Just Back From The Zuiderdam

[LSUNizz]

Let me clarify some of my earlier comments. I don't want anyone to think that I didn't have a good time. Exactly the opposite. I had a GREAT time. If you can't have a great time on a cruise something is wrong with you. I just thought that with a little more spunk and effort that the cruise could have been sooo much better.

 

As for the status of the staff, I don't buy the hurricane excuse one bit. If I drop a couple grand on a trip I expect the staff to be friendly and attentive no matter what the circumstance. When I was in college I worked in food service and some nights I just didn't feel like being there. However, in that situation you put on a smile and do the best job you possibly can. I just did not see this effort being made by a majority of the crew. I agree with the summation that the staff does not seem to work as hard because their tip is guaranteed. I believe this gratuity policy creates a culture of mediocrity. I have never under-tipped a service worker on a cruise, but the staff members ability to earn a couple more bucks from me is always a motivator and in my case it usually pays off.

 

Since this is my first HAL cruise I can't speak for the whole line, but if all of the ships have this quality of service I would rate HAL at the bottom of my cruising list.

[voyeurism26]

Hi Lois it was nice meeting you and I understand you did well in trivia.

 

Please don't get me wrong regarding the Zuiderdam...I did enjoy myself and we still had a wonderful time and we will continue to go on HAL and give HAL another chance.

 

We just found that some things had changed compared to the HAL we remembered from years past. We are not like others that will take these changes and have it ruin our vacation nor have the attitude of "not going on HAL again" we are going to give HAL a few more chances for our future cruises and if we find that the service and food is not up to par to what we want, then I have no problems going to Celebrity which we find to be excellant when it comes to food and service and the overall cruise experience.

 

We normally take two cruises per month...one on Celebrity and one on HAL so we will continue with both lines until we find one better then the other.

 

-V26

[Lois R]

LSU...sorry we didn't get to meet.....we had a nice group from our ROLL CALL:)

 

 

V26....2 cruises per month? You go on 24 per year? OH MY GOODNESS...May I stowaway in some of your luggage:D ;)

 

Yes, I love trivia...!!! Its fun:)

[voyeurism26]

I have to agree with the post regarding no matter what the attitude is that if "I" drop a few thousand dollars on a vacation, I want to recieve great service. I too was in the service industry and there have been many times that I did not want to serve the public but I always made the best of the situation and never let the customer know my "true attitude".

 

Furthermore, I think the new tipping policy makes the staff less attentive, less motivated. The new tipping policy stated in the ship service book located in each cabin states clearly that a $10 per person per day fee will be added to your onboard account. The fee is condsidered the tip for the staff and the tips are all pool and divided amoungest the staff and the kitchen staff that cooks dinner...so not only are the waiters, bartenders, cocktail servers, busboys, cabin stewarts get a share of the tips but so does the cooks and the staff behind the scenes. It also states that if you tip an individaul staff member for good service, they are NOT allowed to keep the extra tip and they MUST hand the tip in as part as the tipping pool and thus divided amoungest the staff.

 

What I object is why do they have to hand in there tip? Also why do we have to pay for the help behind the scenes? Although I realize that the cooks, chefs and the bakers and such work very hard...but shouldn't they get paid extra from the company? Why should we, the guest, get charged $10 per day per person and the majority of that money goes to individuals that didn't even service me. I think that this new tipping policy really hurts the service...even last year the service was much better prior to the new tipping policy...I also tipped better and gave extra money to individuals that went the extra mile...but this year I did not see that extra service.

 

Furthermore, I also see the cutting back of foods, cuts of meats, chicken, soups, desserts. The spa became a selling market for creams and lotions and other spa treatments...all they wanted to do is push there creams and lotions and such to buy, buy and buy...It was a turn off to go to the spa.

 

Did anyone have the same experience in the spa?

 

-V26

[voyeurism26]

we go on 2 cruises per year....not per month...<LOL>.

 

-V26

[Bigby]

It's interesting that the shortened cruise had so few passengers. You would think that the crew had a break that week and should have been fresh for the 9/11 sailing that has received complaints about service.

Actually, two gentlemen that we met at the FOD party, who were on the ship the week prior, said that there were only 600+ passengers and the staff was bored. I don't think it is a matter of them being overworked, I think it is the new "status quo" for service.

 

I was a member of Voyerism26's group and I had the same observations having travelled on the Zuiderdam before. One addtional comment I have is about the Dessert Extravaganza or "Dessert Shell Game" as it should be called. Not only is it getting smaller in "surface area" but it is exponentially less when it comes to selection. Each tray has five different items, four of which appear on the other trays, only the order is shuffled around to make it appear different. There are approximately six distinctive desserts in total.

 

--Bigby

[sail7seas]

Thanks everyone for your reviews and comments. I greatly appreciate your taking the time and effort to share with us.

 

 

Welcome Back to all of you.

[sail7seas]

I have been told that Captain von Biljoiuw is leaving as is the Maitre d'. Captain John Smith supposedly is taking over.

