Hawaiian Holiday 🎄🍾 LIVE from Koningsdam Dec 21-Jan 6: join me for my 1st solo cruise & 1st inside cabin!

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, BetsyS. said:

Haljo1935 - Congratulations on your Stars win! 😊  Bravo!

Thanks, it was great!!

[Bemidji Ty]

Has there been any response from CCL or HAL on the canine situation?

[Haljo1935]

1 minute ago, Bemidji Ty said:

Has there been any response from CCL or HAL on the canine situation?

Thanks for asking. The answer, unfortunately, is no. I got the usual auto response of "appreciate your contact...will follow up..." which I will include when I follow up.

[Bemidji Ty]

Reminds me of the "Bedbug letter."  The story goes that a train passenger discovered bedbugs in the bed in his sleeping compartment.  He sent a letter to the train company.  He received a letter with a semi apology stating that they took this matter very seriously and had taken measures to prevent this from occurring in the future, yada, yada, yada.  Attached to the letter was an in-office memo directing staff to "Send the bedbug letter."

[Haljo1935]

4 hours ago, Bemidji Ty said:

Reminds me of the "Bedbug letter."  The story goes that a train passenger discovered bedbugs in the bed in his sleeping compartment.  He sent a letter to the train company.  He received a letter with a semi apology stating that they took this matter very seriously and had taken measures to prevent this from occurring in the future, yada, yada, yada.  Attached to the letter was an in-office memo directing staff to "Send the bedbug letter."

So wrong. If I get a "send the dog letter" response that will be the end of my patience and politeness. I feel like I've been as diplomatic and patient as could reasonably be expected. 

Lord, please don't let there be a "send the dog letter."🙏

[BetsyS.]

I'm sorry your Stars didn't win on Sunday. I wish them all the best for tonight!

         Years ago when I lived in Boston, I went to a Bruins game. I asked 

my friends why one of the Bruins players was wearing a red shirt. They said his shirt was covered with blood because he got into fights on the ice. His name is

Terry O'Reilly. He retired years ago.

 

        

[BetsyS.]

Congratulations on your Stars win! 😊

[Haljo1935]

I smile @BetsyS. when I see you've posted - I know I'm getting a score update 😊

[Oddycat]

Thanks for sharing your trip! I’m excited to sail solo on Koningsdam to Hawaii in April, and in this thread I found inspiration. 

[Haljo1935]

13 minutes ago, Oddycat said:

Thanks for sharing your trip! I’m excited to sail solo on Koningsdam to Hawaii in April, and in this thread I found inspiration. 

Thanks so much. Even with the couple hiccups, it was a great cruise. Both cabins were nice and had their unique good points.I love cruising with DH, family or friends, but thoroughly enjoyed my solo time; I hope you do as well.

If you have questions before you go, feel free to ask.

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

[BetsyS.]

Congratulations on your Stars OT win! 😊 Bravo!

[Haljo1935]

On 1/25/2024 at 10:02 PM, BetsyS. said:

Congratulations on your Stars OT win! 😊 Bravo!

I don't know how I missed that you're in Kennebunk - we really enjoyed it last Sept when we visited during a Carnival cruise - very charming. 

[BetsyS.]

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. Kennebunk is a wonderful place. Maine is very cold in the winter, but it's beautiful all year round.

[BetsyS.]

Congratulations on your Stars win! That's great! 😊 You said they play a lot of OT games!

[jeh10641]

9 hours ago, BetsyS. said:

Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. Kennebunk is a wonderful place. Maine is very cold in the winter, but it's beautiful all year round.

In the early 1960s, I spent four years at Colby College in Waterville. I love Maine and will be there in June for my 60th reunion. If it had not been for the winters, I think I might have stayed in Maine forever. Instead I ended up near Seattle, about the same distance north but with much milder winters. Climate change is wreaking havoc with that now.

Jim

[BetsyS.]

jeh10641 - I'm glad you will be in Maine for your reunion in June. Be sure to have some lobster rolls!  

Betsy

[Haljo1935]

13 minutes ago, jeh10641 said:

In the early 1960s, I spent four years at Colby College in Waterville. I love Maine and will be there in June for my 60th reunion. If it had not been for the winters, I think I might have stayed in Maine forever. Instead I ended up near Seattle, about the same distance north but with much milder winters. Climate change is wreaking havoc with that now.

