Scary experience on Oosterdam

[komo]

We are currently cruising on HAL’s Oosterdam. We have obstructed view cabins that have lifeboats in front of them. Today morning, at 7.55 

Am we were awakened by banging, welding and the sound of steel being cut. My kids - 8 and 12 - started crying as they thought the ship was sinking. After opening the curtains we found out that mechanics started some kind of maintenance. The kids continued crying saying that most probably they were cutting off lifeboats in order to lower them. We tried - with my wife - to calm them and called the front desk instantly who reassured us that it was « only planned maintenance and that they instructed the colleagues to stop the loud work ». I inquired a couple of hours later as what type of remedy HAL offers in such cases - our kids don’t want to cruise anymore. The kind reply was that they could offer their sincere apologies. I drew their attention on the fact that prior information could have been given before planned works that cause such a noise and might frighten and shock kids, moreover, it was quite strange for me that no compensation policy exists for such cases (eg. a bowl of fruit or some candies for the kids) besides their apologies…

[*Miss G*]

Was this their first cruise?  Maybe a chat with the kids to let them know that maintenance is ongoing on a ship in order to keep it safe.  If you’re in an obstructed view they’ll probably also see and hear tenders being lowered for use, drills, or regularly scheduled service.

[SilvertoGold]

Sorry this happened.  We have found that HAL lets you know when work will be done on your balcony, so for work on the lifeboats outside your window this should have been done, as well.

[wdw1972]

When you book obstructed view you have to expect maintenance will be going on at some point - perhaps most days.  It's not unusual and certainly not anything HAL should be expected to compensate you for.  I don't understand the extreme reaction of your kids - as parents you should be able to put them at ease and explain things - especially at age 8 & 12.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[komo]

Thank you very much for your comments. It is not their first cruise but they were really scared by the loud noise of banging and shouting that has awakened them. We have talked to them, explaining what was happening, but indeed, HAL should have informed us beforehand or really should have compensated the kids by sending them some treats for the « inconvenience » (as the supervisor of the Front Desk addressed the whole situation). It might sound as a First World Problem, but if you are on holiday, than you want to offer the best experience for your kids and not return home with some bad memories. The whole management of the issue is what bothers me. We cruised HAL several times before, but clearly never experienced the handling of issues in such a manner.

[CruiserBruce]

Curious...similar situation could have happened if the ship was due to start tendering at 7am. Except it would have been even earlier. Not sure the ship owes anything other than an explanation. 

[komo]

7 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

When you book obstructed view you have to expect maintenance will be going on at some point - perhaps most days.  It's not unusual and certainly not anything HAL should be expected to compensate you for.  I don't understand the extreme reaction of your kids - as parents you should be able to put them at ease and explain things - especially at age 8 & 12.

 

Sue/WDW1972

Right. It would have still shown the goodwill of the agent towards its child passengers - if they did not warn them (or their parents) about the possible loud works beforehand. Don’t you agree?

[Bocker3]

Should they have informed you, absolutely.  But rather than whining about lack of "goodwill", Perhaps it would be better to teach the kids that sometimes life throws unexpected things your way vs. teaching them that they should expect "compensation" whenever something happens that they don't like.

Resilience is priceless!!

 

[PACD_JG]

53 minutes ago, komo said:

I inquired a couple of hours later as what type of remedy HAL offers in such cases - our kids don’t want to cruise anymore.

Just think of all the money you'll save...

[Essiesmom]

Maybe a visit from an officer, one with lots of stripes, to talk with them and explain the work, etc.  Maybe include a tour of the bridge…EM

Edited July 13, 2023 by Essiesmom

[RICHARD@SEA]

11 minutes ago, Bocker3 said:

Should they have informed you, absolutely.  But rather than whining about lack of "goodwill", Perhaps it would be better to teach the kids that sometimes life throws unexpected things your way vs. teaching them that they should expect "compensation" whenever something happens that they don't like.

Resilience is priceless!!

 

I totally agree Bocker3.... do the kids expect compensation when construction is going on in their neighborhood or anywhere else they visit?? Today instead of teaching children that there are normal everyday circumstances that come w the territory they are taught / lead to believe they are owed "compensation".

 

There is constant maintenance on all ships all the time - try teaching that the work being done is for their & others onboard safety - a stop gap for the drama.

[BermudaBound2014]

29 minutes ago, komo said:

Right. It would have still shown the goodwill of the agent towards its child passengers - if they did not warn them (or their parents) about the possible loud works beforehand. Don’t you agree?

 

Respectfully, I don't agree. But I was raised differently. My parents believed in teaching their children to be fearless. I'm thankful for that as it has served me well.

