Zuiderdam Jan 27th Chartered? Unusual Situation...

[Wilcoam]

I have a rather unusual 'situation' regarding the Zuiderdam Jan 27th 07 cruise I have booked for my family of 6, specifically 3 Mom's.

 

The cruise has 'disapeared' from the HAL website and upon further investigation I found out it's been chartered, by Olivia (an all female vacation group).

 

I/we do not have a problem travelling on a HAL cruise amongst a larger

chartered group, however according to the Olivia website, this is a strictly an 'all female' cruise, and 2/6 of us are males. (lol)

 

FYI: We've made our deposit, specifically have 5th Deck aft cabins, 1 SA suite, VA n VD, all next to each other, booked post cruise stays through HAL, and booked my airtickets. Our final payments are not due until Oct.

 

My question(s) are;

 

1. Has this happened to anyone out here and can you offer me some

advice?

 

2. At what point was HAL going to tell my TA it's been chartered, if at all?

 

3. Is HAL most likely going to cancel our reservations anyway, and if so,

when were they going to inform my TA?

 

4. There isn't another HAL cruise on the 27th, out of FLL, except the

Westerdam on 28th, and I highly doubt those 3 exact cabins are

available. If we can get comperable cabins by shifting, in this situation

is it normal to ask for on board compensation for the inconvience of it

all? Airfare cancellation costs as well, if flights have to be re-booked?

 

Cruise Critic was an incredible information service which helped me choose HAL, Zuidy, the 5th deck aft cabins, etc, and our hotel. I may now have to start all over, but would very much appreciate any advice on making the best of a rather unique situation....

 

Thx

jc

Zuiderdam Jan 27th? 07

[K&RCurt]

This does happen, but not frequently.

 

Olivia is an organization that organizes cruises for the lesbian community and NO men are allowed. They also charge a LARGE premium over the cruise line's typical rates to allow for the special activities and entertainment they provide.

 

HAL will eventually get around to cancelling your booking. They typically come up with some sort of compensation offer for those displaced by a charter.

 

If I were you, I would wait for HAL to inform your TA and see what they are willing to offer you as compensation for cancelling your booking. DO NOT cancel and book something else on your own, if you do you will no longer be offered anything from HAL.

[gizmo]

So sorry this has happened to you and your family.:(

 

You will be contacted that your cruise is cancelled, but just when remains to be seen. Get in touch with your TA.

 

This happened recently to another person, but a different date.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com./showthread.php?t=352633&highlight=charter

 

This person receiever 250.00 credit per cabin (not person) and airline reticketing fees.

 

Good advice from K&R Kurt, don't cancel.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry to hear about your cruise.

 

Also agree - wait and see what HAL's offer. If you cancel on your own and rebook something, you won't get anything from HAL.

[Stevesan]

Sorry to hear about your cruise.

 

Also agree - wait and see what HAL's offer. If you cancel on your own and rebook something, you won't get anything from HAL.

 

And if you wait for HAL to rebook you, the remaining ship and cabin selections for your date(s) may be slim to none.

 

Do you want to make a deal, or take a vacation?

[kryos]

4. There isn't another HAL cruise on the 27th, out of FLL, except the

Westerdam on 28th, and I highly doubt those 3 exact cabins are

available. If we can get comperable cabins by shifting, in this situation

is it normal to ask for on board compensation for the inconvience of it

all? Airfare cancellation costs as well, if flights have to be re-booked?

You won't want to travel on an Olivia cruise. It's a lesbian organization. You most likely won't fit in with your shipmates at all and thus wouldn't have a very good time.

 

Personally, I'd wait until HAL contacts you. Even if they can't get you on another cruise that exact week, or at least not one leaving from Fort Lauderdale, they will cover your airline change fees and give you some nice compensation for bumping you. Even if, as someone else said here, the Westerdam is totally booked up that week ... or the available cabins are not together and not necessarily what you wanted, I still say to let the cruise line cancel you and then compensate you for having to switch cruises.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Bramcruiser]

Believe me it does happen. My cruise last year was cancelled well in advance due to the ship being chartered by a group at some point. I did get rebooked on the immediately next cruise and was given shipboard credit. Yes, it was a pain to pay the extra price and the extra time taken in getting airline reservations and hotels switched around but the cost of cancelling was greater. Fortunately the rebooked cruise turned out to be fantastic.

 

I found out which organization it was when I was on the cruise because a HAL employee spilled the beans when we got into a conversation during the sailaway party.

