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Frustration with Booking Family Retreat Cabana --- HAL Bait & Switched Us


cruzin4us
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We have had our Family Retreat Cabana booked since June 21st. We paid for and have a receipt for the cabana.

 

When my mom booked the cabana, she was told there was only one left.....Yay for us! She paid for the cabana and we have been anticipating it for 3 months now.

Well, we are 2 weeks out from sailing and my mom received a letter stating that HAL was sorry but they overbooked the Family Retreat cabanas and they now want to give us 2 of the smaller cabanas. Has this ever happened to any of you?

 

Thank you for booking with Holland America Line. We are contacting you in regard to your Family Retreat Cabana reservation on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam, October 05, 2017. Unfortunately, due to an error, the Family Retreat Cabanas have been overbooked on this sailing. When your cabana reservation was made sailing there were no longer any Family Retreat Cabanas available, however our system allowed the overbooking. Due to the error, we will provide you with two regular Retreat Cabanas next to each other in the same area as the Family Cabana. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and look forward to welcoming you aboard.

 

I'm so bummed about this I can hardly think. We have planned for over a year for this vacation and then this happens. Do they overbook staterooms too?

This is our confirmation of booking:

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Stewart, Clifford (HAL) (HAL) <
>

To:

Sent: Mon, Jun 19, 2017 12:11 pm

Subject: Gift Order Confirmation

 

?ui=2&ik=f3adb9e125&view=fimg&th=15ea7de90eae145a&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&attbid=ANGjdJ_qO3TOx4N9ps6O5Q3eznLGMxzDGwDvPQLEtatz054DeeK0pM3FKWg0XzsUz4HSo2XlOYg1H8Eu2_QLJJ0N56duLxIiGVDAJJYa5xt3F6UYbYVpDpR4gmHhfVQ&sz=w560-h214&ats=1506092584648&rm=15ea7de90eae145a&zw&atsh=1

Dear C...........,

Thank you for your recent purchase of Family Retreat Cabana for Caroline Bose on Nieuw Amsterdam 05OCT17. Your credit card ending in 4111 has been charged a total of $899.00USD for these items.

Gifts will be delivered to the stateroom on embarkation day. Please let us know if there is anything more we can do to assist you.

Do they really overbook, or are we just getting booted to someone else?
:mad:.

 

 

 

 
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In my experience overbooking is not usual--HAL will waitlist in situations where limited facilities are sold out. That makes me think that this is an honest mistake.

 

It's unfortunate that this happened, but it looks to me like HAL is trying to make right on that mistake.

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The regular retreat cabanas are quite large. If you have two side by side (open the curtain between them) you will actually have a space larger than the family cabana. Not sure what you mean by "bait and switch". It's an error and these things happen......not intentional at all. I'm sure you'll enjoy having the regular cabanas. Enjoy your cruise!

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I doubt it was an unintentional action on HAL's part. They played games with me about cabana availability for my cruise back in April. I'm sorry they screwed with you. But, at least you have 2 "regular" cabanas to make up for it; some will be left with nothing most likely. Take your email that you are promised 2 adjoining cabanas and, if they try to renege on this "promise" also, complain at the top of your lungs. "Oh, we are sorry, but we cannot accommodate two cabanas next to each other. We do have 2 cabanas, each one at the farthest point from the other." I would also write back and say you want to know the names of the 2 Cabanas now reserved for you; this would be another way to be sure you get what they say you are. They will know this so no reason for them not to do so unless they are being sketchy. I had to do this so I had proof a specific cabana was going to be mine. Beware...

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I doubt it was an unintentional action on HAL's part. They played games with me about cabana availability for my cruise back in April. I'm sorry they screwed with you. But, at least you have 2 "regular" cabanas to make up for it; some will be left with nothing most likely. Take your email that you are promised 2 adjoining cabanas and, if they try to renege on this "promise" also, complain at the top of your lungs. "Oh, we are sorry, but we cannot accommodate two cabanas next to each other. We do have 2 cabanas, each one at the farthest point from the other." Beware...

 

The only things I would add to this advice are to take the original confirmation, too, and to check where your cabanas are as soon as you are able to.

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It looks like an honest mistake and their offer of 2 cabanas seems fair ... Mistakes do happen.

 

... Not sure what you mean by "bait and switch". It's an error and these things happen......not intentional at all. I'm sure you'll enjoy having the regular cabanas. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Spot on, SB & LA!!! (y) (y) (y) Your Posts demonstrate what true classiness is all about - congrats.

