HAL-Never Again

[cnvh]

 

We ordered breakfast delivered from room service and we are still waiting for it.

 

On our recent (10/31) cruise on the Noordam, we ordered room service on the last day by hanging the tag on our door the night before... when it was over an hour past the time frame we had requested, I called to inquire about it-- and as it turned out, we hadn't checked a time box on the card (we had planned to check between 6-6:30), and the room service department hadn't wanted to call us in the wee hours to verify what time we wanted. So that was our fault, not theirs... perhaps you neglected to check a time box?

 

 

After those two, we received champagne (we don't drink) and chocolates (my husband is a diabetic) from the management.

 

For most people, champagne and chocolates would be a nice peace offering... Sorry HAL wasn't aware of your preferences.

 

 

The lunch at the Lido Deck every day was basically rotisserie chicken of some sort...just named differently. There were other choices but not main course choices that really did it for me.

 

Personally, I found the selections on the Lido for lunch to be quite varied-- certainly more than just rotisserie chicken!!

 

I asked my waiter to get me 3 lobster tails...he said he would see if he could...I told him he had a choice...he could get it for me or we would have a scene...guess what?...he found three for me...

 

I was feeling sympathetic for you, up until this point... who on earth tells a server, "get me this or else I'm going to make a scene"?!?!?!?! :eek:

 

 

Oh and as a point of information, there were 140 kids on board and they ran out of chocolate milk for them 3/4 of the way through....

 

I'm reasonably certain that absence of chocolate milk is not going to cause a riot in the under-18 crowd, but I could be wrong....

 

Room steward woke up people at 7:30 a.m. the morning before the day we left to deliver the liquor and cigarettes people had purchased on board.

 

Well, since the alternative would have been leaving your liquor and cigarettes out in the hall (for anyone to take), isn't it a good thing that they woke you up to give them to you?!?! How does your room steward know if you're sleeping in, or had planned on vacating your room at 8:00 and waiting in the Lido until disembarkation???

[Ferry Watcher]

cnvh,

Great points - well done! It gave me a good laugh on this snowy Seattle evening.

 

Mary

Ferry Watcher

[grandgeezer]

Don't judge a cruiseline by just one ship. We got off the Oosterdam today, our 9th cruise, 5th with HAL. It was probably the best cruise we ever had. The food, cabin, entertainment, and service was world class. We had 0 negative feelings about any aspect of the cruise. Take that back, we lost in the casino. In fact 8 out of 9 were wonderful, with the only one being less than wonderful was the Norwegian Sun last month. I'm still willing to give NCL another shot, but not on the Sun. It had too many shortcomings to overcome and I think most of them was management driven.

[cands]

Oh my God! Just FYI: if we were at a table with someone demanding a third lobster tail we'd be faking Mandarin, too .

 

Very funny!:D

[Jade13]

when they did deliver, took about an hour and the portions were horrifically small. The Surf and Turf was a horror...the tiniest portion of filet...and lobster...I asked my waiter to get me 3 lobster tails...he said he would see if he could...I told him he had a choice...he could get it for me or we would have a scene...guess what?...he found three for me...

Sonja and Jeff

 

Sonja, you really said that to your waiter? Perhaps he had to make sure there was enough left (for the next seating - not sure what time you ate). There is so much food that we are pretty full after the first two courses that we would not think to ask for 4 main dishes (3 extra).

 

I agree that Justin Miller is fabulous. We saw him on the Westerdam. He even gave an extra afternoon performance one afternoon. I believe he said he had a special place for HAL since he met his wife on a HAL ship.

[Jade13]

 

Unfortunately I couldn't find a Med cruise on HAL going where I wanted to go, for the money I wanted to pay. SO I chose Grand Princess. I hope I won't be disappointed with the monolith size of the Grand.

 

If you've been on 14 other cruises, did you find a line you did like? Or are you still searching?

 

Good luck on your future cruises.

 

I am just curious which ports Grand Princess offers in the Med that HAL does not, since we were in the Med this year and doing a diff itinerarty next year?

