Beware!! Westerdam Capt. Waits for noboby

[MikePowers]

Dear Ruth, why do you shout? Isn't this discouraged by Cruise Critic?

 

Bob :cool:

 

Shouting like that also reminds me of the guy shouting for the ship to come back to port. It's impolite. Say it without shouting.

 

Mike

[sapper1]

RuthC very very very SELDOM shouts!! In this case, I am glad she did! She spoke so loudly to make her point and in my eyes did it quite well! Thank you very much!

 

She is a very tender person, and generally takes the high ground. Obviously, this OP brought out a side she keeps in reserve and all I can say is GOOD FOR RUTHC!!!!

 

Joanie

Absolutely Joanie----sometimes even the most mild mannered of us sheeples are driven to distraction by idiocy.

[luvs2travl]

Dear Ruth, why do you shout? Isn't this discouraged by Cruise Critic?

 

Bob :cool:

 

Because obviously this guy can't read the regular print, the fine print, or any other kind of print. He sure can't read & undertand what a boarding time is! It gets a bit frustrating when all these folks are telling him what the problem is, and he still insists he was right in being late because the ship had no right to leave on time. GEESH!

[MikePowers]

Absolutely Joanie----sometimes even the most mild mannered of us sheeples are driven to distraction by idiocy.

 

There is no need to shout. It's not polite nor accepted in the Internet world. It show's a plain disregard to readers. It's as impolite as wearing a hat in the dining room.

[Bobblsc]

The guy did seem to grate on the nerves of some people, and I can understand why. He was a little..... aggressive? Entitled? But some of the responses seemed to take his statements personally. I mean the original statement/post. His second one was personal.

 

I am one of the few that had some sympathy and I still think that there has been a LOT of speculation about what might have been or could have been without any answers.

 

I don't recall the OP ever stating that anyone should pay extra money because of his mistake. He offered to cover $1,000 and we have no idea if that would have covered the cost or not and whether he could and would cover the entire cost. So making statements like "why should I have to pay for his mistake?" is speculation and not something that he said he asked for.

 

Many, many, many examples have been pointed out of waiting for passengers when the captain either knew where the pax were at or when they were on cruise tours. The capitan apparently knew where he was before the ship pulled away, but we don't know if this was before or after the gangway was pulled up. (Remember - he stated he was detained at the port agent's while they were contacting the ship).

 

Finally, the cruise materials that say we have until 5 or 6 or 7 pm in a port when we actually don't, annoys me too. I can totally figure out that I need to be on before then. I understand the difference between sailaway and all aboard time. I've been on cruises however where they make a big deal about "enjoy your time in Puerto Vallarta. We stay later than any other cruise line. we don't leave until midnight." Okay. We might not have left, but don't advertise like that whole time is there to enjoy. Still, I got my butt on the ship in Puerto Vallarta by like 7:30. Lol.

 

It all comes down to either the OP not listening to whatever explanations HAL gave him or HAL being unwilling to explain anything other than rules are rules. If the explanation is rules or rules, I feel the treatment was harsh. As rules are only rules when HAL wants them to be rules. If the explanation is we were already untied and retying to let down the gangway would cost us $30,000 or We had to leave RIGHT THAT SECOND because of tide and the ship behind us, then it wasn't harsh at all.

 

But his statement was that he was told that they had to leave because it was the captain's decision. So I think it's harsh. I do understand I am in the teeny-tiny minority on this one.

 

Excuse me, I think I need to go have a smoke! :p

 

For a young broad, you seem to have a very reasonable attitude. :)

 

I remember you on the bathrobe thread. I am an old guy, but I intend to be out by the pool when you arrive. :D

 

The OP made a huge mistake, and probably should not have posted about it, but then all the CC members so very loyal to HAL do not have to enjoy rubbing salt into his wounds. :( Come on people, the guy really messed up, but have a little compassion for him.

 

Bob :cool:

[cvpends]

I'm already in - posted on it March 3rd! This "sheeple" is a proud member of H.U.S.H!! :D

March 3rd? How is this possible? I just made HUSH! up today!

[sapper1]

There is no need to shout. It's not polite nor accepted in the Internet world. It show's a plain disregard to readers. It's as impolite as wearing a hat in the dining room.

Ruth has a lot of friends on this board and I'll bet not one of them felt offended by her use of larger font. We all hoped that would enable the OP to read better. He obviously has trouble reading and understanding smaller print and needs all the help he can get.

[cruz chic]

The OP made a huge mistake, and probably should not have posted about it, but then all the CC members so very loyal to HAL do not have to enjoy rubbing salt into his wounds. :( Come on people, the guy really messed up, but have a little compassion for him.

 

Yes he did mess up.....but why would you have compassion for him? It's amazing to me that people would defend this behavior. I'm just wondering from the people that do have sympathy for him if you have gotten back to the ship late in the past. If the OP did have a valid reason why is he not sharing it with us. I wouldn't say I'm very loyal to HAL....but I do know that showing up late to the ship and expecting the Captain to wait for you is a bit much.

