Veendam A/C problems

[MVGuy]

Our cruise is scheduled for March 2011 Rio to Ft. Lauderdale up the Amazon River. We have been discussing the A/C issue on our Roll Call, and have much the same concerns as many of you.

 

One comment that came to us from another board was that a crew member had confided in a passenger this information--

 

"As explained to me, the further back, the more problems you're likely to have (unless you've got one of the added on cabins....those tend to be cold) with keeping your room cool."

 

It looks a lot like Goldilocks and the three bears with some cabins being too hot, some being too cold, and some just right.:eek:

 

Ken

[jotabecu]

Our cruise is scheduled for March 2011 Rio to Ft. Lauderdale up the Amazon River. We have been discussing the A/C issue on our Roll Call, and have much the same concerns as many of you.

 

One comment that came to us from another board was that a crew member had confided in a passenger this information--

 

"As explained to me, the further back, the more problems you're likely to have (unless you've got one of the added on cabins....those tend to be cold) with keeping your room cool."

 

It looks a lot like Goldilocks and the three bears with some cabins being too hot, some being too cold, and some just right.:eek:

 

Ken

 

 

I am also booked on this trip and will contact HAL and keep an eye on the boards to see if the complaints subside, otherwise I may have to think of the possibility of cancelling despite my interest in the itinerary.

It appears that Veendam has a problem and the solution has not been sought or found.

[many cruises]

For those of you who think the air conditioning problems on board the Veendam are a minor inconvenience, please read PDigger's review in the review section on these boards. They were in a suite that cost over $7,000 and they had no air conditioning. The cost of your cabin shouldn't matter...passengers do not pay an extra fee for air conditioning. Apparently, it was so bad that they left the ship and went to a hotel to spend the night. Also, the reviewer stated that 5 other families also went to a hotel and some flew home because they were unable stay in the heat on the ship. I sincerely hope HAL is reading these boards because there are major air conditioning problems on the Veendam. What is beyond belief is that they call themselves a 5 star cruise line and people are posting experiences like this on a daily basis and have been posting this information for quite some time. We know, we experienced the problem first hand and now we'll wait to see what HAL will do about it.

[Luvmesomeme]

I want to thank all the posters on CC for writing about their cruise experiences.

 

We will be on the Veendam on 8/8 and expect to have a FANTASTIC trip.

 

It helps to know in advance what issues other cruisers have encountered, so we can prepare. We will TRY not to sweat the small stuff. However, one cruisers small stuff may be a big deal to another.

 

We will be bringing an extra suitcase so we can pack away any "small stuff" and ignore it, but "no A/C" takes up a lot space.

Sleep deprived and sweat soaked cruisers tend to be cranky cruisers, and the small stuff can start to seem pretty large.

 

As of this moment our 8/8 cruise to Bermuda Is perfect!

 

:D

 

I feel the same way. I'm one of those people who always happens to be cold so I'll probably have one of the arctic Staterooms. I'll need to order extra blankets.

 

Reading these boards is very helpful in terms of what to expect. I was thinking today that maybe I should not read anymore about the problems with the Veendam because I'm going anyway so I may as well not torture myself:p.

 

Spending as much as we are spending to go on this cruise i'm going to do my best to have a great time despite the problems.

[peaches from georgia]

 

 

HAL doesn't have to read the boards to know there is an air conditioning problem on the Veendam, for heavens sake. This is not news and Seattle certainly knows what happens on their ships.

 

It's not new since the refurbishment. It's been a problem for years!

[many cruises]

 

 

HAL doesn't have to read the boards to know there is an air conditioning problem on the Veendam, for heavens sake. This is not news and Seattle certainly knows what happens on their ships.

 

It's not new since the refurbishment. It's been a problem for years!

 

If this problem has been going on for years, then HAL is even more at fault for continuing to sail this ship. We didn't get the cruise we paid for & apparently many others didn't either.

[babygirl722]

You couldn't be more spot on. If they know there is an issue (and they most certainly do), then why continue to upset a % of passengers on every sailing? Money, why else??

[billie5]

Hey, you-all (or you-uns, as we say in Appalachia) are taking the wrong approach. Writing comments on CC is not the way to go. I say this as an experienced no-air-conditioning-Atlantic-drifter. (I was on the NCL cruise ship which went adrift in the Atlantic when power failed for an extended time, and we were all forced to do what I propose below - except I didn't have a camera)

 

Here is my suggestion. As soon as A/C trouble pops up, which is likely to be the first night out, get as many passengers as possible to grab their blankets, make their way to the various decks, and sleep out under the stars. It is an absolutely stunning sight to see a thousand passengers all sprawled out under cover on the decks. Now you need to make a video of the passengers on deck. You can intersperse views of passengers sleeping on the decks with one-on-one interviews with frustrated passengers. Then, on your return, post the video on YouTube. You can also post it as a continuously playing loop on veetle.com, a newer site.