 

If I had cried and suggested the ship was sinking and they were cutting off lifeboats in order to lower them I would have been told to stop being dramatic. They would have suggested we observe the workers and try to learn from what they were doing.

 

I know that sounds harsh, and I'm not telling you how to parent, just pointing out that different parenting styles exist. 

 

 

[shippmates]

I am sure it startling to awoken by that noise, but maintenance must be done even when the ship is sailing.  I know this sounds harsh but sometimes this kind of thinking is why the young people and kids feel they are owed something for every issue that occurs.

 

[oaktreerb]

This is a teachable moment for the children but it is an opportunity for the parents to talk about how to respond to the unexpected.  Cruising is an adventure.  The crew obviously waited until 8 a.m.  I’d be excited to have a close-up view of the activity of the crew maintaining the ship.  If the ship was sinking you would have heard the warning signals explained in the lifeboat drill.  Were the kids educated about those procedures?  Maybe that lesson was skipped now that we aren’t forced to line up on deck!

[oaktreerb]

Also, kids do tend to exaggerate situations before they laugh about them…..and with the of the children, this is their way of coping with the situation.  They’ll have a great story to tell their friends.

[*Miss G*]

2 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

Also, kids do tend to exaggerate situations before they laugh about them…..and with the of the children, this is their way of coping with the situation. 

 

They also try different methods of attention-seeking to see which one will provoke a response and what type of response they’ll get.  When they find one that works, they learn how to manipulate the parent and control passes from one to the other.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

You picked the wrong cabin. You said your children are afraid of loud noises.

[Despegue]

If they were genuinely scared, try and get into contact with Capt. Kevin who, if he has a moment of availability from his duties, will for sure try and make your kids at ease. 😉

 

[Copper10-8]

The only thing the Oosterdam staff, via Guest Services, could have/prob. should have done in this apparent traumatic experience for the kids, since this particular obstructed view cabin is in close proximity to one of the housed lifeboats, was provide advanced notice of the scheduled maintenance to the occupants the day before. As already has been said, they - Guest Services - do this routinely when the hardworking sailors conduct maintenance and/or a washdown on the balcony cabins. Chalk it up to a learning experience for both Guest Services (based on the reaction they got), and the 8 and 12-year olds. 

 

Oh yeah, as far as the occupants/kids already having experienced the boats being lowered for tendering early in the morning upon arrival at a tender port, looking at Oostie's itinerary, the only tendering was done two days ago in Santorini and that is usually provided by mandatory shore based tenders as opposed to the ship's own tenders. Plus, as we know, only the ship's tenders are lowered for that process, not the lifeboats, so if it's a lifeboat outside this cabin, it would have happily remained in place. 🧐      

Edited July 13, 2023 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

3 minutes ago, Despegue said:

If they were genuinely scared, try and get into contact with Capt. Kevin who, if he has a moment of availability from his duties, will for sure try and make your kids at ease. 😉

 

 

Two fellow Belgians! 🤪

[cruisemom42]

I agree with most others that no reparation is due, other than a sincere apology.

 

I also agree (having recently had a similar cabin on Westy) that their should have been a letter of notification of the work, especially if it was going to start as early as 8:00 am.  I don't consider that an appropriate time to start loud work outside a cabin when people are on vacation. Not everyone is an early riser.

 

[MISTER 67]

Guest services should have notified you on the maintenance to the lifeboat but everything else was an over-reaction, did you and your children really think that the ship was sinking, did you not hear or read that if there was an emergency that you would hear 7 short blasts followed by 1 long blast on the ships PA system in which case you would report to your muster station.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

If I had cried and suggested the ship was sinking and they were cutting off lifeboats in order to lower them I would have been told to stop being dramatic. They would have suggested we observe the workers and try to learn from what they were doing.

 

That sound like my father! Learning and understanding are the antidotes for fear.

[OlsSalt]

I can't think of a time when we were not given routine written notice, if work was being done around our cabin.

 

Has it been verified in fact there was no notice, or did it get lost in a pile other paper notices dropped off at the affected cabins? Did the adjoining cabins get notice? Post 8 am routine maintenance on a ship is a given, including blocked off areas,  paint smells and fumes. Ships are hollow metal boxes, sounds reverberate. 

 

Agree, how did the kids miss the actual lessons required upon boarding, and reinforced by the parents, that they should have committed to memory in case there was ever a real emergency.  Safety drilling by parents, for reinforcement of lessons learned - when, where and how to respond is critical.

 

Instead of crying hysterically, why didn't they automatically run for their life jackets?

[albingirl]

2 hours ago, Roz said:

I think you're overreacting to a routine situation. 

Plus, when the kids feel your anxiety, it only makes it worse.  Stay calm and carry on.