Linda&Vern

Belated update . . . In the last few days the Guest Relations Manager on board has been very active in communicating with us over what happened (I should say what didn't happen ) on Embarkation Day. She has been very kind and we appreciate her efforts on our behalf. She makes a good representative for HAL.

 

We sail on . . .

Brief update. Vern wore shorts to dinner. He assured the DRM he knew the dress code, but HAL didn't know how to find luggage.

 

By 8:30pm all was found and unpacked and new cabin organized. Phone rang ... voice says "the guests have vacated your original room - you may move now." You can probably guess DH's reply.

 

We are putting yesterday behind us and trying to smile going forward. Two more messages today that we could move. As of a few minutes ago the other occupants moved back in.

 

In reply to my "I need help" messages - our PCC is shocked and promises he is looking into why no one helped us. On the other hand, HAL Seattle Guest Relations e:mailed to us our booking contract showing our originally booked cabin number!

 

The crew is mixed. New crew friendly - leftover crew look tired and worn out. Passengers from Grand Trip look dazed and worn out. I hope this is not any passengers first cruise. 9:00 last night - there were not more than a dozen people in the bars or clubs combined.

 

Will post more after the cruise. I do want to mention that our October Veendam cruise from FLL to San Diego was fabulous! Now there is a happy ship with happy crew and passengers. Okay - it has an ugly butt. I can forgive that!

We are still missing some luggage, but found O2 machine, refrig, distilled water and shore tkts. Thankful for the terrific Room Stewards. Mail is addressed to original room - not new room.

 

HOWEVER - after getting mostly settled - some guy calls and says "you can move now if you want." I think not. No one talks to each other here.

 

To be clear - we are in the same type of room we booked, but other side of ship. I offered full price for Neptune Suite, just to get Neptune Lounge staff to help - but Front Desk laughed. We have now been on ship over 5 hrs. and are exhausted. The frustration is that no one will own up to the problems - we are left looking like WE made a mistake. :(

 

DH will wear shorts in the Dining Room for dinner tonight if the rest of luggage is lost. Oh please, don't give him a hard time!

The door is locked to my originally booked cabin - so no one can go in to see if my stuff is there. Say what!!!

 

They keep saying we are in computer under new room ... but mail I found has my original room #. What a mess.

 

I offered full price for a Neptune Suite and they turned me down. Lots of lessons learned today. Poor DH has walked miles and miles with our carry-ons back and forth. Not one offer of help with this mess.

 

Boarded the Amsterdam to find someone else living in our booked cabin. Oh – front desk says we moved you from Port to Starboard. Person in your room has been there for 70 days and is staying on. Well good for them. But I did pay for THIS cruise and that cabin. Finally said ok – went to new cabin. Everything I ordered is missing. Rental oxygen machine rejected by occupant of MY cabin. Oh goodie. DH out looking for it. No refrig for meds. No distilled water. No luggage. No help. 4 trips to front office. Lots of smiles – again no one seems to care.

 

All talk is of the Grand Trip. No talk of this new 14 day trip. Not even a Mariner’s Luncheon. The staff acts like they never heard of one. Seems this is the end of a voyage – not a new exciting one for us!

 

HAL – what have you done to us?

Does anyone know what cabin the "dog" is currently occupying? We are boarding Monday!

We got off the Veendam after 17 days on Saturday. Yes, the Veendam. The cruise and the crew were so fabulous that we now know for certain that we won’t be wandering over to another line.

Is it just me, or is anyone else bothered by the fact that some people think that Holland America's luggage handling involves violent shaking and throwing it against hard surfaces?

 

Also, why is funny when other people's luggage gets dumped in a forklift mishap? (Linda & Vern, you know I'm talking to you. :D)

 

I think you completely misunderstood my original comment. I did NOT laugh … I giggled because all I could hear in my mind was “slap a tag on it or put it in your luggage – nothing will happen to it.”

 

Why would I laugh at the mishap? For all I know some of my luggage may have been on the ground!

 

I said "I giggled on embarkation day last week in FLL as we watched a forklift lose control of a full cage and all the contents got tossed out and rolled all over the ground. Then the staff had to pick everything up and throw it back in. All I could think of was soda and water that might be in those bags or loose in the cage."

We are on Veendam now, day 9 of a 17 day cruise. All is well. No issues for us. Crew always cleaning. Crew always smiling. Best room stewards we have ever had. Will write more at end of cruise. Just remember this is a smaller ship than the Vista or Signature class, if that matters to you.

In that case, if we have a suitcase arrive in our stateroom soaked in Mountain Dew we will know where to assign the blame.

I know you don't think they will break and maybe they won't but pressure from crushing will make the cover fly off. The liquid has to go somewhere.

 

If I were taking pop aboard a ship I would be considerate and carry it on so I wouldn't risk ruining someone else's clothes.

 

Sapper - I giggled on embarkation day last week in FLL as we watched a forklift lose control of a "full cage" and all the contents got tossed out and rolled all over the ground. Then the staff had to pick everything up and throw it back in. All I could think of was soda and water that might be in those bags or loose in the cage. :eek:

That is interesting that the officers are allowed to smoke in their cabins.

 

My first thought was the same thing. Then I noticed that poster said “several years ago.”

Just order off the Cabana Club Menu:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Cabana-Club-Menu.pdf

 

Roger - That looks more like the pay extra Cabana Dinner menu, not lunch menu.