[jtl513]

All I can say is that the 10 days we spent on the Noordam were wonderful - but we are not the type of who let trivial things bother us - and I do not think that anything on the OP's list was a major problem.

[barbon2]

I know you probably won't, but give HAL another try. We had a less then stellar experience on the Oosterdam last, Dec., and went on the Noordam this past December and had a wonderful experience, we even went ahead and have a booking on the Eurodam. I guess with any ship you can hit a "bad" week or just have a chain reaction of events that lead to a bad experience. We have cruised with HAL 5 times and that was our only unhappy experience. As I have posted in another thread, we too have cruised on other lines with our children (in past years when they were younger), during school holiday breaks and it really is a totally different experience when a large number of children are on board. It's a shame when anyone does not enjoy their vacation.

Barbara

[Toad]

Personally I am not a big fan of the Noordam. It is just TOO BIG! TOO MANY People and most importantly no ability to see down the whole promenade deck because of the elevator bump out. HOWEVER, I think that the service and every other aspect we have come to expect from HAL has been similar to other ships in the fleet. Additionally if someone offered me a cruise on the Noordam, I wouldn't turn them down.

[bepsf]

I have to wonder what cruiselines the OP has been on before, and what her opinions of them were?

 

Cruiseship staterooms are full of compromises: There aren't many cruiselines where the TV isn't off to one side or another. If the TV had been right across from the bed in her SS, I'm sure we would have heard about how it wasn't visible from the sofa...

 

How does the OP know that her cabin steward went through her drawers? Was something missing (highly doubtful) or was something left loose on the dresser/bed/floor put away for her?

 

I wonder why the OP didn't bother to walk to other areas of the Lido for lunch to find where the stir-fry, sandwich, pasta, hamburger, taco-bar, soup & salad stations were? And if she didn't find the Lido to their liking, did they bother to try the Main Dining Room?

 

Regarding the availability of food between 9.30 and 11.15: I typically don't come out from my stateroom until 10am, and there's always one line open for breakfast food until 10.30. Moreover, cut fruit and cold cereals are available until about 11am - after that, the crew does need time to change that space over to a salad bar for lunch service. She could have also wandered back to her stateroom to snack on an apple or banana.

 

There was no need for the OP to threaten her waiter for another lobster tail - I'd be willing to bet that he would have gladly brought her 4 if she hadn't threatened him or removed her Auto-Tip. (Yes, word gets back to the crew when one does that...) However, I do find it interesting that the OP chose to complain about how little the staff makes after removing the Auto-Tip: Hypocritical...?

 

I don't know how anyone can complain about the handle on the teapot being hot - Of course it is!!! If it wasn't hot, the tea inside wouldn't be hot enough!

 

We do agree on one thing however: The mainstage entertainment on HAL is generally crap. (Bill Prince should have stayed at Caesar's...)

 

I hope that her next cruise on some other line is more to her liking...

...and that nobody gets between her, the TV and her food.

:rolleyes:

[welove2cruise232]

Wow! Totally the opposite of our recent experience on the Noordam! I don't know what else to say; sorry you had such a bad time, but we didn't -- in fact, we're looking forward to our NEXT cruise on the Noordam in March.

[jimgev]

Oh my God! It sounds like MY HOUSE! We have seriously had chicken three times this week- each time with a different flavoring- and I am about to throw up. Seriously! No. More. Chicken.

 

Well, I'm up to my ears in turkey leftovers about now. I think I have have had turkey every day for the last 10 days and ther is still more to be had!

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

Personally I am not a big fan of the Noordam. It is just TOO BIG! TOO MANY People and most importantly no ability to see down the whole promenade deck because of the elevator bump out. HOWEVER, I think that the service and every other aspect we have come to expect from HAL has been similar to other ships in the fleet. Additionally if someone offered me a cruise on the Noordam, I wouldn't turn them down.

