WVU_Neal

Exactly and not worth any more effort. Except that I certainly might have a talk with a HAL person when I get to the ship. My point was to mention the poor level of service from HAL. That is all. Over and out. 😎

I was doing something else while waiting. That's the value of speaker phones.

Oh I get all you are saying. I'll do what I can with it. It's just a poor way to treat loyal customers.

After returning from an October cruise, I noticed an overcharge on my statement of $11. Following the information on the HAL website, I sent an email explaining the problem and requesting a refund. The response was a "form letter" stating that it might take 10-12 weeks for them to respond. After about 6 weeks, I sent a follow-up email, same form response. After that nothing. Fast forward to January 3. Called the HAL customer service number. After a few minutes on hold, I ended talking with a reservations agent. After a bit of back and forth and some rudeness from said agent, she offered to connect me with customer service and would wait until that happened. After 55 minutes wait, I hung up. Given that it appears impossible to reach these folks, my plan is to bring it up at check-in for my next cruise in late January, when I will have a real live human being in front of me. And I plan to ask for a bottle of wine for my trouble. Neal

Thank you. The golf carts rent for $100.

Could you share any info about the costs for golf cart rentals? Thanks.

As of this post, the website seems to work. I was able to log in from the home page and view my booked cruise. As a retired software developer, there is a significant level of complexity in building and app and/or website. There are often bugs upon launch that even get through testing. However...significant pieces of the website, ones right out front, did not work and should have been found before launch. Fortunately for us customers, these bugs and probably others were squashed over the weekend.

We will be in Curacao for a long day on January 30 when the HAL Rotterdam calls there. Are there any suggestions for a beach resort on the island where we might spend the day?

I had an excellent conversation with a Resolution Assistance agent at HAL. Although HAL was willing to make some accommodation, this booking was on the big box agency special fare. That fare comes with a contract that prohibits HAL from doing anything to that booking, including adding any OBC or anything. What they were willing to do is allow my agency to rebook at a different fare. Best they could do. Upon further review (as NFL officials often say), at this point there is no other fare that amounts to any kind of savings. My cruise booking was at a quite excellent price and I'll just leave it alone. Thanks to everyone for your feedback and help. Neal

My TA told me that due to this late date for booking, that HAL would not do any hold.

I also found that press release from HAL and forwarded it along with similar comments to my travel agent. Indeed she should have known and/or have been informed by her big box cruise agency. I would have easily waited a couple days to make the booking. Discovering this press release confirms that HAL is not the problem, it is the agency who failed to provide me with the correct pricing information. My plan is to be directive (assertive) in addressing this issue with said agency. I would fully expect them to add OBC to my account in the amount of gratuities that I would be paying. Thanks for your help, Neal

She claims her company never received any email about the sail, although they have in the past.

Thanks for your responses, folks. Here’s the thing. I booked this late January cruise 2 days before the sale started. Needless to say, had I known about the Black Friday sale, I would have waited the two days to save myself almost $300. I felt pushed a bit by my big box travel agent to book. She claims neither she nor her agency knew about the sale. Quite honestly, I feel screwed and cheated out of $300. I get the “rules”, yet sometimes accommodations should be made to good customers. And I know for sure that other companies price protect when sales like this happen. Best Buy being one of them. I am working with the travel agent who is going to appeal to her superiors who might have more “clout” at their company and with HAL. My next step would be with HAL with maybe some emails up the line. I’m not one to let things go when I feel wronged. Neal

Sheesh. I only made the booking last Thursday. And I had to pay the whole thing because it is inside 90 days.

Earlier this week, November 15, I booked a cruise on the Rotterdam. And then this morning I discovered that the Black Friday Sale going on now includes prepaid gratuities. They were not shown with my booking. I’m thinking given only a couple days difference, I should be able to get that sale discount applied to my booking. What do you suggest is the best way to approach this? Contacting my travel agent at a big box shop? Contacting HAL? Thanks for the help. Neal

No apologies needed. The comments on this thread are way useful. When it dies down, I plan to forward the whole thing to my partner. In the slight hope that it will change her mind. 😀

As I understand it, the HAL plan is travel protection and not "officially" insurance. The travel insurance plans that are purchased online are insurance and governed by the laws of your state. That's a difference that might be an issue should a claim be filed. Neal

I was excited by a recent HAL mailing listing all the transatlantic cruises to Europe next spring. My partner, not so much. Her concern is about motion sickness and rough seas out in the Atlantic. What is your experience with the cruise over? And what's the weather like crossing the Atlantic in April or May? Thanks! Neal

My partner and I, both musicians were on the Konigsdam a few years ago (pre-covid). The band in BBK was excellent, except that the fine vocals were way too soft. Several times we talked to the sound man about that, and eventually to the Cruise Director. He was the one that told us all the sound levels are set by Corporate and cannot be changed.

I was in London and Amsterdam for 3 weeks last May, not on a cruise. I converted no funds to Pounds or Euros. I have an iPhone set up for Apple Pay, and 2 no foreign transaction fee credit cards. I rarely needed a physical credit card as public transportation, most restaurants, and most shops did contactless transactions. A much better experience than in the US. Note: to use Apple Pay you will need internet access.