Zuiderdam Jan 27th Chartered? Unusual Situation...

[shonuf]

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.

QUOTE]

 

Thank goodness I started a "roll call" back in March as soon as we booked our cruise. That was how I found out about the charter. We had only booked cruise and hotel, no airfare yet. There are three participants on our "roll call" for the Jan. 13 cruise; all of us had originally wanted to book the Jan. 27th cruise. We were fortunate to be able to get the same suites booked for the 13th as the 27th.

 

A few years ago, we had booked on the old Westerdam, shortly thereafter, (airfare had been booked), we were notified that the ship would be a charter. We were able to switch to another ship but had to change our airfare. HAL gave us credit for the penalty we incurred with the airline and a small on-board credit for our inconvenience.

[Wilcoam]

Getcat...

 

To share information, HAL finally contacted my TA and has offered us to

the Westerdam Jan 28th sailing. 4th deck aft, instead of 5th, a VB n VD

instead of 2 VA's, and $250.00 OB credit for ther suite, $200.00 for the

VA's.

 

It's a fair deal, though I'd prefer 5th, 6th , ot 7th deck afts. I'd like a further credit for switching from VA's to VB n VD.

 

However, ther majority of my group doesn't want to sail the 28th on an itin we didn't pick nor like. So, we may switch to the Princess Star.

 

Looks like I'll have to battle HAL to keep the coveted hotel rooms, for if they will not honour them, all 6 of us will be without accoms on super bowl weekend. Princess is sold-out.

 

What did you get offered?

[kryos]

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 that is something I don't understand at all. If Olivia chartered the ship for that week, then why didn't HAL immediately pull the cruise from its reservations system?

 

I can certainly understand any cruiseline wanting to book a charter, and bumping passengers in order to get that full ship charter ... but once the ship is chartered they certainly shouldn't be booking any more passengers independently. After all, once an outfit charters a ship, it's not HAL's ship to book any longer.

 

Wonder when Olivia actually signed the paperwork for this ship ... and how long it took HAL to stop taking independent bookings for it?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[shonuf]

Now that is something I don't understand at all. If Olivia chartered the ship for that week, then why didn't HAL immediately pull the cruise from its reservations system?

 

I can certainly understand any cruiseline wanting to book a charter, and bumping passengers in order to get that full ship charter ... but once the ship is chartered they certainly shouldn't be booking any more passengers independently. After all, once an outfit charters a ship, it's not HAL's ship to book any longer.

 

Wonder when Olivia actually signed the paperwork for this ship ... and how long it took HAL to stop taking independent bookings for it?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

A couple people (off the boards) have said that perhaps Olivia hasn't finished their paperwork with HAL or made their payment and HAL is playing both ends. Kind of like someone buying a house; they make the offer but have a house to sell, they put the escrow check with the agent and call their family to tell them the good news. As far as the seller is concerned, the house is NOT sold until the buyer's house is sold and contingency removed. The seller continues to show the property. This is a loose example, real estate agents need not correct me as to how property is sold in their state. As I said, friends suggested the paperwork hold-up.

 

If Olivia has dotted the i's and crossed the t's, then HAL needs to remove this cruise from inventory. As I've posted previously, we fought this battle with HAL way back in March so HAL has been aware of the problem for this period of time. I would have much rather had the cruise on the 27th.

[peaches from georgia]

A couple people (off the boards) have said that perhaps Olivia hasn't finished their paperwork with HAL or made their payment and HAL is playing both ends.

 

Well, a poster on this thread has said she has been booked on the Olivia cruise since January and it has been advertised as a charter on the Olivia site since sometime last year. This is June! Enough said. There is NO possible excuse, IMO, for HAL to have been booking individual pax all this time and is just now getting around to canceling these bookings. It's a nasty way to do business. :(