 

Unfortunately, big operations with the power of group bookings will always have the opportunity to snatch sailings out from under individuals and thus be prepared for any sailing that is booked well in advance. As the others here say, wait it out and watch for what is offered. Weigh the cost of cancelling all together against the cost and effort of switching dates around especially if you have non-cruise issues to deal with as well.

[shonuf]

Back in March, my friend and I independently came up with this cruise as the one we both wanted to take (with our DHs). We had booked suites 5186 and 5187 and had our hotel booked. She was researching airfare and I started a "roll call" for our cruise (on March 27).

 

I immediately was notified of the charter and did some research which confirmed what I had been told. When I was able to reach my TA, he told me I was wrong, the charter web-site was wrong and HAL "wouldn't do such a thing". I insisted he check, and he finally called back and said it took him talking to about 25 different people, he got confirmation that I was right!

 

So, the ship has been chartered for several months and HAL really shouldn't be selling the cruise.

 

After looking into other dates, Jan. 20 is also a charter, and Feb. 3 is Super Bowl weekend (which doubled the airfare for us), we chose Jan. 13. Come join us for that cruise. There are others on the roll call who originally wanted this date. Maybe we could make up T-shirts that say, "I wanted to cruise Jan. 27 but didn't qualify". No flames folks, no harm intended.

[BasenjiMom]

Does anyone here have to arrange for their vacation time away from work months in advance????? If that happened to me, there wouild be no way my husband could change even one day of his vacation.

 

$225 per cabin is adequate compensation?????

 

Never cruised, but after reading this, damn, these cruiselines have quite a thing going on here. "We'll take your money until a bigger group comes along"

At the very least, it's unfair.

[Roz]

Basenji Mom,

 

The travel industry as a whole does this all the time. I've had hotel reservations canceled because of a large group or convention.

 

With cruises, it usually only happens when you book pretty far out. Happened to me 3 yrs. ago, and the offer I got from HAL was better than I originally booked.

 

I know it can be disappointing, but I can almost assure you 100% you'll be on the Veendam in July. Big groups advertise their chartered cruises a yr. or more in advance.

 

Roz

[shonuf]

Never cruised, but after reading this, damn, these cruiselines have quite a thing going on here. "We'll take your money until a bigger group comes along"

At the very least, it's unfair.

 

In this case, the bigger group had actually come along before HAL took our money. My argument is that once a ship is chartered, it should be removed from inventory. To address your timing issue, we could have found another cruise that suited our dates but it didn't have the itinerary that was more important than the timing.

 

Enjoy the Veendam, she was my first cruise ship (in '98) and 3 of my cruises have been on her. I hope you have as much fun as I did (and I was with my 80 year old mother!)

[twinkletoes4445]

 

After looking into other dates, Jan. 20 is also a charter, and Feb. 3 is Super Bowl weekend (which doubled the airfare for us), we chose Jan. 13. Come join us for that cruise. There are others on the roll call who originally wanted this date. Maybe we could make up T-shirts that say, "I wanted to cruise Jan. 27 but didn't qualify". No flames folks, no harm intended.

 

That's a good idea for a shirt! :)

 

I booked the 2/3 cruise and I had NO idea that Super Bowl was that weekend. We didn't have any trouble with our airfare, in fact, it was cheap...$199 per person on Midwest. It was finding a hotel that proved to be a problem for us. No one was willing to book only 2 nights. We ended up using HAL's hotel booking. We're in Hollywood at one of the hotels. I think it's $150 or so a night, which isn't bad considering what's going on that weekend.

 

I personally think it stinks that they knew all along this would be a charter and didn't "block" the date off. I do understand that this happens and they have it covered in their contract that we agree to, but it still stinks. We are fortunate that a week or two (or even a different month), isn't going to matter to us one way or the other. But I did book our airline tickets the same day as I booked the cruise, so I don't know what would have happened about that. When we were first married, hubby and I both worked for companies that you put in for your vacation a year in advance, and that was the time you got for your vacation. There was no switching around. I would imagine that there are lots of people in that boat...

 

For the OP...I'd personally contact my TA now and try and get switched around as early as possible. Who knows how many other people are out there that don't even know about this Oliva group at this point.

 

Here's a site that offers info on group tours...It's a good place to at least start when you are planning a HAL cruise.

 

http://www.geocities.com/cruise_trubey/

 

Good luck and happy cruising! :)

[twinkletoes4445]

In this case, the bigger group had actually come along before HAL took our money. My argument is that once a ship is chartered, it should be removed from inventory.

