The Daily for Thursday August 12, 2021

[NextOne]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

I am so p*ssed at HAL right now I have no words.  Well, I do have words but they are all 4 letter. 😡 

 

Our request to transfer our cruise from the Eurodam to the (now) Oosterdam next year has been going on since JULY 2ND.

 

My TA was told NO today and demanded it be escalated higher.

 

She is now pulling in her liaison at her agency (they are a top agency with HAL) to see what he can do.  I’m already booked but I’d like my OBC that I had certainly a better rate on the cruise.

 

my sisters who I haven’t seen in 2 years were going to cruise with us.  We all coughed up the $750 US for the $250 OBC.  HAL has had the money for over a year.  And if they don’t transfer us, we get our money back and lose the OBC.  The prices they would pay now would be substantially higher and the perks are not the same at all.

 

We were on a Fall transatlantic and our replacement cruise was a spring??? HUH???  

 

I’m sorry but I had to vent.  I am beyond livid.  A simple request form one TA to another after we went through numerous ship and itinerary changes and were flexible and HAL is not?

I’m betting I will never get that OBC that Gerald gave me from the Mariners Society for the screw up on our Prinsendam cruise with Sel de Mer.

 

Sorry for the vent.

Jacqui - no apology necessary! That's totally ridiculous!

[bennybear]

@kazu yikes!  So unfair!  I don’t understand HAL many times!  One shouldn’t have to fight for these type of things!   Sometimes it just takes getting to the right person.   We too have been very concerned as we have a huge credit that our TA shepherded through our latest changes.  
 

Thank goodness onboard usually makes up for these things.    I am hopeful your situation will get resolved !  

[JazzyV]

@kazu So sorry to hear of how HAL is treating you! Vent away.

 

I'm surprised I have power (hope I didn't jinx myself). We are having bad thunderstorms right now, with high winds, power outages, flooding. Luckily I'm on high ground, but we have many roads that flood whenever the rain is constant and high volume.

[StLouisCruisers]

2 hours ago, dfish said:

 

@StLouisCruisers How is your son's power situation now?   My sister was told not until Sunday morning, but they have power now, so I cancelled my hotel.  If I had known it would be cleared up so quickly, I would have left today after all.   

 

He says no power yet and provider estimates 11:30 pm tomorrow.  They can sleep in the basement to stay cool, but the worry is lost food.  Time to grill those steaks!

[Cruising-along]

@kazuJacqui I'm so sorry to hear about the problems you're having with HAL.  Vent away!

 

For the first time we smell smoke here today.  We've been lucky until now.  It's 84 degrees F and air quality is "low".  I've pretty much stayed inside today. 

[57redbird]

24 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

@kazuJacqui I'm so sorry to hear about the problems you're having with HAL.  Vent away!

 

For the first time we smell smoke here today.  We've been lucky until now.  It's 84 degrees F and air quality is "low".  I've pretty much stayed inside today. 

91 here in Bremerton & super smoky....UGH!

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

4 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

Suddenly, there is smoke, the wind has changed and the air is turning a sort of greyish yellow.  We have been lucky all summer, but I guess it had to change sometime.  

 

And a neighbour just came by to let us know that mutual friends just lost their son and daughter-in-law in an awful traffic accident in the interior of BC.  

 

Not a good day.

  

Ann, so sorry for your friends' loss.  Such a tragedy  Thinking of your friends and all their friends touched by this terrible lose.  Hope the smoke  clears soon.

3 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

The beverages in the mini fridge

 

3 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Wow! What a beautiful day in Ketchikan. Low 70’s. Walked around then enjoyed more Red Crab legs for lunch. Now enjoying our balcony and watching the water traffic and float planes.

 

The salmon we’re running so that was a special event to witness.

 

Quite a few of little things are temporarily suspended of which none have impacted our cruise. It’s great to be back with the wonderful crew.

 

 

 

 

What special day for you in Ketchikan.  I always say a good day in Alaska is clouds, but no rain.  Sun is a bonus and warm temperatures is a double bonus.  We were there July 4, 2018, when the temperature was in the 80sF.  The locals were dying in the heat waiting for the parade to begin.  It was the one time in Ketchikan when not only did we not need a jacket, but we were in shorts.  Enjoy your sea day tomorrow.

3 hours ago, kazu said:

I am so p*ssed at HAL right now I have no words.  Well, I do have words but they are all 4 letter. 😡 

 

Our request to transfer our cruise from the Eurodam to the (now) Oosterdam next year has been going on since JULY 2ND.

 

My TA was told NO today and demanded it be escalated higher.

 

She is now pulling in her liaison at her agency (they are a top agency with HAL) to see what he can do.  I’m already booked but I’d like my OBC that I had certainly a better rate on the cruise.

 

my sisters who I haven’t seen in 2 years were going to cruise with us.  We all coughed up the $750 US for the $250 OBC.  HAL has had the money for over a year.  And if they don’t transfer us, we get our money back and lose the OBC.  The prices they would pay now would be substantially higher and the perks are not the same at all.