[kryos]

We normally take two cruises per month...one on Celebrity and one on HAL so we will continue with both lines until we find one better then the other.

Oh, man ... I am sooooooooo jealous. :)

 

Blue skies!

 

--rita

[kryos]

we go on 2 cruises per year....not per month...<LOL>.

Ohhhhhhh ... that's not quite as good.

 

But we can always dream, right? :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Did anyone have the same experience in the spa?

Sure did. I made the mistake of scheduling an appointment to get my hair cut on the second day of the cruise. While Leo did a good job, he began his sales spiel almost as soon as he had me settled in the chair. I finally was able to get through to him that I wasn't buying anything, so he could save his breath (in a nice way, of course). At that point, he dropped the sales talk and simply performed the service for which I had come.

 

Then ... I get my bill at the end of the first leg of the cruise. I was charged twice ... on two separate dates ... for the same amount. I go to the front desk, and they tell me to see the manager of the spa. I go up there, but no one is working. Finally, later on in the day ... when the new passengers embarked ... I was able to talk to a manager. He researches the charge and tells me they are different charges. One was for a haircut and one was for a "gym pass?" I never so much as set foot in the gym! Finally he agreed to have the "ISO" take the charge off my bill because he claimed he couldn't do it because it spanned a different week than the current cruise. I left thinking it was taken care of.

 

End of second cruise. I get my preliminary statement. Double $70 charge is still on there! Now, I'm not dealing with the spa ... I'm dealing with the front desk directly. She assured me it would be removed and to check my statement later on that day for verification.

 

I ask for a final bill the morning of debarkation. A $60 charge was removed ... $10 was still on the bill. I asked for an explanation and got some runaround. At this point I was tired and the $10 didn't seem worth it to me.

 

Next cruise I will make sure I never set foot in the spa. I don't like how they do business there.

 

The front desk told me that the "gym pass" charge was signed for by an entirely different person ... entirely different handwriting ... but charged to my cabin. Obviously a mistake in cabin numbers. But ... what? They don't ask to see the room card before making a charge?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[ekerr19]

However, I have to remember that they are serving a large number of people and this is not a high-scale dining experience.

 

rita-

 

I guess I'm just a bit different. I still believe dining on a cruise ship should be a "high-scale" experience... I expect it to be. :)

 

Thanks for taking the time to share your observations of your Zuidredam cruise(s). It sounds like you had a great time. :)

[Jacqueline]

BTW I loved the layout of the Vista class ships. My dad, who could get lost inside a paper bag, found it easy and logical to negotiate !

Personally, I love the smaller lounges and spaces and the sense of intimacy that they engender- but it does not lend to a high energy experince. I would go to RCL for that as well as a younger more active demographic. THey have lovely ships if that is your *thing*.

[DFD1]

I enjoyed reading the reviews. Here is an observation that some may think "off the wall", but I wonder if the ordinary, uninspired service and fewer staff in the dining room are related to the new automatic tipping policy. More tip money distributed to fewer staff equals a pay raise....and with the automatic tips it's a sure thing.

[voyeurism26]

"I enjoyed reading the reviews. Here is an observation that some may think "off the wall", but I wonder if the ordinary, uninspired service and fewer staff in the dining room are related to the new automatic tipping policy. More tip money distributed to fewer staff equals a pay raise....and with the automatic tips it's a sure thing."

 

 

DFD1~I can understand the rational of your comment. I have travelled on HAL many times over the past years and I find that when the tip was "NOT" included, the service seems to be better overall. The staff works harder and seems to be more attentive, when you hand them a tip they get to keep that tip. I for one happen to tip well because I believe in giving a great tip when recieving great service. However, since HAL changed this policy they don't have the incentive to be motivated to work harder and be as attentive as they use to be, why? Because now if you tip the person that gives you great service, they have to hand it in. Thus, most guest don't want to give the extra money because you realize that they don't get to keep the tip and they will have to split the tip with there co-workers.

 

Furthermore, since HAL adds the tip automatically to your onboard charge the tip not only gets split amoungst the staff but the kitchen help gets a piece of the pie as well. Shouldn't the kitchen staff get paid a higher wage from the company? oppose to getting there extra money from the "tipping pool". If I was a staff member and I had to split my tips and if a guest hands me a $50 dollar bill for great service and I couldn't keep the money, I would not be very happy and I would not give the level of service that I would give knowing that I had to pool the tips and share it with over 400 of my co-workers.

 

Your comment is not that "off the wall".......

 

-V26

[Little Feet]

Wow! We were on the same cruise....and were so happy with everything....service, food, and avoiding the hurricanes. We were grateful to be safe and this was our 3rd cruise on the Zuiderdam.....just a bit unexpected this time. It was our alternative to a shelter....and we were treated like royalty by the crew. Perhaps a sense of "gratitude" fosters a higher level of satisfaction?

[Jacqueline]

I did have an unusual experience on the spa on the Westerdam... My treatment person - who wil go unnamed- was very entrupenurial. I did buy a few expensive products after my facial... Got discounts on all my treatments. I am sure they made plenty on me one way or another...