What is "ginger candy" and where can it be purchased? Is it actually called ginger candy? (I know what it is used for.)

Kazu hasn't been online for almost 3 days. I hope all is ok. Roy

 

I hope she is just busy and it isn't that her ipad "walked off." :eek:

Although the drinks go on your onboard account, the bar charge is handwritten (but not totaled) and posted later once the bar staff returns to the ship.

 

Buyer beware: check your hand written bar receipt against the amount posted on your shipboard account. It may be different.

 

Last cruise I was charged two different amounts for the same cocktail in Capt. Morgan's Bar (the pirate ship). The first drink was written down as $6.75 + 15%, with no total amount. It was posted correctly onboard as $7.76. The next drink (same cocktail, different bar tender) was handwritten

as $6.75 + 15, with no total amount. But I was charged $6.75 + $1.50, and it was posted incorrectly onboard as $8.25.

 

Since HMC was the last stop before Ft. Lauderdale, I saw the discrepancy on my account the morning of disembarkation, but had no time to pull out receipts, figure out the math, and go to the front desk. Once home, I figured out what happened. Lesson learned: next time I'll ask the bartender to write the total amount on the receipt. :)

 

You did notice, I'm sure, there are no registers, etc. at the bars. Everything is done by "hand." Unless you are the only one in the bar I cannot imagine any bartender having the time to calculate the 15% by hand and add it to the drink order for a total. I just don't see that happening ... not with my experience on HMC anyway. I'm sure a phone call to HAL after your cruise would have gotten your 49 cent overcharge refunded to you.

[quote name='SilvertoGold']HAL is reported to be "leaning towards all open dining" according to the Hotel Director on the Amsterdam ([COLOR="Red"][B]WCB thread[/B][/COLOR]). Apparently, Open is cheaper.

Personally we would be very unhappy about this change. We dislike Open because 2-tops are hard to come by, whereas we never have a problem getting one in Fixed.

Any thoughts about this possibility and why it would be cheaper? Thanks[/QUOTE]
[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Blue"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Are we sure the comment was for all HAL ships and all HAL cruises ... or just the World Cruise? The reason I ask is that a few years ago there were a few discussions about guests doing the whole cruise claiming tables as "theirs" and even saying "they" decided who to invite to sit with them when some folks left and new passengers joined the cruise. With so many segments of the World Cruise, maybe this is turning into a problem for fixed seating? Just a thought . . .[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE]

I just visited an unnamed social media site where I read comment after comment from people begging HAL not to change the balcony smoking policy. Most admitted to be former CCL cruisers who are switching to HAL because they can balcony smoke. If YOU are serious about hoping HAL changes their smoking policy IMHO we need to start a lot of letter writing! HAL should hear our opinions too!

Did Cozumel deny them? I read that they wanted to get the ship back to Galveston ASAP.

 

See post #13 ... they were to go to Cozumel.

Just curious if anyone has taken advantage of the Small Group Options for Shore Excursions. Would this be a good idea for someone that will be in a wheelchair? Do the mini-buses have a place to store the chair?

 

I'm sorry but I am not familiar with the term "small group options" for shore excursions. Are these HAL excursions? I would not assume any excursion vehicle was wheelchair doable without checking with HAL. I have never found a HAL excursion I wanted to take that could accommodate my scooter.

All "Open Seating" might actually generate more profit for HAL. With so many of the ship's guests standing in line trying to get their preferred time at their preferred table with their preferred tablemates there would be little time at the end of the fiasco for evening entertainment. HAL could save a lot of $$ on their entertainment budget. Watching the long MDR lines with everyone "hot under the collar" waiting would be the entertainment.

(bolded emphasis mine)

 

This is no longer true. The vast majority of cruisers prefer open seating. Even on HAL the desire for "anytime" far exceeds the set times and HAL as we know is one of the most traditional lines afloat.

I believe Cunard is the only line that does not offer anytime. NCL, RCCL, Azamara, Oceania, Seabourne (iirc) all are open seating. Crystal even now offers open dining and rumors there are it'll go completely open when a new ship is built (it's not possible with their current ship structure).

 

Is your highlighted comment "fact" or your opinion? I ask because that is not what we were told on our last two cruises.

This would be the end of my cruising. Sorry ... I do not dine with anyone but DH. I'm on vacation and have absolutely no desire to "chit chat" during dinner. I want my fixed time table for 2. My DH does not stand in line for dining. (Something about doing that too many years in the Navy.) Unless we decided to pay up the $$$ for Pinnacle reservations each evening, I would just switch to land based vacations. And considering how awful our dinner (not breakfast) experience was in the Pinnacle we won't be going there again.

 

Oh - I hope this is a wild rumor.

Thanks everyone for reporting !!!

I love reading the posts of your trip. You have traveled to places I will never be able to go so I appreciate your descriptive essays. Your photos are beautiful! I'm so sorry about your camera, but as a result of your experience my DH decided to check serial numbers and make notes of every electronic and camera item we have.

 

Safe travels home.

I have been checking AIS every few hours, no movement yet but I'd expect her to be leaving Phila late tonight or early tomorrow to make the previously announced arrival at Boston at 19:00 UTC on the 17th. When she departs Phila I'll post that info unless someone else beats me to it.

 

Thank you - thank you - thank you!