entire cruise.

 

We were given $600 shipboard credit on the last day of the cruise, which we accepted as a cash payment. We have since been notified that we will each receive future cruise credit of $550 each. I find this remuneration to be well under what we should receive.

 

Has anyone out there had such an experience in the past and, if so, what was the final outcome. Thanks. I plan on sending another email to them after I talk further with my travel agent.

 

Please tell us your cabin number so others on the next cruise can see if this has been resolved in any way.

[innlady1]

We have been on ships with the Noro Virus lasting anywhere from 12 days to 15 days.

 

We didn't get anything -- not even a free dinner.

 

Seems hard to believe, but I guess we were lucky!

[Candy]

Taken from a recent Panama Zuiderdam review on CC "Members Reviews" (bolding added):

 

We just returned on November 8th from a Panama Canal cruise on MS Zuiderdam. We were in Suite 7065, right across from the Neptune Lounge and had minimal air conditioning the entire cruise. What should've been an awesome cruise was diminished quite a bit by the discomfort we experienced... snip

We occupied Zuiderdam's suite 7065 from 11/8 thru 11/18/13. The A/C was very cold, easily adjustable, and the toilet flushed every single time.

[MermaidWatcher]

Why is the entire full fare just compensation when they availed themselves of many benefits included in the full fare price?

Really ? So your contention is that once they realized that their cabins had no ac,, they should have stayed locked in the sweltering cabin, not used the bathroom, not eaten or viewed the shows, and not utilized any public areas of the ship, if they expected to get a refund ? The passengers did not put themselves in this situation of feeling that they deserved full compensation, HAL is the responsible party who knowingly put them in uninhabitable cabins, and continued to lie to them about the situation being a unexplained dilemma , when in fact they knew this existed for several cruises before Nov 8.

 

It could happen to anyone which is why this discussion if it can remain neutral is productive. What is good compensation and what are reasonable alternatives, including being asked to be flown back home ASAP.

The first alternative was HAL's, and they chose not to exercise it. That was to inform the passengers in these rooms of the situation, even as late as dockside check in, explain what compensation they would offer if they chose to not sail, and let them make their decision.

 

I am sure HAL corporate is struggling with this one too. As they should. It would be nice if the captain could weigh in on this discussion. This was under his control.

If HAL corporate office is beginning to struggle with this issue, I believe it would only be from the tsunami of bad publicity that is mounting on CC and other web boards. You can be sure that they have people who monitor all social media, and when the negatives start to impact their bookings, they will go public with whatever compensation they feel is necessary to change public opinion again.

 

[MermaidWatcher]

Still looking to see how the case can be made that HAL "knowingly" sold these cabins. Wish we could hear from the other side, to see what they offer in their defense.

 

Mission statements can be used against an organization because they become part of the "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in any contract.

 

Two issues here: suffering a hot cabin and being knowingly sold a defective cabin. Build your facts for both.

 

The maintenance logs should easily create a trail to establish the functionality of the ac equipment in these cabins, which are obviously all on the same "zone" of the system. There will also be purchase orders for any replacement parts purchased for delivery in a port, or contracts for outside services in ports. The problem with customers trying to get resolution, and HAL knows it and uses it to their advantage, is that except for a few affected people who may have exchanged contact information on any particular cruise, each customer is isolated and has no access to or knowledge of who the other affected passengers are.

[OlsSalt]

If HAL corporate office is beginning to struggle with this issue, I believe it would only be from the tsunami of bad publicity that is mounting on CC and other web boards. You can be sure that they have people who monitor all social media, and when the negatives start to impact their bookings, they will go public with whatever compensation they feel is necessary to change public opinion again.

 

 

At this point, one could say the exact status of these cabins has not been confirmed. In fact, direct opposite remarks are also being made.

 

If on the other hand, one uses the social media to slander a business in hopes of getting renumeration that could be called extortion. So what one reads in the social media has to be taken with a grain of salt, as much as an indirect wake-up call.

 

Best action is to deal directly with the company and in the courts. Slandering in the social media with unsubstantiated claims is equally problematic.

Edited November 25, 2013 by OlsSalt

[OlsSalt]

The maintenance logs should easily create a trail to establish the functionality of the ac equipment in these cabins, which are obviously all on the same "zone" of the system. There will also be purchase orders for any replacement parts purchased for delivery in a port, or contracts for outside services in ports. The problem with customers trying to get resolution, and HAL knows it and uses it to their advantage, is that except for a few affected people who may have exchanged contact information on any particular cruise, each customer is isolated and has no access to or knowledge of who the other affected passengers are.

 

 

Did you read the member review, who claimed a similar problem said HAL monitoring the temperatures tested 3X a day in her cabin were within the normal ranges? Apparently according to her report, 10 cabins were being tested. You could subpoena those reports in a court case.

[MermaidWatcher]

I can understand certain cabins having A/C problems, but I having difficulty envisioning three full decks being without A/C. Is this, perhaps, an exaggeration?

 

It was not three full decks, but the aft facing cabins on three decks, 6, 7, and 8.

[Wakepatrol]

I had high hopes when Candy reported in. Unfortunately she has no video of her toilet flushing,and readings on the thermometer she had in the A/C vents

 

<insert> sad trombone music:o

[jtl513]

... where is the internet connection on Half Moon Cay is? Is it cheaper and/or faster than than the connection on the ship?

I'm sure she meant anchored. AFAIK there is no connection for passengers on the island. I've never seen a passenger using a laptop there, and am pretty sure I would have seen somebody doing it if it was possible. But - if there is one you can be pretty sure it won't be cheaper and probably not faster. :rolleyes:

[mudscraper]

The way the posts are going on this thread, something just tells me that "Joanie's report" will not "settle it once and for all".

 

 

 

Are you actually posting on-board while the ship is ANCHORED at Half Moon Cay or are you TENDERING into Half Moon Cay and posting there. If posting from Half Moon Cay, I'd just like to know is where is the internet connection on Half Moon Cay is? Is it cheaper and/or faster than than the connection on the ship?

I was told that there is wifi near Parrot Fish Bay.

[igraf]

Why are you complaining to HAL about the norovirus? This was not HAL's fault, and it sounds like they were busting their collective buns trying to contain the situation so that you would not get sick.

 

I really don't see the basis for your complaint at all, except to blame nature and certain passengers with disgustingly poor personal hygiene. You should be thanking HAL and crew for the extra effort on their part.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

I'd be thrilled if I were in your shoes!

 

Last year, I complained (perhaps not loudly enough) about the norovirus that was on our cruise 14 days out of 21. Consequently, many things were shut down: The hot tubs, the Sea View Pool, the Thermal suite in the spa, books in the library...and even on the HAL shorex, we felt like pariahs as the people doing the excursions had to wipe down the buses and hand out purell every time we made a stop!

 

The constant sloshing around of disinfectant was unappetizing. And, of course, no salt and peppers on the table, no flowers...you know the drill.

 

We were given a dinner in the Pinnacle Grille which, with our Mariner's discount, would have cost $12.50 each.

[IRL_Joanie]

My apologies to the OP for your question about remuneration being hijacked by a couple of member.

 

I do not know if it was a good deal or not that you received what you did. I believe it is you and your loved one who can tell us and if you feel it was or was not.

 

I hope that as someone else has posted on this thread, constructively, that there are technicians on board working to fix the problems now. I hope since I am going to be in one of those staterooms having been reported as not having any working air conditioning.

 

I do hope that you will not let this one cruise ruin you for any opther cruises, no matter what Line it might be.

 

Joanie

[Host Walt]

This thread is now closed.