Holland America Strikes New Low in Communicating With Travelers

[drdagor]

It's not unusual for Holland America to confuse its guests. The documents it sends out are often incomplete, unclear, or not timely.
Add to HALs problems the tremendous confusion created by Greece regarding Covid testing, and it is almost guaranteed that misinformation will arise. Greek government notices online say that all cruise ship testing requirements and Covid restrictions were removed in May, but we know that not to be true. The cruise lines touching Greece this summer, and now into the fall, require pre-embarkation testing. Check policies at NCL,  MSC, Costa, Seaborne, and others to see this.

 

But here's a new low for HAL...

Travelers embarking Oct 10 and Oct 22 on the Oosterdam (Civitavecchia and Trieste respectively) have been exchanging information. To get the gospel truth,

two Oosterdam passengers called Holland America on about the same day this week to ask if Covid Testing is required for boarding on Oct 10 in Civitavecchia.

One caller was told YES and one was told NO.  YIPES!  The amount of stress evident in the Cruise Critic Roll Call entries for these cruises is evidence that HAL is failing its loyal customers (many of us are 3 and 4 star Mariners).

 

Consider this an open letter to HAL.  (If you know how to get this to people at HAL, please forward it.)

1.  Stop your phone support people from spreading misinformation. I believe we are down to just the Oosterdam for the Eastern Mediterranean season.

2.  Send out an email to Oosterdam passengers embarking in Civitavecchia and Trieste to tell them what's going on, and to apologize for misinformation.

 

Hope HAL clarifies this soon.  We embark in less than 4 weeks.

[Homosassa]

Perhaps a simple check of the Holland America website where either  the need for an  enhanced protocol or not needed  for the Osterdam cruises are  listed would solve your problems.

 

One would think that 3 and 4 star Mariners would be familiar with knowing how to find the information on the Holland America website.  It took me less than three minutes to find the information.

 

We await your apology.

[PROCRUISE]

Cannot speak to this particular problem but I do agree that the HAL representatives need to get on the same page and be honest.

Called HAL yesterday to enquire about adding insurance to a December cruise. Was told yes, we can do that but I must first transfer you to another individual first. This representative came on about 15 minutes later and said that due to the lateness in the day, I should call back at 8AM EST this morning for quick results.

Called at 8AM, was told no that could not be done except by our TA (who is ill in the hospital for awhile, which was explained). Representative said he noted a note on the screen from my yesterdays call but: "she just told you to call back because she didn't want to wait for the connection to the correct department." REALLY! 

Edited September 15, 2022 by PROCRUISE

[VMax1700]

40 minutes ago, drdagor said:

To get the gospel truth,

two Oosterdam passengers called Holland America on about the same day this week to ask if Covid Testing is required for boarding on Oct 10 in Civitavecchia.

The information is on the website.  Why would anyone call for information that is readily available and more important......printable?

[Taters]

If I were in this situation I would just go ahead and take a test.  Easy peasy and there would be no stress. That's just me, though.  

[indybelle]

They would call because it is confusing, especially for those of us on the extended voyage to Barcelona and the question of when and where to test is ambiguous to say the least.  

 

On another thread, I posted that the reason the Oct. 10 voyage is not on the Enhanced Protocols and the Oct. 22 voyages are is because it is Spain that is currently requiring testing, not Greece.  This from my very knowledgable TA. Therefore, passengers boarding in Civitavecchia, going to Trieste and disembarking don't go to Spain so don't have to test.  The question is whether those of us continuing need to have a test when we embark in Civitavecchia.  I can imagine the confusion at the pier when those on the first segment theoretically don't have to provide a test and those on the continuing segments do, so presumably we would all have a test at that point and be done with it.  And of course this could all change in a nanosecond.

 

My husband and I recovered from covid in August so will present letter of recovery and positive test in lieu of negative test - hope that is acceptable as they currently say it is.  But yes, as we approach D-Day for testing, in the absence of any further information, I would just take a test for boarding in Civitavecchia.