 

We were on a Fall transatlantic and our replacement cruise was a spring??? HUH???  

 

I’m sorry but I had to vent.  I am beyond livid.  A simple request form one TA to another after we went through numerous ship and itinerary changes and were flexible and HAL is not?

I’m betting I will never get that OBC that Gerald gave me from the Mariners Society for the screw up on our Prinsendam cruise with Sel de Mer.

 

Sorry for the vent.

 

Jacqui, I could not like your post, but understand your being upset.  So vent away as we are all part of the Daily family.  We all need to vent once in a while.

 

@dfish Glad your DS has power.  Enjoy you trip.

 

Lenda 

 

[dfish]

48 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

He says no power yet and provider estimates 11:30 pm tomorrow.  They can sleep in the basement to stay cool, but the worry is lost food.  Time to grill those steaks!

IF they leave the door to the fridge and freezer shut, the food may be ok.  Those things are well insulated.  

 

@kazu Jacqui, you are with family here.   Vent away.

[Sharon in AZ]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

I’m sorry but I had to vent.  I am beyond livid.  A simple request form one TA to another after we went through numerous ship and itinerary changes and were flexible and HAL is not?

Jacqui I feel you and please vent away. I have had a bad feeling for a while that this is going to happen to us also. Our 14 day Zaandam Holiday cruise was canceled in June which was the cruise with all our OBC and they replaced it with a Eurodam 14 day with the same departure date. According to them it was the comparable replacement. But not for me. The itinerary was not comparable at all. So I changed it to the Rotterdam 11 day departing 2 days later. When I mentioned my OBC to my PCC I she didn’t have an answer and said she would leave a note for accounting. I still don’t have my credits and I’m afraid I’ll loose the OBC because it isn’t the replacement cruise. 
 

Forgot to say that this all started with a FCD we purchased back in June 2019. 
 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by Sharon in AZ

[Cruising-along]

51 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

91 here in Bremerton & super smoky....UGH!

Yes, UGH!  I chuckle when people say it's cooler on your side of the water -- not always the case 😞  Hope it gets better for you soon!

[erewhon]

Thanks for all the Daily information and photos. Lovely to see all the flowers.

@smitty34877 such good news that Tana is returning home, best wishes for her continued progress.

@rafinmd good luck with the different cardiologist tomorrow.

Here we have a  sunny day 13 C. 

Take care, stay safe everyone.

 

[erewhon]

Happy Birthday, Rich @richwmn

[erewhon]

@kazu you are welcome to vent as much as you wish, sometimes  think that  HAL  does not want passengers.

[St. Louis Sal]

Good evening all!

 

I totally missed yesterday, too busy traveling and dining out. And I don’t know what happened to Tuesday, haven’t gone back to check again, but what I posted disappeared into thin air!

 

I may check to see how much light pollution I have here in Branson, although probably too much to appreciate the Perseid meteor shower. I used to be able to view them from my backyard in St Louis, but as things built up around me, there was less and less darkness. The final nail was the 24 hour Walmart that went in by the highway. Even though it is 5 miles away, the floodlights on the parking lot wash out the sky. 
 

I love elephants. I have a friend who is a volunteer photographer at the St Louis Zoo. I will share two of her photos. 
 

I guess I’ll skip the meal and drink. Not a fan of sausage and beans and while I like stout and champagne, the combo isn’t appealing. I could go for the wine though.

 

My prayers to all 🙏. May healing and strength be yours. And what celebrations, birthdays and Tana’s homecoming! 🍷

 

St Louis Sal

 

 

[kazu]

23 minutes ago, erewhon said:

@kazu you are welcome to vent as much as you wish, sometimes  think that  HAL  does not want passengers.

 

Thanks.  I am starting to think that too.  I thought a TA to a TA was a reasonable request.  I didn’t think going from a Fall TA to a spring one (HAL’s replacement cruise) was the same at all.  Sheesh.

[kazu]

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

He says no power yet and provider estimates 11:30 pm tomorrow.  They can sleep in the basement to stay cool, but the worry is lost food.  Time to grill those steaks!

 

1 hour ago, dfish said:

IF they leave the door to the fridge and freezer shut, the food may be ok.  Those things are well insulated.

 

Ugh on the power situation.  Having been down that road B.G. (Before generator) - believe me I checked this stuff out.

 

Freezer food should hold for up to 48 hours if the door stays shut.  Put a glass/jar of water in and see if holds it’s shape.  It is doesn’t it means the food thawed too much.

Fridge is usually good for 24 hours. IIRC as long as the door is not open too long as Debbie said.

 

[Tbay]

@richwmnA little late, but Happy Birthday. Hope you had a great day!

[richwmn]

1 hour ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Jacqui I feel you and please vent away. I have had a bad feeling for a while that this is going to happen to us also. Our 14 day Zaandam Holiday cruise was canceled in June which was the cruise with all our OBC and they replaced it with a Eurodam 14 day with the same departure date. According to them it was the comparable replacement. But not for me. The itinerary was not comparable at all. So I changed it to the Rotterdam 11 day departing 2 days later. When I mentioned my OBC to my PCC I she didn’t have an answer and said she would leave a note for accounting. I still don’t have my credits and I’m afraid I’ll loose the OBC because it isn’t the replacement cruise. 
 