[sapper1]

Yes he did mess up.....but why would you have compassion for him? It's amazing to me that people would defend this behavior. I'm just wondering from the people that do have sympathy for him if you have gotten back to the ship late in the past. If the OP did have a valid reason why is he not sharing it with us. I wouldn't say I'm very loyal to HAL....but I do know that showing up late to the ship and expecting the Captain to wait for you is a bit much.

Thank goodness you didn't shout. I can only defend one person at a time. Keep a lid on it.:D:D:D

[Bobblsc]

Because obviously this guy can't read the regular print, the fine print, or any other kind of print. He sure can't read & undertand what a boarding time is! It gets a bit frustrating when all these folks are telling him what the problem is, and he still insists he was right in being late because the ship had no right to leave on time. GEESH!

 

So an impropriety by one excuses all other improprieties. GEESH, I didn't know that. :rolleyes:

 

Bob :cool:

[luvs2travl]

March 3rd? How is this possible? I just made HUSH! up today!

 

In your post #268 , you included a link to a CC thread on "Things We Like About Holland America" If you go to it, you will see that I made a post there on March 3rd. You did indeed just make up H.U.S.H today, but you referred to that thread as listing some of the benefits of being a member of H.U.S.H. That was what I meant when I said that I made a post there.

 

Sorry if I was confusing or misleading to you - no intent to do so! Can I still be in your club - please?? :o

[Copper10-8]

Thank goodness you didn't shout. I can only defend one person at a time. Keep a lid on it.:D:D:D

 

[sapper1]

Well that was a good laugh.:)

[luvs2travl]

 

The OP made a huge mistake, and probably should not have posted about it, but then all the CC members so very loyal to HAL do not have to enjoy rubbing salt into his wounds. :( Come on people, the guy really messed up, but have a little compassion for him.

 

Bob :cool:

 

I don't think being loyal to HAL has much to do with it. Would the reaction by other CC posters be different if he posted the exact same letter & follow-up responses on another cruise line's board (Princess, Carnival, Celebriety,etc)? I doubt it. Our responses have more to do with his total lack of being able to grasp of the entire situation and why it is that the ship left, than the fact that we are Holland America cruisers.

 

He seems to think that the Westerdam ( or any other ship, for that matter), should completely disregard the posted boarding and sailing time and just wait for him. He refuses to acknowledge that the "All aboard by 4:30PM" means exactly that - "All Aboard by 4:30PM" , and continues to delude himself into believing that the cruise line was in the wrong.

[sapper1]

It's time for another glass of wine.... :)

Pour one for me while you're at it PLEASE. Ooops, pardon me for shouting.;)

[Bobblsc]

Yes he did mess up.....but why would you have compassion for him? It's amazing to me that people would defend this behavior. I'm just wondering from the people that do have sympathy for him if you have gotten back to the ship late in the past. If the OP did have a valid reason why is he not sharing it with us. I wouldn't say I'm very loyal to HAL....but I do know that showing up late to the ship and expecting the Captain to wait for you is a bit much.

 

I will not go to Webster's or elsewhere, but compassion does not mean agreement. Yes I have sympathy for him, but not agreement. And no, I have never been anywhere near being late from shore. I doubt that any of the others with compassion for him have been late either.

 

Without a doubt, he was late. By the rules, the captain had every right to refuse boarding. However, I recall that the gangway was still in place. If it was, did the HAL captain refuse boarding only because "that was the rule?" Did he refuse entry only because he wanted to show "a rule is a rule?" If so, he did no one any favors, least of all HAL.

 

I ask because none of us really knows. Perhaps there were real operational reasons for boarding refusal. Unfortunately, we cannot interview the captain.

 

But to have absolutely no sympathy for the poor OP is, I believe, lacking in human consideration for others. You do not have to consider his actions correct to have sympathy for him.

 

Bob :cool:

[MiamiSpartan]

Sorry.

No sympathy...

You knew the time, and you missed it.

I'm sorry for your inconvenience, and I'm sorry for your family's time, but if they waited for everyone who was ever late for the ship, they would be inconveniencing thousands of other people who managed to get on back on the ship on time....

[LivingWild]

I just want to say one thing......... Not all Californians try to blame someone else for their mistakes and resort to insults when others don't jump on their bandwagon.

[Copper10-8]

................However, I recall that the gangway was still in place. If it was, did the HAL captain refuse boarding only because "that was the rule?" Did he refuse entry only because he wanted to show "a rule is a rule?" ....................

 

............... The gangway was lifted at 4:41 as outlined in the ship log. ............( the ship was still docked, just untied with gangway lifted) .................!!

 

Sorry Sir, per the OP, the gangway was lifted:cool:

[mnbruce]

It's time for another glass of wine.... :)

 

I just finished my six pack! Darn liquor stores are not open on Sundays in Minnesota.

[sapper1]

Start with this....you need it more than me.

 

OMG---what a lovely lady you are..:D That will help me sleep.

[Copper10-8]

Wang Wang, anyone?

[RuthC]

Is this better, Mike? Happy now?

[sapper1]

Wang Wang, anyone?

How do they go down on top of wine?

[MikePowers]

Is this better, Mike? Happy now?

 

Ruth, thank you. You are a fair sport. Your post made my evening. I appreciate your post and will end it here. thanks again :)

 

Mike