Live from the Volendam - please join the Merry Widows on their cruise 😊

[kazu]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I assume that Peruvian Chicken was the CO entree special. We had it on the Koningsdam last Fall and it was delicious.  

 

Absolutely correct.  It’s in orange on the CO menu.  We’ve had a few of them.  Our waiter has been good at either giving us the menu or letting us know the special.  

[Iamthesea]

Sorry about your room temperature.  Which leads me to something that I have never thought about.  Can the heat/air system be turned completely off in the staterooms?

 

I also love the crisp, and all of the appetizers that you ordered.  Hope they have the same menu when in CO in a little over a week.   I have never had the Peruvian chicken.  What does it taste like?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

4 hours ago, kazu said:

Here is our menu from the night before last.

 

 

 

What would you have wanted?

 

I knew what I was getting - and it turned out Deb did the same.  Peruvian chicken.

 

I had the port to plate starter

 

 

and Deb the cauliflower soup.  She was concerned it would be too spicy but it wasn’t and she said it was very good.

 

 

And we both had the Peruvian chicken.  One was a small plate & the other the regular.  Posting both so you can see the difference.  first is the small plate.  A bit too close, sorry.  it was mine.  2nd is the regular one.

 

 

 

 

We both had the crisp for dessert.  I believe Deb is a crisp convert.

 

 

I am really corrupting her.  first it was the casino and now it’s the crisps.  Maybe it’s anything that starts with a C?  😂 

I think I would have checked if we could get into the Pinnacle 😄

[kazu]

I had originally considered using the spa.  No way, Jose 😡 

 

Fair warning to anyone considering using the spa on the ship now that I have heard the resolution to the story.

 

True story - there is a lovely lady on the cruise.  She is older (like I’m young) and on a scooter and had booked a massage.  The masseuse was trying to sell her all these creams to go on and she said NO, No, NO, NO emphatically.  When she was done she was handed a bill for over $300 already charged to her account (more than twice the money than the actual massage cost).  No opportunity to sign, argue, etc.  She had been charged for the oils, etc she had refused.

 

Worse, as she kept saying no, the masseuse kept saying she could afford it.  She was told that numerous times.

 

She went to Guest Services to complain about the attitude, pushing selling and “you can afford it” (which is beyond rude IMO).  She got a heartfelt apology however since the Spa is run separately, Guest Services could do zip for her.

 

They did take off the service charge (tip) so that at least she was refunded for that and will have a meeting with the spa staff but it’s amazing they are not in any way responsible.

 

She told 6 people - we told 6 people, etc.

 

Be VERY careful about using the spa while it is the same group on this ship.

 

This did NOT happen on the Oosterdam when we sailed (my sister got a massage).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[VMax1700]

5 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

however since the Spa is run separately, Guest Services could do zip for her.

 

I find that difficult to understand.  Guest services process the onboard account and collect payment.  Why can they not just refuse to process the charge and return it to the spa because it has not been signed by the guest?

[kazu]

8 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

I find that difficult to understand.  Guest services process the onboard account and collect payment.  Why can they not just refuse to process the charge and return it to the spa because it has not been signed by the guest?

 

Apparently not.  She hadn’t even signed.  the bill was charged to her account when she came out.  They can’t reverse a spa or casino charge.  Separate entities.  She was happy with the reversal of the service charge which HAL can do as it means the masseuse got stiffed.

 

I heard a similar horror story so this is not a one off.  

 

Several of us think she was targeted - obviously older and disabled on the scooter.  She has lots of OBC, true - but that’s not the point.

 

She’s on sharp lady and very assertive if needed.  I have had several conversations with her and have confidence in what she told me.

[VMax1700]

13 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Apparently not.  She hadn’t even signed.  the bill was charged to her account when she came out.  They can’t reverse a spa or casino charge.  Separate entities.  She was happy with the reversal of the service charge which HAL can do as it means the masseuse got stiffed.

 

I heard a similar horror story so this is not a one off.  

 

Several of us think she was targeted - obviously older and disabled on the scooter.  She has lots of OBC, true - but that’s not the point.

 

She’s on sharp lady and very assertive if needed.  I have had several conversations with her and have confidence in what she told me.

I would be parked outside the spa complete with placards, giving a warning to all that pass by. Get my $300 value that way.

[BetsyS.]

Jacqui - I'm very sorry to hear that.  The woman in the spa should not be working there.

          Last summer on the Zuiderdam, I had a mani/pedi and I had to sign the 

bill before leaving. I wanted to buy one item, but there was no pressure to buy anything else. I had a good experience.

          I'm glad the lady went to Guest Services. 

[AV8rix]

I can't stand the tactics of the Steiner group (the folks that run the spa concession on many lines).  After the first massage many years ago I started telling the person AS I ENTERED THE ROOM that I'm there to relax and that I DO NOT intend to purchase any extras.  If they kept their mouths shut I would tip, otherwise no.  But then it just got to be tedious (you shouldn't have to do that routine all the time) so, like Jacqui, I just completely quit patronizing Steiner.

Edited May 1 by AV8rix

[Bluenoser3]

That is horrible! I shall pass it along to the cruisers on the next cruise to be aware. That is shocking. I hope the poor gal followed up with a complaint on the Navigator app, too. I have found that to be extremely effective.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

I would be parked outside the spa complete with placards, giving a warning to all that pass by. Get my $300 value that way.