Forgot to say that this all started with a FCD we purchased back in June 2019. 
 

 

I got hit with this one as well. The Eurodam itinerary as a B2B is not the same as a single 14 day cruise. Rotterdam's itinerary is closer, but 3 days shorter. I was told that since I didn't want to take what they offered, my perks weren't 'protected'!

[ger_77]

Good evening, thanks for the Daily!  I'd love to stay up to watch for meteorites tonight, but it's been a hectic day.  Love elephants - they're incredibly intelligent, and deserve a day - they should be a protected species.  Julia Child had it right with her saying today.

 

Sorry @dfish about the power situation at your Michigan destination - hopefully things will work our fine.  You'd think there should be a battery back-up for Cpap machines!  

 

Happy Birthday @richwmn and many more happy returns of the day for you!  I'm excited for your upcoming cruise!  Sorry about your internet problems - that really puts a halt to things, doesn't it?

 

So the original plans were that we were going to go to a nearby lake and spend some time playing in the water and sand.  Well that plan was quickly derailed by a little 1.5 year old with tummy troubles.  Seriously, I do not need to elaborate on this one.   What we did do though, later in the day, when said child was feeling better, was go to the local fair and spend a couple of hours walking around, watching the older DGS ride on the children's rides.  The little one - who throughout most of his life (think pandemic) has only known his parents and day care providers) - has never seen so many strange faces in all his life.  His little arm was almost worn out waving hi to all of them.  I think he made at least 5,000 new friends.

 

I like the dinner suggestion for tonight, but it definitely has a place during colder times, so will delay it for a fall/winter dinner.  Tonight however, we had DGS's favourite - becin (bacon - think kindergarten spelling) sandwiches.  Accompanied by a shredded lettuce and vegetable salad with watermelon based dressing (I don't know, it came in a package), and french fries in the air fryer, that's what graced our table tonight.  And wine . . . or Grandma Juice as it's now called.

 

@VictOriannI'm deeply saddened to hear of the loss of the couple in the car accident; prayers to all those whose lives they touched.

@kazu vent away, sister, I'd be P O'd as well - that's ridiculous!  Hopefully your (our) TA will be able to get her agency to step in and make this right.

@rafinmdI'm glad to hear you're doing well with your own rehab, despite the fact that the supervisors don't seem to be supervising much.  Hopefully you'll get good results with your new cardiologist tomorrow.

Happy Belated Birthday @Tbay

@smitty34877 happy to hear Tana has returned home - hopefully the comfort of home and her son and dog will help the healing process.

@lindaler congrats on the sale of your house - well done!!

 

Prayers for everyone who needs them and even for those who don't think they do.  Raising the glasses of Grandma Juice to cheer on all those on the happy list.  Be well, stay safe, wash your hands, wear your masks, and hydrate!

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry
 

 

 

[Sharon in AZ]

2 minutes ago, richwmn said:

I got hit with this one as well. The Eurodam itinerary as a B2B is not the same as a single 14 day cruise. Rotterdam's itinerary is closer, but 3 days shorter. I was told that since I didn't want to take what they offered, my perks weren't 'protected'!

That's what I'm thinking will happen.

[TiogaCruiser]

We just had some of the latest batch of sorbet/gelato. I’m truly not sure which camp this falls into. It was really refreshing:

 

1 1/2 lb fresh strawberries 

3/4 c. Sugar

3/4 c heavy cream1 T lemon juice 

4 fresh basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade 

 

Blend first 4 ingredients and refrigerate until really cold. Spin in ice carmaker. A few minutes before it is done, sprinkle in the basil. 
 

Edited to add lemon juice!

Next time it gets 2T of limoncello. (Jacque taught me well about that!)

 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by TiogaCruiser

[TiogaCruiser]

1 hour ago, ger_77 said:

And wine . . . or Grandma Juice as it's now called.

LOL

My cousin once announced to his kindergarten teacher he had 2 grandmothers: One like ice cream and the other liked beer!

[highland cruiser]

17 hours ago, Himself said:

Good Morning  Roy:  Thank you for the lists and the meal suggestion.

A good late evening to all.  Will catch up on all the good news here tomorrow. We have escaped the heat in the Portland/Vancouver area by co ing to the coast today.  I had to put a sweatshirt on!! 
stay well and safe everyone. 
 

[kazu]

7 hours ago, richwmn said:

I got hit with this one as well. The Eurodam itinerary as a B2B is not the same as a single 14 day cruise. Rotterdam's itinerary is closer, but 3 days shorter. I was told that since I didn't want to take what they offered, my perks weren't 'protected'!

 

Doesn’t seem fair to me at all 😡 

[puppycanducruise]

@Vict0riannSo sorry to hear about this tragic car accident.  Prayers for you, their family and friends.