 

I'm sorry, too many people?? We just sailed the Crown Princess this past July, and the ship was basically the same size as the Noordam, BUT with over 1000 more people. We could always find a peaceful place or a chair by either of the pools on the Noordam. Try that on the Crown. Back to the rotiserie chicken in the Lido, did you try to find the paninni, asian grill, or pizza there? As for room service, when we wrote down a time, they were on time. Some of the best moments we had on the Noordam was having breakfast on our balcony EVERY morning. Having recently sailed on Princess and NCL, after having sailed since 1992 on over 12+ cruises on different lines, I can say without a doubt, that the service. food and staff on the Noordam, have been the BEST!

[Toad]

I'm sorry, too many people?? We just sailed the Crown Princess this past July, and the ship was basically the same size as the Noordam, BUT with over 1000 more people. We could always find a peaceful place or a chair by either of the pools on the Noordam. Try that on the Crown. Back to the rotiserie chicken in the Lido, did you try to find the paninni, asian grill, or pizza there? As for room service, when we wrote down a time, they were on time. Some of the best moments we had on the Noordam was having breakfast on our balcony EVERY morning. Having recently sailed on Princess and NCL, after having sailed since 1992 on over 12+ cruises on different lines, I can say without a doubt, that the service. food and staff on the Noordam, have been the BEST!

 

Ergo, the reason we do not sail on the Crown Princess........

[willowoodf]

A little note about room service. On our last cruise on the Oosterdam, there weren't that many children aboard, but the ones that were liked to play the game of "let's take all the room service cards off of the doors and throw them on the floor in a big pile."

 

Mary

[barbon2]

Ok,

I have to put my 2 cents in here again :eek: ....If the OP was not happy with their cruise and wanted to post their experience, why not? We may not all agree but there is no reason to attack the OP. I know I have been on both the giving and receiving end of negative posts, and I am trying to be more diplomatic with my replies. I remember several years ago, as a newbe to HAL posting about a negative excursion on the Maasdam (our 2nd HAL cruise) and being told "don't post here anymore and go back to the Celebrity boards." The ironic thing was I never commented on the actual cruise, just the excursion.

So I guess if the OP did not like HAL and does not want to sail the line again, so may it be, but the OP should be able to express their opinion and post without having "us" attack them.

Barbara

[CruisinKiki]

It amazes me what people can find to complain about. How is HAL to know that chocolate and champagne aren't a nice benefit? 99.9 percent of people would think it was a nice gesture. Sorry you had a bad time, but it seems like attitude might have something to do with it. On a recent cruise, our table mates didn't get their luggage until after the first formal night. They had to come to dinner in jeans and T-shirts. Did it affect the fun they had? Not that I could tell. They had a great time because they decided to make the best of it. Wouldn't it be better to enjoy your vacation and not let the little things get to you? What would you do if something big actually went wrong? Personally, I wouldn't even notice where the TV in my room is -- and I'm a TV watcher at home. But when I'm on a cruise, I'm there for much more than watching TV in my room. In the end, if you didn't like HAL, then you are right to return to the cruise lines that you do enjoy. More room on HAL for the rest of us!

[RevNeal]

Regarding the availability of food between 9.30 and 11.15: I typically don't come out from my stateroom until 10am, and there's always one line open for breakfast food until 10.30. Moreover, cut fruit and cold cereals are available until about 11am - after that, the crew does need time to change that space over to a salad bar for lunch service. She could have also wandered back to her stateroom to snack on an apple or banana.

 

Brian, the OP's complaint was that it was impossible to get food between 9:30 pm and 11:15 pm, not in the morning. This, of course, indicates that the OP had early dinner. And, it should be noted that the "Late Night Snack" usually begins at 11pm.

[Travelbug 2]

Only chicken in the lido?? I wonder if there was a "foul" smell:rolleyes:

 

Any HAL Lido I have been in has had a wonderful selection of food to satisfy all tastes. :)

 

Strange post from the OP --------- the most negative I have seen on these boards! Makes you think eh? :confused:

[RevNeal]

A little note about room service. On our last cruise on the Oosterdam, there weren't that many children aboard, but the ones that were liked to play the game of "let's take all the room service cards off of the doors and throw them on the floor in a big pile."