 

Those are exactly my sentiments. I wonder if they do this just in the off chance that the large group doesn't come through with the amount of people needed to book the entire ship? If so, that's really wrong IMO. They are using "us" as backup and when they find they don't need us, they notify us that the ship is a charter. That stinks. :(

[Wilcoam]

I'd like thank CC for being here, and everyone whom responded to this

unique situation/dilema, with great solid advice and comments.

 

The point is I did an awful lot of research and planning for the perfect cruise, picking HAL over the likes of RCI n Princess, picking the Zuiderdam,

choosing the 5th deck afts, getting 3 cabins which connect by balcony, booking air flights, booking super bowl weekend hotels in FLL from HAL, and even snagged a friggin cabana, and co-ordinated all this with 5 other pax.

 

Now I will either be blown out by HAL, with or without compsensation, or by choice have to cancel. Either way, I have to start the planning all over again.

 

Moving forward, putting my own self-pity aside, (lol) the reality is, since I've booked airfare for 1/27, without incurring huge $$$$ and hassle, the only other option HAL can offer is a Westerdam sailing the next day, of an inferiour itin. I'll have to pass. No point in getting compensation unless it's for another HAL cruise say 1-2 years from now. Will they do this?

 

Looks like to keep sailing on Jan 27th, I have to switch to Princess Sun or RCI Voyageur, both solid cruises, but perhaps slightly 'inferiour' lines/ships to the HAL Zuidy, that is in food/service, with neither having 3 connecting aft cabins, let alone if they have super bowl weekend hotels pre-reserved. Anyone here can reccomend either of these 2 ships?

 

I love the HAL product, having previously sailed Ooserdam in 2004, and as much as X, but may have to re-think looking at HAL in the future, at least in the carrib, at this time of year, for fear of the same thing happening, that is unless HAL show some good faith...

 

jc

Ex: Zuiderdam Jan 27th 07

[K&RCurt]

I love the HAL product, having previously sailed Ooserdam in 2004, and as much as X, but may have to re-think looking at HAL in the future, at least in the carrib, at this time of year, for fear of the same thing happening, that is unless HAL show some good faith...

 

jc

Ex: Zuiderdam Jan 27th 07

 

Just keep in mind that all other cruise lines will do the same thing if a whole ship charter comes along. With a full ship charter the cruise line does not have to worry about selling and continually discounting cabins, the tour operator is on the hook for the whole ship. I guess I'm just trying to say you are never safe from a charter buying our "your week" no matter what cruise line.

[Wilcoam]

My TA just contacted HAL, and they are denying this sailing has been chartered. This is despite a full page ad in the Olivia website stating it's been chartered.

 

Why won't HAL come clean and just do the right thing?

 

If the operating staff there on the telphones won't deal with it, is there a contact higher up at HAL one can contact to get the straight goods?

 

jc

ex Zuiderdam Jan 27th 07

[bepsf]

My TA just contacted HAL, and they are denying this sailing has been chartered. This is despite a full page ad in the Olivia website stating it's been chartered.

 

Why won't HAL come clean and just do the right thing?

 

If the operating staff there on the telphones won't deal with it, is there a contact higher up at HAL one can contact to get the straight goods?

 

jc

ex Zuiderdam Jan 27th 07

 

It's obviously a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing - and you're getting slapped around in the middle!

:(

Olivia shouldn't have that cruise on their website if it weren't paid for and chartered, but they could be advertising ahead of solidifying the deal w/HAL based on their previous experience w/ chartering HAL cruises. I say stay the course and let HAL do their job to make it right for you in whatever way you deem appropriate.

Someone else commented that perhaps HAL isn't removing chartered cruises from their website because they're using pax as a backup plan? That's certainly not the case, as when a ship is chartered, the charter company signs a letter (accompanied by a cashiers check for millions of dollars) guaranteeing that they are on the hook for selling the cruise. If it goes out empty, they are still pay HAL for the entire cruise!

More likely scenarios: HAL will not block out an entire cruise within their booking system when the charter contract isn't solidified, third-party websites probably won't remove a chartered cruise from their systems in a timely fashion, and HAL's booking system may not be able to delete a chartered cruise from their calendar without some sort of manual procedure from their IT folks.

[twinkletoes4445]

Someone else commented that perhaps HAL isn't removing chartered cruises from their website because they're using pax as a backup plan? That's certainly not the case, as when a ship is chartered, the charter company signs a letter (accompanied by a cashiers check for millions of dollars) guaranteeing that they are on the hook for selling the cruise. If it goes out empty, they are still pay HAL for the entire cruise!