 

I would probably be doing the same.  And taking it as far as I could go.  I told her to be sure to write Seattle.  I’ts not the money that bothers her so much as to bending told “;she could afford it”.

[kazu]

56 minutes ago, Bluenoser3 said:

That is horrible! I shall pass it along to the cruisers on the next cruise to be aware. That is shocking. I hope the poor gal followed up with a complaint on the Navigator app, too. I have found that to be extremely effective.

 

I thin she is.  I told her to use Let Us Know

[Mary229]

It is unfortunate that the spa is ramping up their aggressive sales tactics again.  For a few years it was a pleasant experience and I was happy to have many of their stylist primp my hair.  My last cruise was too much of a struggle and I won’t be going back 

[kazu]

Look what arrived today.

 

 

 

Does this mean there has been too much time spent in the casino?  😂 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I think I would have checked if we could get into the Pinnacle 😄

 

The Peruvian chicken is really quite good.  We enjoyed our meal 😉 

[QuattroRomeo]

We had a terrible service experience in the spa on Rotterdam. Many things went wrong regarding overcharging. DH complained several times to the so called Asst Manager there. She complained back arguing that we should back off and respect that she is a manager...🙄 One time the hydro pool closed very early. When you have already paid for your time, that isn't acceptable. The spa did nothing for us. DH talked to the Guest Services Manager a few times, and she did manage to get one days' worth of spa entry removed from our bill. 

Check your bill thoroughly while in the spa!

[1of4]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

I had originally considered using the spa.  No way, Jose 😡 

 

Fair warning to anyone considering using the spa on the ship now that I have heard the resolution to the story.

 

True story - there is a lovely lady on the cruise.  She is older (like I’m young) and on a scooter and had booked a massage.  The masseuse was trying to sell her all these creams to go on and she said NO, No, NO, NO emphatically.  When she was done she was handed a bill for over $300 already charged to her account (more than twice the money than the actual massage cost).  No opportunity to sign, argue, etc.  She had been charged for the oils, etc she had refused.

 

Worse, as she kept saying no, the masseuse kept saying she could afford it.  She was told that numerous times.

 

She went to Guest Services to complain about the attitude, pushing selling and “you can afford it” (which is beyond rude IMO).  She got a heartfelt apology however since the Spa is run separately, Guest Services could do zip for her.

 

They did take off the service charge (tip) so that at least she was refunded for that and will have a meeting with the spa staff but it’s amazing they are not in any way responsible.

 

She told 6 people - we told 6 people, etc.

 

Be VERY careful about using the spa while it is the same group on this ship.

 

This did NOT happen on the Oosterdam when we sailed (my sister got a massage).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first family cruise in 2011 was on the Volendam. I “won” a treatment on embarkation day. There was a message on our cabin phone to book my free treatment. The hard sell was uncomfortable for me. Top it off that it was Glacier Bay day and when the hard sell wouldn’t stop I said I wanted to go outside. Her reply “why, you can see glaciers any day”. I said maybe you can but not me. 
 

Then she presented me with a bill. I said I won the treatment. She said she had no record of that. She went out to the manager who said she didn’t believe me. 
 

Needless to say, I never stepped in the spa on any other HAL cruise. 

[highscar]

Several years ago I won a facial.  The whole time the gal never stopped talking product after product is needed to look “beautiful “.  I stopped the procedure and she told me, on my way out, the winning facial did not inclued the gratuities.    Tough banana.   

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

The Peruvian chicken is really quite good.  We enjoyed our meal 😉 

We enjoyed it, too, when we had it. Yummy!

[Iamthesea]

Did the lady take the oils and whatever was sold🙄 to her?

 

My DH almost always gets the hard sell.  He tries to tell the masseuse up front that he is not interested.  If they leave him alone, he will tip extra.  If they hammer him, no extra tip.

 

Now with the service charge being automatic, I do not feel inclined to tip extra when I have my hair or nails done.  Although, they usually don't try to sell me anything.😉

[AncientWanderer]

Hi Kazu.  Glad to see you’re enjoying your cruise!

I’m kinda out of the loop, but wondered…here on the Westerdam we are seeing different lunch menus on sea days, instead of repeat of same as they’ve been doing lately.  This is a welcome change, but wondered if it’s just  because we’ve run out of the everyday stuff or if it’s fleet wide change.  Maybe check if you have a sea day?

 

Here’s our lunch menu for today…

 

 

Thanks and wishing you fair weather and calm seas!

[terrydtx]

13 hours ago, kazu said:

 

The Peruvian chicken is really quite good.  We enjoyed our meal 😉 

On the Koningsdam the Peruvian Chicken and the Lemon Shrimp Pasta were my two favorite CO entrees. Overall we thought the CO food on that cruise was much better than what we recently had on Celebrity in the suite restaurant, Luminae.

Edited May 2 by terrydtx

[tony s]

Here is an idea for that lady who had her OBC scammed and stolen by the spa. As retired law enforcement it sounds like a theft or robbery. File a complaint with security who have to act and return to authorities on the complaint. Also demand to speak with the staff captain. That should get their attention and results.

[FlorenceItaly]

In retrospect she should have refused to take the product.

 

[Essiesmom]

3 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

In retrospect she should have refused to take the product.

 

She continually refused the offer, took nothing.  But got charged anyway.  EM