 

If you do a good job with the video, and with a little luck, this whole issue will become a CNN news item. In any case, I saw a report that veetle.com is up to 15 million distinct viewers a month, and I am sure YouTube has even more. HAL may not pay attention to CC, but it will be interesting to see how long they can tolerate a good fraction of the earth's population watching film of the problem.

 

Bill

[MVGuy]

I took a look a PDigger's review of the Veendam as well as the other reviews on the first page of that thread from Jan 2010 to present. There were 25 reviews, and I think 5 mentioned the a/c problem. So this eems consistent with what we have been hearing on this board ,and elsewhere------i.e., that you have about a 20% chance of experiencing the problem. To put it another way, you have an 80% chance of not having a problem with the a/c.:confused:

 

I think this is why HAL is not taking care of the problem. The majority of passengers are not complaining, so they are willing to deal with this smaller group. The honest thing would be to close down those cabins with the problems until they can solve the a/c problem, but I think the chances of that are slim and none!:mad:

 

Ken

[luvs2travl]

With all of these known problems on the Veendam, (and I do believe all the posts here!) I guess my question is why folks are still booking a sailing on this ship? I know that the first answer I get will be because of the itinerary.

 

We looked at Mar 18 - Apr 15 sailing from Rio - FLL, but decided against it after all the A/C issues. We will do that itinerary someday, but possibly on another cruise line. We booked the "Circle Hawaii" cruise on the Zaandam instead. We love HAL, but where there's all this smoke, there's definitely a bit of fire somewhere. No A/C is a cruise-buster for us, HAL or no HAL.

 

For those already booked, did you buy cancellation insurance and are you considering cancelling? I would think a "mass cancellation" of passengers on the Veendam would surely get some attention from someone in Seattle!

[helenp2]

Lots & lots of Mariners in the NYC and surrounding areas who booked the Veendam just due to the fact that it was sailing from NYC and they could drive to the port. BUT........IMHO HAL is pushing the envelope here because it's only a matter of time before one of these cruisers writes a review for the NYT and it all implodes. If you look at cabin availability for the next 6 sailings it is pretty much wide open. Yes, hurricane season is fast approaching and the Veendam sounds like they might be facing multiple problems. Let hope it all works out and future cruisers have a good vacation with no serious AC problems or weather concerns.

[kyriecat]

With all of these known problems on the Veendam, (and I do believe all the posts here!) I guess my question is why folks are still booking a sailing on this ship? I know that the first answer I get will be because of the itinerary.

I think HAL must be losing some passengers because of the air conditioning situation. I know my friends who were on Veendam are adament that they WILL NEVER cruise again. My husband and I were on Maasdam but have been on several previous cruises. After hearing about our friends then having our own Maasdam no A/C experience, my husband initally said that he will never sail with Holland America again. I got him talked around that to sail on Zuiderdam in the spring, but he absolutely will not sail on any HAL "S" ship. I've showed Maasdam's New England and Viking itineraries, Veendam's Antactica, and Ryndam's Med and Baltics cruises. He says the itineraries look wonderful but find a different ship or a different cruiseline because he's not going. I know if Zuiderdam has any A/C issues, he'll be back to NEVER AGAIN on Holland America.

[stormysmom]

Got an interesting call Thursday night from TA -

HAL overbooked the cruise. Since we have 2 inside cabins would we consider sharing one ocean view cabin for CA$H.

 

It comes to 50% off the price of our trip. $1k plus,the refund goes to our cc and the rest in OBC. I think we'll be a bit cramped, but this deal was too good to pass up.

 

Sure hope the a/c works! We are bring a fan(thanks again Babygirl722)and indoor room thermo. so we can see the true temp.

We hope to meet up with some of you tomorrow!!!!

 

Jo and Rich

[Jade13]

I think HAL must be losing some passengers because of the air conditioning situation. I know my friends who were on Veendam are adament that they WILL NEVER cruise again. My husband and I were on Maasdam but have been on several previous cruises. After hearing about our friends then having our own Maasdam no A/C experience, my husband initally said that he will never sail with Holland America again. I got him talked around that to sail on Zuiderdam in the spring, but he absolutely will not sail on any HAL "S" ship. I've showed Maasdam's New England and Viking itineraries, Veendam's Antactica, and Ryndam's Med and Baltics cruises. He says the itineraries look wonderful but find a different ship or a different cruiseline because he's not going. I know if Zuiderdam has any A/C issues, he'll be back to NEVER AGAIN on Holland America.

 

I am not sure how much A/C you want in Antarctica. It is not the tropics.

[doctork]

I am not sure how much A/C you want in Antarctica. It is not the tropics.

 

The issue for us is not Antarctica (we have studied the maps, looked at the pictures of penguins, and know it is not the tropics!), it is the very hot weather starting out in Buenos Aires and finishing up in Santiago.