 

I was the one who posted the question. Thanks for the correct info. :)

[twinkletoes4445]

My TA just contacted HAL, and they are denying this sailing has been chartered. This is despite a full page ad in the Olivia website stating it's been chartered.

 

Why won't HAL come clean and just do the right thing?

 

If the operating staff there on the telphones won't deal with it, is there a contact higher up at HAL one can contact to get the straight goods?

 

jc

ex Zuiderdam Jan 27th 07

 

Ask your TA to call and ask for a zupervisor. The TA may have to go several layrers up to get someone who knows what's going on. If shonuf was able to get confirmation about this tour, then you should be able to. The sooner the better so you can start making new plans.

[MichRN]

I ran into the same problem about two weeks ago. I was looking at the 1/27 sailing on the Zuiderdam and wanted three cabins for family/extended family. I had called one of the big internet travel agencies and had her check for cabins/pricing for me. After relaying this information to the rest of my traveling companions, I called the T.A. back. This was maybe only a few hours later. I wanted to place deposits on the cabins that we had spoken about. She called me back and said "you're never going to believe this but that sailing has now been chartered and the cabins are no longer available according to HAL". I then decided to book the cruise on the Westerdam for the next day. So I guess it depends on who you talk to at HAL.

[Finnjet]

Wilcoam,

 

I'm truly sorry for your situation. I can only imagine how frustrated and disappointed you must be. I booked the 1/27/07 cruise with Olivia, so I can assure you that the ship is chartered. I hope HAL makes things right and is able to find you a suitable cruise.

[Jen & Kim]

I am also sorry this happened to you. I am booked on this Olivia cruise and have been since January. I believe it has been on the Olivia site since last year sometime.

 

This happened to someone else and they had to go through about 25 people at HAL before someone told them it had been chartered.

 

Again, I'm sorry and I hope you are able to get adequate compensation from HAL.

[Wilcoam]

Finnjet and Jenn n Kim...

 

I appreciate your sympathy...

 

I don't have a homophobic bone in my body and thus I think the Olivia Cruise sounds like great fun. Enjoy the Indigo Girls, and your week in the Sun....

 

but something Jenn n Kim might relate too, imagine, planning a SxSW trip

a year in advance (I've already booked my hotel suite at the Omni Austin and flights for March 2007) only to be told by the SxSW housing office, say a couple of months out, that the Hotel has been chartered out!

 

Not cool....

 

I keep wondering the legality of it all, if HAL has sold the same cabin to Olivia (in Jan) and my group (in May). In North America we have laws to

prevent that, it's called fraud. Now having experienced this, I think we all allow cruise lines to hide behind their contracts, and If I were in congress, I'd be looking at regulating these lines, ala airlines, etc, because they're

playing games with pax.

 

However, in the end I'm looking for a great high end pampered vacation, (for my Mom's), not a legal battle, and I'm greatly dissapointed I wont be sailing with HAL on Jan 27th.

 

It's looking like RCI Voyageur or Princess Star for me....

 

jc

[getcat]

We're in the same boat - we have 10 'S' connecting balcony suites reserved on the Z 1/27/07. We booked in March. HAL just notified us of the charter this week, but hasn't offered any compensation yet. Our TA is trying to switch us to the Westerdam, but I doubt there'll be 10 connecting S's available. Plus I was really looking forward to the Turks itinerary.

 

We're looong time HAL cruisers - and this was to be our 4th time on the Z. I understand the ship being chartered, but can't for the life of me understand how HAL could ethically sell us cabins when they already knew the ship was unavailable. And what about all the interest they're making on our deposits? Or the time and effort we've spent on airfares and hotels? I love the HAL product - and especially those suites - but maybe it's time to see what the other cruise lines have to offer.

 

As a matter of fact, I'm off to Alaska next week on the Sapphire Princess.

[Wilcoam]

Cathy...

 

I really do feel your pain. Wow, 10 suites booked in March.

 

I'm a less exp cruiser, who loves X product, but having sailed HAL once

before thought they had equally great food/service, and was a better

fit, age wise, from our Mom's.

 

I'm really scared about having to switch to RCI Voyager or Princess Star on Jan 27th, if the food/service, and suite service suffers, or one

has to withstand endless PA announcements, poorer suite/bed amenities etc, or endure the little extra's one gets on HAL/X.

 

We've looked into the Westerdam Jan 28th. Our problem is we don't want

3 days at sea. What we'd like to do is convince HAL to let us keep our

FLL hotel rooms, so we're not bedless come supoer bowl weekend, and

switch to one of the above cruises.

 

I think we should keep in touch, as well as with anyone else on CC who got bumped and compare compensation, if any...