 

I once observed a kid doing that. He wasn't making a big pile of them on the deck, however, he was tossing them overboard. Security detained him, but the problem was the boy's father, who was angry at the ship's chief of security and the Captain for "arresting my little boy." Figures.

[DesertDiva]

Gee, that gives "tastes like chicken" a whole new meaning! :D

 

They only had one chicken onboard Noordam and kept turning that poor boy around and around every day with a different coat on?:eek:

[Philip217]

njsonja said:

 

"I understand that since HAL has been taken over by Carnival, the waitstaff is having major issues with the management and their pay went from little to less than little. For this I am truly sorry."

 

I also feel bad about your disappointing cruise.

But since HAL was taken over by Carnival nearly 19 years ago, are you saying that they have been having major issues between waiters and management for 19 years?

 

If it helps you to understand a bit better, pay for HAL Waitstaff has increased at the same rate as all the other cruise lines. In fact, HAL just gave them a major pay increase (and benefits increase) last year.

 

Your understanding is incorrect.

[Floridaseas]

How is it that you chose Holland America? As a second generation cruiser with HAL, thanks to be introduced to them by my Mom, I have had a few issues with them, but never have I encountered anyone that had a list of complaints so long when it comes to HAL. I do not however, discount your feelings or opinions, I just know that we all seem to have different levels of expectations and our criteria are not quite comparable. One of the interesting aspects of these posts is viewing the different variables in what passengers report as their personal experience. Hope you can research your next cruise with all the wealth of information listed here.

[Vic The Parrot]

People are always trying to look for an excuse not to tip. We had ciggeraette smokers next to us and they smelled up the whole hallway and it was awful.They are going to ban ciggeretss inside the ship soon.

 

 

 

Don' t mean to be rude, but ...

 

What the heck does smoking have to do with tipping ??? :rolleyes:

[Seago2]

I like to read bad reviews and I have posted one of my own (well, half bad). That's the great part about CC and what gives me an "edge" in planning where I'm going to drop my next 2 or 3 grand.

 

But COME ON.

 

I agree that if I had been sitting next to the OP I would have been sneaking up to the Lido for dinner (done it!). DH and I would have our antennae up: if you see her coming, SCRAMBLE!

 

We were at a table for six once and a couple kept getting three and four apps, always three entrees (they were on a supposedly low sodium diet, early 40's, although they had no problem eating pizza and practically guzzling salt in the Lido) which they complained about because they were "tasteless," soups- after intense quizzing of the waiter about sodium content, and four desserts, eaten across the table. Not pretty. I mean, can't you wait until you get home to do that? Is that what "I paid for this cruise" is all about?

 

The champagne and chocolate thing is HILARIOUS. HAL should have known and gone to Plan B: small stones from the spa and an assortment of fine ice chips???

 

Who cares- is this just me???- if they wake you up at 7:30 to deliver your liquor and cigarettes? What- was the baby up all night? Big presentation in front of the boss that day?

 

I hate to admit it, but one of the first things I do, even before booking, is suss out when and where food is available, 24 hours a day. I just like to. Do not tell me that you are wandering around, hungry, rattling the doors, face like this: :( , at any time on a cruise ship. What else do you have to do during the first sea day but figure out when food is available?

 

If the OP was so positive and excited before she left then I have to surmise that her DH complained the entire time and that's why she has this attitude. These are the most minor complaints. The lobster tail incident must have been FUN for her tablemates.

 

OP: "I demand that you get me more than one lobster tail or I am going to make a scene here! Do you understand me? Do we have an understanding????"

 

Rest of the table: "Is there any way we can all crawl under the table while waiting another half hour for dessert?"

 

OP: Marches out of dining room after getting three lobster tails.

 

Rest of table, whispering to waiter: "I'm so sorry about them! The food has been great and the service has been excellent! I'm really sorry!"