[rodndonna]

1 hour ago, drdagor said:

 

 

But here's a new low for HAL...

Travelers embarking Oct 10 and Oct 22 on the Oosterdam (Civitavecchia and Trieste respectively) have been exchanging information. To get the gospel truth,

two Oosterdam passengers called Holland America on about the same day this week to ask if Covid Testing is required for boarding on Oct 10 in Civitavecchia.

One caller was told YES and one was told NO.  YIPES!  The amount of stress evident in the Cruise Critic Roll Call entries for these cruises is evidence that HAL is failing its loyal customers (many of us are 3 and 4 star Mariners).

 

 

This will sound bad, but, there is probably a point where a rep has taken umpteen calls like this daily where the info is on the website to be read. The safe answer is to just tell someone  to test - especially someone who is nervous enough to call in (assuming they read it and are not confident they understand it). 

 

There is a danger is always a danger telling them "no test required" and then have the rules change again Oct 3rd before the sailing, because this caller is not comfortable with reading and understanding what is on the website.

 

Basically, if someone is not confident on finding the information on their own, better answer is 'just test'

[Guest ldtr]

On my last cruise the Navigator app indicated what the requirements were for my cruise (testing, ArriveCan, etc).  I would take what it says for any booked cruises to be the definitive answer on what is needed since it addresses your specific cruise.

[cruisemom42]

Have those of you who simply say "read the website" actually looked at some of the queries that have been posted and tried to find an answer by looking at the website? In some cases it is murky at best.

 

In which case a sensible person would think the best option would be to call HAL for clarification.

 

Ultimately, there is a lot at stake for guessing wrong and people want a definitive answer.  Me, I would just get a test to be done with it. The down side of getting a test and not needing it is miniscule compared with the down side of not getting a test and being denied boarding....  But some people seem to find getting a test done a lot more challenging than I do.

 

That said, I agree that HAL could do a lot more to alleviate the confusion (and I am in the field of communications).

[kazu]

7 hours ago, indybelle said:

On another thread, I posted that the reason the Oct. 10 voyage is not on the Enhanced Protocols and the Oct. 22 voyages are is because it is Spain that is currently requiring testing, not Greece.  This from my very knowledgable TA

 

Not doubting your TA but Spain’s requirement the last time I looked did not require testing - proof of vaccination yes, but not testing.  

And I do check as I am going there.  We will require testing but not because it is Spain but because it is a trans ocean cruise aka transatlantic.

[Florida_gal_50]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Have those of you who simply say "read the website" actually looked at some of the queries that have been posted and tried to find an answer by looking at the website? In some cases it is murky at best.

 

In which case a sensible person would think the best option would be to call HAL for clarification.

 

Ultimately, there is a lot at stake for guessing wrong and people want a definitive answer.  Me, I would just get a test to be done with it. The down side of getting a test and not needing it is miniscule compared with the down side of not getting a test and being denied boarding....  But some people seem to find getting a test done a lot more challenging than I do.

 

That said, I agree that HAL could do a lot more to alleviate the confusion (and I am in the field of communications).

I would do the same but people complain they can’t get it for free or don’t have time.  Generally it’s people that have said they are retired.  Try jamming that into an 11 hour work day and I’ve managed to do it even one day before on top of it.  I’m amazed at the criticizing of the op.

[dawei]

As drdagor reported, when we saw HAL's advanced protocol listings for Oosterdam's cruise segments for two Italian ports in disagreement about the need for pre-cruise testing, we did as Tater suggested and have made plans to do pre-testing, even though the Oct. 10 departure from Civitavecchia doesn't show the requirement while a later departure from Trieste does (same ship and same overall cruise from different ports in the same country).

 

David

[Don Kehote]

The simplest answer is to just take a test anyway and not work yourself into a lather over it.  To me, my time and peace of mind are absolutely worth the extremely minor inconvenience.