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vangoethemkristof

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Posts posted by vangoethemkristof

    New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies"

    in Holland America Line

    Posted

    So fed up with this cruiseline, their disrespect towards loyal guests and over-trained staff who will go out of their way to keep you away from their supervisor. If, after insisting perseverently, you do get to talk to a supervisor, you are talking to a smiling and apologizing emotionless wall.

    Currently sailing on HAL Koningsdam on a 21 night back to back Caribbean collector’s voyage. Paid over 7.000 USD for an obstructed verandah for the two of us many months ago. Little less than 3 months before sailing, they dropped the price to 2.500 USD for European guests, and even to 1.685 USD for North American guests, which is less than half of the price we paid a few months before. A phonecall by the travel agent to HAL HQ resulted in a big no to a price adaptation as we had just passed the 90 days prior to sailing.

    They “upgraded” us to a non-obstructed verandah due to the price drop, which meant just going one floor up from deck 4 to deck 5. Also we received an extra onboard credit for the stunning amount of 75 USD per person!! Waw!!

    Besides, if anyone can explain to me why a EU citizen has to pay 1.000 USD more than a North American customer for identically the same stateroom, please try. Do not forget that North American guests seem to receive many more extra’s like free drinks, more onboard credit, free tips, etc ... compared to non-Americans.

    After the price drop, the neptune suites were priced even lower than what we paid for the obstructed verandah.

    Once onboard, as we noticed that the ship is far from full, we went to try to see the supervisor. After many attempts we finally spoke to her and asked for an upgrade to one of the empty neptune suites on board. Considering having paid more than what they were spld for in the last weeks prior to sailing, this seems no exceptional question to ask in this situation.

    The supervisor kept on saying that all neptune suites are sold out on this cruise. However, two days later we discover that this is not true (friends of us stay on deck 5 next to, guess what, an EMPTY neptune suite), I’m afraid HAL is making a huge mistake here. You do not liebto your guests

    Last detail, forgot to mention, the verandah we received had a broken airco. It took HAL 3 days to move us to another stateroom, on a ship that is sailing with 200 empty cabins!!??!!

    We have sailed with HAL before, on a 14 night and a 24 night cruise. We have 2 future bookings with HAL for december 2017 and december 2018.

    By giving us the advantage of an upgrade to a Neptune suite, HAL would have made us happy guests, and we would most probably instantly have forgotten about the pricing-issue. It wouldn’t have cost them an extra dollar and they’d only risk that we would end up booking neptune suites only in the future.

    By lying to us, and trying to cool it down with an extra 75 USD per person onboard credit and a Pinnacle Grill dinner, what they get is a pair of unhappy clients who will cancel their 2018 voyage with HAL and switch to another cruise line.

    I know many other cruise lines who would like to book our 3 cruises per year in the future. Actually they don’t care, of I may quote the supervisor: “of course we want to keep you with is in the future, but we are not responsible for the choices you will make in the future”! That is what I call “being rude”!!!

    Too bad for you guys, but if this is HAL customer-service and of this is how you treat “7.000 USD-guests”, we wish you all the best with your “500 USD-guests” for the future.

    Bye bye Holland America and your “client-is-not-King-sdam”.

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