No documents yet

[sabaka]

We sail on the March 26th on the Zuiderdam and have not recieved our Documents. Should we be concerned?

[jhannah]

Not at all. You still have 3 weeks, so you should be fine. BTW, if you're flying into port, did HAL make your air arrangements? If so, this usually delays receipt of your travel docs until about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks out.

[Candy]

Nope! If HAL made your flight reservations and/or you have a guaranteed category cabin, your docs will arrive closer to your sail date. Don't worry... your travel agent will follow up for you. I have heard of docs coming within hours of sailing, and even if you don't get any, they'll still let you aboard. Don't forget to fill in the online Immigration forms.

 

Welcome to our addiction! :)

 

We sail on the March 26th on the Zuiderdam and have not recieved our Documents. Should we be concerned?

[sabaka]

Thanks all! we have sailed on many different lines but this our 1st on HAL! We have used this TA several times and have always recieved our Doc at least 28 days prior, so I was getting a little nervous! Thought I would ask the smart bunch here before calling our TA!

[smoosh21]

They seem to be very inconsistant. We are sailing on the 4/23 Oosterdam, and I got my documents this morning, 7 weeks early. We didn't book air with them and we also booked a specific suite, not a guarantee. Maybe that is the big difference.

[sabaka]

We also did not book air with them and have an assigned s suite. Can't figure this one out! Guess we will call our TA Monday.

[sabaka]

Called TA and they said " Holland American let your Doc slip though the cracks" And they will be getting them to us in a few days. I wonder just who's crack they slipped through. We asked if we still have them same suite number and the TA said yes. Should we be concerned as this is a very full sailing?

[smoosh21]

You can just call Holland America directly to find your information. They will be able to tell you what room you are in if you are really concerned.

[jhannah]

I wouldn't be too concerned. Unfortunately, this slipping through cracks has happened more lately. Our last cruise docs were late coming. Seems like a staffing issue ... but that's just conjecture on my part.

[meff]

Sabaka, we are on the same sailing and will receive our docs tomorrow, according to the TA. No worries here!!!

[sabaka]

Thanks All !! I promise to stop worrying now and just get packing!

[BoardwalkBabe]

We cruise on the 19th and our TA emailed me this morning to say the docs had arrived and he was sending them to us via DHL today. Woohoo! :)

[JaniceB]

Congratulations Boardwalkbabe! I guess you must be doing the document dance.

 

Sabaka,

Hopefully you will be doing the document dance soon.

[sabaka]

O.K. So now I am worried. Hope someone here can give me some ideas. Still no Docs called our agent and they do not know where the Docs are! Called Holland American and they sent Hard Docs to Agent then have sent e-mail Docs two times to the TA. TA told us just go to the cruise port and get bag tags that is all you need! HAL says no way that we need Docs. Our TA is in another state, we use lived there over 10 years ago and just have stuck with them. In the last 2 years we have booked 4 cruises with them and this specific TA. She had always done good in the past but, this time her answer to everything has been ,"what do you want me to do" Well we want our Docs and are now worried we may not get them. Sorry for the whinning, I guess my question is has anyone gotten to the peir with HAL with no Doc and what happened? We have booked an s suite and are travelling with our 2 seven year olds and do not want to be stuck in Florida with nothing to do.

[arzz]

Had a problem with documents once when I booked with an on-line TA --among other things I had no proof that I had made my payment -- it was too close to travel time when I booked to prove my payment through a credit card bill that listed a charge to HAL -- I called HAL and they sent me a fax that proved that I had paid in full for my cruise and showed the date, ship and all other info related to my cruise reservation -- such a document could be useful to you should your docs never materialize

 

do you have your booking number? Have you filled out and printed your immigration forms? No matter what, your TA should have your HAL booking number. If they do not have it, assuming that your reservation has indeed been made, HAL should have it.

 

With proof of payment from HAL (not just from a travel agent), printed immigration forms, and passports to ID you as yourself, you might have a go at the pier -- I have no personal experience there as my docs did indeed eventually appear.

[jhannah]

TA told us just go to the cruise port and get bag tags that is all you need!

This is outrageous! Arzz has great advice. Make sure you have your booking number. Print out your immigration form from online. If there is a way to go online with your credit card company then do that and look for unbilled activity. That should show your payment to HAL.

 

Good luck ... and find another TA post haste!!!

[sabaka]

We have done our imm docs on line, we have a printed invoice from TA showing payment in full for our s suite, we have reservation confirmatation number from HAL. I will call HAL and ask if they can e-mail me something showing we are paid in full. And I will dig up our American express bill showing payment. Called TA today she was not in and no one else in this huge full service office could help. This agency is large it even has a kids activity corner and full service coffe bar! It is open 7 days a week but no one knows where our Docs are. they keep saying and I quote, " We do not have them Hal has not sent them what do you want us to do about it!" When I called HAL they had a supervisor call the TA told her to check her e-mail, then forward the e-mail to us. This was Friday and still nothing. I wonder why HAL can not just e-mail us the Docs? Anyone know? Wow what a way to start a vacation! I guess the excitement starts now!

[ekerr19]

Your TA should be able to provide you with documentation that they made the final payment of your behalf to HAL and give you a "hardcopy" of proof. The TA is completely dropping the ball here and I would be furious with them!

 

We upgraded to a Suite last week and within two days I received confirmation of the new cabin and payment from my TA, we had already received our cruise docs showing the old cabin number. Our TA was worried that we would be denied priority check-in at the pier, so she sent us proof of the new cabin assignment.

 

If you can walk into your TA's office - I would do so and refuse to leave until you have a confirmation in writing - and get it from a supervisor or owner of the agency. Don't take "sorry, nothing we can do" as their response - they are totally responsible and should be on the phone with HAL until the issue is resolved!

[sweinstein]

Sailing on the Zaandam same date (3/26/05) and have not received any docs. We booked thru Vacations To Go (have used them in the past) and are not worried. Still 2 LONG weeks to go.

[arzz]

We are also on the Zaandam on 3/26 -- Booked in February and have had our docs for weeks now (got them about 10 days after booking) -- we use a local cruise agent

[showdog]

sabaka,

 

I'm sorry this is happening. I would be calling this TA every hour and bugging the #@$#@$ out of them. There is no excuse in why they can't help you or at least give you an email or call the cruise line etc... I would be telling them I was going to call the BBB on them if they don't get their act together. It sounds like they are pretty much done with you anyway.

 

They have their money and now they are not even going to provide customer service until the end of the transaction. If you must do everything on your own and get your own cruise documents etc.. and call the cruise line it seems to me you should be getting some of the commision back you paid to them for the cruise. Have you been on the phone to a manager and told them that this is unacceptable and they are causing you stress before your vacation?

[cstrick]

I booked through HAL and have not received written confirmation of payment. I called and they said that everything was OK and I do have the creditcard bill showing payment. Should I be worried and demand a receipt from HAL ?

[showdog]

They should be able to email you a receipt. When I booked dinner at the Pinnacle Grill I asked for an email receipt and they sent one right away.