Smooth sailing clear.png?emoji-ship-1866clear.png?emoji-ship-1866clear.png?emoji-ship-1866

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I see it as an honest mistake not bait and switch.

HAL has been known to overbook cruises as well. I remember when the Maasdam's Canada/New England cruises were overbooked a few times as well as some of the Veendam cruises out of Tampa.

Do call HAL and ask the names of the Cabanas they are assigning you -- I know someone here will know the names of the cabanas and can confirm their names for you.

Take all paperwork with you.

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I think it was an unfortunate mistake. don' t let it ruin your cruise.

Is the usual price of the two 'regular cabanas approximnately the same as price of family cab ana? If so, you really are not losing.. IMO. The only way you would lose, if you get all convinced someone did this to your family on pupose. I find that doubtful. We all make mistakes and I more than not think this ws an errror.

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I guess my biggest frustration lies in the fact that they told us there was only 1 family retreat cabana available and we jumped on it immediately. With today's computer systems, they "would" or "should" know when a cabana is sold out. Also, it shouldn't have taken over 3 months to figure out that they "overbooked" the cabana.

 

It's not going to ruin my cruise, but it's kind of like booking an aft stateroom and when you get on board they tell you "by the way, we over booked the room but we have an indoor stateroom for you".

 

We were diligent about getting a receipt and confirming the cabana over a month ago, so I don't buy the fact that it just "happened" to be an oversight.

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I do agree with your assessment that it should not take 3 months to notice they didn't have what they sold you when they sold it to you. But getting the two regular size cabanas side by side is not the same as them giving an inside room to someone boarding with a booking of an aft room. When they overbook rooms they either upgrade you, or offer you another cruise at significant discount. Glad that it's not going to ruin your cruise! It's hard to have a bad day on a cruise ship! m--

 

editing to make the exception of an "interline" rate booking, which can get downgraded.

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I guess my biggest frustration lies in the fact that they told us there was only 1 family retreat cabana available and we jumped on it immediately. With today's computer systems, they "would" or "should" know when a cabana is sold out. Also, it shouldn't have taken over 3 months to figure out that they "overbooked" the cabana.

 

It's not going to ruin my cruise, but it's kind of like booking an aft stateroom and when you get on board they tell you "by the way, we over booked the room but we have an indoor stateroom for you".

 

We were diligent about getting a receipt and confirming the cabana over a month ago, so I don't buy the fact that it just "happened" to be an oversight.

 

Many of the mistakes c oming out of computers are because data was not entered at all or not entered properly .. If somone assigned/sold the cabana to another guest but never entered it in the computer it would have shown as available when your family booked it. People make misttrakes. IWhile it is clear you are upset, it might save your cruise if you are able to forgive their error and put the siruattion into perspective Have you all ever sailed without a cabana at the pool? If so, was the cruise wonderful. this one likely will b e as well whether you have two cabanas or one.. You are the only one who can decide just how much anger and angst this deserves and how much of that you wish to carry with you onto the ship.. .

Edited by sail7seas
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CC member "Cruisin Nana" had a similar situation with a retreat cabana reservation on Nieuw Amsterdam, in February of this year. HAL had given her cabana to Princess Margarite of the royal family of the Netherlands. However, Cruisin Nana argued with HAL, and demanded her cabana back, and, she got it back! Here's the passage where she describes her situation:

 

 

Retreat Cabana

 

We went to check on our cabana, and it was everything wewanted it to be and then some. It wasour home away from home. If you recall,I had asked specifically for the Portofino Cabana and had a verbal responsethat was available for me. A week or sobefore the cruise, I got an email from Guest Services that Portofino had beendouble booked and they had moved me to another cabana. I was not happy so I wrote back with someexplanations of why I should not be moved, and my original request washonored. I could not wait to see who hadthe other cabana they tried to switch me to. Well, it was the Royals! All ofthe Royals! Yes, one cabana for two wasassigned to all the Royals. (I wasshocked that my request was honored!) After arriving home, I found out from myguide in Amsterdam that Princess Margarite and her husband were celebratingtheir 50th wedding anniversary with a Caribbean cruise with her 4sons, 4 daughter in laws and her 11 grandchildren! (and her body guard) While this made forgreat people watching, it did somewhat impact our time in the cabana. Only a few of the grandchildren ran in andout, but all the adults took over most of the lounges in the sun and had thecabana guys taking and delivering lunch orders for all of them before waitingon those of us following the rules of the two person cabana. My husband and I do not sit in the sun, sothe lack of sun lounges did not impact us but definitely did others. The result of that was chair hogs in theRetreat Cabana!!! And I didn?t blamethem at all. I noticed when I arrived atthe cabana one day, that several lounges had towels, books, beach bags, etc. onthem. The people who placed them thereshowed up a few hours later to sit in the sun. The Royals moved to the other end of the cabana area and used up allthose lounges!