[luvs2travl]

the issue for us is not antarctica (we have studied the maps, looked at the pictures of penguins, and know it is not the tropics!), it is the very hot weather starting out in buenos aires and finishing up in santiago.

 

Yeah - that would be the bulk of the trip......

[iancal]

So here is my current DO NOT BOOK for HAL:

 

-don't book on any HAL ship that has been out of drydock for less than six months

 

-don't book any inaugural cruise with HAL...you are a non person when compared to the invited guests and execs

 

-don't book on the Veedam or any other ship of the same class....unless of course you are going to the Arctic in winter and do not need A/C

 

...this list is getting longer

[kyriecat]

I am not sure how much A/C you want in Antarctica. It is not the tropics.

 

The issue for us is not Antarctica (we have studied the maps, looked at the pictures of penguins, and know it is not the tropics!), it is the very hot weather starting out in Buenos Aires and finishing up in Santiago.

I have to agree with doctork on the A/C issue. The northern parts of South America get hot during their summers. A/C is still a requirement, even if it's not needed for the few days Veendam sails around the horn. When I took an AK cruise in September, we needed the A/C a couple of days.

 

My husband was miserable without working A/C. Normally we aren't in the cabin that much, although A/C at night is always needed. My husband was just recovering from an extended, non-contagious illness before our trip on Maasdam. In fact, we almost had to cancel our cruise because of it. He was cleared for travel two days before we were scheduled to leave. The illness had made him more tired than usual so most days he wanted a nap when we returned from port. The Caribbean gets rather warm, even in April, so the cabin was miserable in the afternoons. Most days it was at least 80 deg F in there. If our cabin steward forgot to leave the drapes closed, it would reach 85+ deg F. In the evenings with the fan running and the balcony open, it never got below 76 deg F in the cabin. My husband does not sleep well if the room is hot. I sleep with a blanket on even in summer because he likes the A/C cold and a fan running.

 

I had heard about A/C issues on Maasdam before our cruise and called HAL to verify whether our cabin had problems. I was told that it didn't. However, when we got onboard and discovered the problem, our steward told us that it had been an issue for several months. I don't know if it's still a problem. Hopefully they have fixed it since it has been over a year since our cruise.

 

My husband isn't a forgiving sort when it comes to his comfort. I'm actually surprised he relented about the Zuiderdam Panama Canal cruise. I know he really loved Half Moon Cay when we were there on Maasdam so I think Zuiderdam making a stop there helped. Fingers crossed that cabin 4180 on Zuiderdam has cold A/C!

[ace6636634]

My group has 4 cabins booked for end of august, any chance they will let me cancel and receive a full refund? I just don't want to sail on on this ship (or maybe this cruise line ever). No a/c means never get my business.

[HeatherInFlorida]

If this problem has been going on for years, then HAL is even more at fault for continuing to sail this ship. We didn't get the cruise we paid for & apparently many others didn't either.

 

Definitely years. We cruised on Veendam for 2 weeks in November 2007 and they were having problems then. How far back before that I have no idea. But at the time the excuse was the change of climate coming down from Canada (going from heat to A/C). I actually believed that until it was still a problem after several weeks.

[torpeedo]

Haven't posted on this board in a very long time but had to agree with ChiSquare8's experience. Our last cruise on a HAL ship was the Veendam in 2007 for a 14 nite cruise (we were with you Heather!). Our A/C was horrible with no air coming in. Our cabin was a veranda suite. We were treated very rudely and we were given a fan. Whoopee. One of the girls at the front desk would come up and take the temperature which was 85 degrees. She would say that like we should be happy.

Any event we were very uncomfortable and it was never resolved. We were offered a credit on a future cruise which we never did. We had been long time HAL cruisers (15 years) but this just was the end for us. We left HAL and are now Diamond plus cruisers on RCI and would never go back. So, yes HAL has lost customers based on this issue. We would have been OK had it not been a long term problem for years prior to 2007 which had never been addressed/fixed. I'm sure ChiSquare8 would have traded that bottle of wine for A/C any day!

[peaches from georgia]

My group has 4 cabins booked for end of august, any chance they will let me cancel and receive a full refund? I just don't want to sail on on this ship (or maybe this cruise line ever). No a/c means never get my business.

Sorry, not a chance. HAL still refuses, after all these years of evidence to the contrary, to admit there is any kind of AC problem on Veendam, so there are not about to let you cancel w/ refund.

[Bill HaHa]

I was on the Veendam October 2009 to Mexico for 8 days and never had a A/C problem

[Jay Kay]

We just got off Veendam today. My family had 4 cabins: three on deck 5 and one on deck 9. None of us experienced any issues with the air conditioning in the cabins. Maybe we were just lucky?

 

J

[ace6636634]

We just got off Veendam today. My family had 4 cabins: three on deck 5 and one on deck 9. None of us experienced any issues with the air conditioning in the cabins. Maybe we were just lucky?

 

J

 

Great to hear! Would you mind sharing your cabin numbers?