Jim

Small world - my father really wanted me to go to Colby College. Not sure why - he didn't go there and I don't think we had any family that did, but he mentioned it several times. I was born in Caribou and he worked at a few small radio stations throughout Maine in the early 60s. I think had his career not taken him down south, we would have stayed as my parents really liked it there. Brutal winters, yes, but they both loved it.

[jeh10641]

18 minutes ago, BetsyS. said:

jeh10641 - I'm glad you will be in Maine for your reunion in June. Be sure to have some lobster rolls!  

Betsy

Thanks, BetsyS. Not only lobster rolls but an every five year stop at L.L. Bean to refresh my wardrobe! At our Reunion, they always have a lobster bake! I hope that continues.

Jim

[jeh10641]

8 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Small world - my father really wanted me to go to Colby College. Not sure why - he didn't go there and I don't think we had any family that did, but he mentioned it several times. I was born in Caribou and he worked at a few small radio stations throughout Maine in the early 60s. I think had his career not taken him down south, we would have stayed as my parents really liked it there. Brutal winters, yes, but they both loved it.

WTVL from the Golden Heart of Central Maine. Waterville's radio station during my time there.

Jim

[BetsyS.]

Haljo1935 - Congratulations on your Stars win!! 😊

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, BetsyS. said:

Haljo1935 - Congratulations on your Stars win!! 😊

And Mavericks!! Thank you for following my teams 😉

[trishbk]

An update as promised in regards to those 2 dogs that the two women brought on to your cruise. I spoke to Rene the Hotel Manager in person after I boarded the current Jan 30 Hawaiian Cruise. He informed me that those women are now banned from Holland America. Per Rene, they did not have the correct paperwork for those so called “service dogs”.
 

On the current cruise, there is another so called service dog. Rene says it has the right paperwork, however as a former dog trainer, I highly doubt this small dog is a service dog either. Service dogs do not travel in baby strollers and as per the HAL policy, bringing a comfort or emotional support animal is not allowed on HAL ships.

 

 

[oakridger]

@trishbk I really appreciate you following up for us!  I can only guess how the current dog in the stroller got "the right paperwork" but it must be pretty frustrating to cruise lines to deal with rude people who manage to get "the right paperwork" when their pets are clearly not trained to service dog standards!  Eating food from a bowl on the floor of the Lido Cafe or sitting on chairs or eating anywhere other than the cabin must certainly be against the rules for even real service animals! 

 

Does anyone with a real service animal know about the rules/training for the animal to eat its meals on ships?  

 

Thanks!

 

~Nancy

[Haljo1935]

3 minutes ago, oakridger said:

@trishbk I really appreciate you following up for us!  I can only guess how the current dog in the stroller got "the right paperwork" but it must be pretty frustrating to cruise lines to deal with rude people who manage to get "the right paperwork" when their pets are clearly not trained to service dog standards!  Eating food from a bowl on the floor of the Lido Cafe or sitting on chairs or eating anywhere other than the cabin must certainly be against the rules for even real service animals! 

 

Does anyone with a real service animal know about the rules/training for the animal to eat its meals on ships?  

 

Thanks!

 

~Nancy

@trishbk I appreciate you following up and letting us know what Rene said. I'm sure he immediately remembered that cruise and the entire dog situation. While it's good the offending passengers have been banned from HAL, it will be disappointing if they're allowed to cruise on another CCL banner. We won't know if it happened, but I hoped his response would have been they're banned from all CCL ships.

Another disappointment is that I've received no response beyond the initial auto reply "thank you for contacting us...someone will be in contact" to my post-cruise communication with both HAL and CCL.

@oakridger hopefully long time HAL cruiser Chris or other knowledge passenger wll learn of your question and let us all know the answer. There is a thread on another board from a passenger who travels w/a service dog who may tell us.

Service dogs are so important; it's unfortunate some people don't respect that.

[nw gardener]

5 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Service dogs are so important; it's unfortunate some people don't respect that.

Agreed 💯,  its a shame that people game the system.  Happy to see previous doggo owner is banned from  HAL, kudos to everyone who spoke up about that!  Also sincerely doubt current doggo in stroller is a legit service dog. Sigh, people never cease to amaze me...