 

The Princess? bodyguard sat in a corner right outside thecabana area keeping watch over the Princess. When she stood up, he stood up, and if she headed toward the door, hewas right there escorting her out. Isoon learned, ?IT IS GOOD TO BE A PRINCESS!?

 

At 3:30 was the muster drill. We were in cabin 7048 and the Princess was in7040 which I discovered at the drill: The staff in charge kept calling 7040 for a check in at the muster?.noanswer! Finally, an officer came up tothe staff and proclaimed, ?The Princess is NOT coming!? Yes, ?IT IS GOOD TO BE A PRINCESS!? I whispered to my husband that I consideredmyself a princess so what was I doing at the muster??? Hahaha!

 

I did not bother trying to speak to the Royals, but from myobservations, they were very lovely people, and I am sure they would havejoined me in conversation. Sincereturning, I have read that they are quite beloved in their country and wellrespected. They certainly are a handsomelooking family!

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CC member "Cruisin Nana" had a similar situation with a retreat cabana reservation on Nieuw Amsterdam, in February of this year. HAL had given her cabana to Princess Margarite of the royal family of the Netherlands. However, Cruisin Nana argued with HAL, and demanded her cabana back, and, she got it back! Here's the passage where she describes her situation:

 

 

Retreat Cabana

 

We went to check on our cabana, and it was everything wewanted it to be and then some. It wasour home away from home. If you recall,I had asked specifically for the Portofino Cabana and had a verbal responsethat was available for me. A week or sobefore the cruise, I got an email from Guest Services that Portofino had beendouble booked and they had moved me to another cabana. I was not happy so I wrote back with someexplanations of why I should not be moved, and my original request washonored. I could not wait to see who hadthe other cabana they tried to switch me to. Well, it was the Royals! All ofthe Royals! Yes, one cabana for two wasassigned to all the Royals. (I wasshocked that my request was honored!) After arriving home, I found out from myguide in Amsterdam that Princess Margarite and her husband were celebratingtheir 50th wedding anniversary with a Caribbean cruise with her 4sons, 4 daughter in laws and her 11 grandchildren! (and her body guard) While this made forgreat people watching, it did somewhat impact our time in the cabana. Only a few of the grandchildren ran in andout, but all the adults took over most of the lounges in the sun and had thecabana guys taking and delivering lunch orders for all of them before waitingon those of us following the rules of the two person cabana. My husband and I do not sit in the sun, sothe lack of sun lounges did not impact us but definitely did others. The result of that was chair hogs in theRetreat Cabana!!! And I didn?t blamethem at all. I noticed when I arrived atthe cabana one day, that several lounges had towels, books, beach bags, etc. onthem. The people who placed them thereshowed up a few hours later to sit in the sun. The Royals moved to the other end of the cabana area and used up allthose lounges!

 

The Princess? bodyguard sat in a corner right outside thecabana area keeping watch over the Princess. When she stood up, he stood up, and if she headed toward the door, hewas right there escorting her out. Isoon learned, ?IT IS GOOD TO BE A PRINCESS!?

 

At 3:30 was the muster drill. We were in cabin 7048 and the Princess was in7040 which I discovered at the drill: The staff in charge kept calling 7040 for a check in at the muster?.noanswer! Finally, an officer came up tothe staff and proclaimed, ?The Princess is NOT coming!? Yes, ?IT IS GOOD TO BE A PRINCESS!? I whispered to my husband that I consideredmyself a princess so what was I doing at the muster??? Hahaha!

 

I did not bother trying to speak to the Royals, but from myobservations, they were very lovely people, and I am sure they would havejoined me in conversation. Sincereturning, I have read that they are quite beloved in their country and wellrespected. They certainly are a handsomelooking family!

That's quite the situation. I don't recall seeing this previously. Thank you for bringing it up. Based on this I think it may be worthwhile for the op to call holland America again.

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Once on the ship, OP will see and perhaps chat with the occupants of the family cabana.

 

I suspect you say this with good intentions, but I think it is awkward. If someone approached me and started questioning why I had their cabana, I'd be pretty put off personally. What would the end goal of your approach be, I ask out of curiosity.

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