HAL Negative threads

[ASIWISH]

The ships sail at capacity during the Holidays with all the families on board. This puts more pressure on the crew that is most likely wishing they were at home with their family. This lends to the crew not being up to par because they are working harder to please more people while their minds are really wishing they could be at home. Many people are first time cruisers during the holidays also and have high expectations and want everything perfect.

 

This is also true for resorts, etc... this is an excellent point... well done.

[dr.dawg]

this is true enough, of course. but a large proportion of the crew - i.e, indonesian -- do not celebrate our american, western european holidays. christmas means nothing to them; and for non-americans, thanksgiving doesn't either. just a thought. but a busy time, though.

[startwin]

Excellent point, and thank you for making it. Some posters toss the word "cheerleader" around as if it were a dirty word. There is nothing wrong with being a "cheerleader".

It's being an "apologist" that isn't right. That's the word to describe posters with a "HAL can do no wrong" attitude. Yes, of course HAL can do wrong. It's what they do about it, and how quickly, that matters.

 

Very good point and thank you - wish I had used that word instead, it makes more sense.

[dr.dawg]

hi, drdawg here. just a thought. it is a busy and stressful time for crew and staff and passengers alike. but. . . many of the staff and crew are from indonesia. they worry about their families, but not because of our religious or traditional holidays. e.g. thanksgiving and christmas. still, it is a challenge.

[bepsf]

Why not try a Dodge or Oldsmobile?

 

Because Dodges are worse and Oldsmobile has been out of business for the past 6 years?

;)

[bozemanman]

Excellent point, and thank you for making it. Some posters toss the word "cheerleader" around as if it were a dirty word. There is nothing wrong with being a "cheerleader".

It's being an "apologist" that isn't right. That's the word to describe posters with a "HAL can do no wrong" attitude. Yes, of course HAL can do wrong. It's what they do about it, and how quickly, that matters.

 

 

hmmm..

 

cheerleader - an enthusiastic and vocal supporter; "he has become a cheerleader for therapeutic cloning"

 

 

a·pol·o·gist (-pl-jst)n. A person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as a doctrine, policy, or institution.

[mauiedin87]

There are some passengers, with overblown expectations, who see the word Cruise Critic, and by golly they will find something to criticize! It seems there are some people with a huge sense of entitlement. It's all about them, and to heck with the rest of the world! If we get stuck at a table with people like that, and it has happened, although not on HAL, we simply ask to be moved.

[startwin]

There are some passengers, with overblown expectations, who see the word Cruise Critic, and by golly they will find something to criticize! It seems there are some people with a huge sense of entitlement. It's all about them, and to heck with the rest of the world! If we get stuck at a table with people like that, and it has happened, although not on HAL, we simply ask to be moved.

 

Oh good lord, some people just don't get it. A working toilet is not an overblown expectation....

[Putterdude]

Oh good lord, some people just don't get it. A working toilet is not an overblown expectation....

 

In the same light, would a hot meal in the MDR be an overblown expectation???:confused:

[itzmered]

Oh good lord, some people just don't get it. A working toilet is not an overblown expectation....

 

We were on a two week cruise on the Caribbean Princess last month. On 3 seperate occasions our toilet decided it was going to take a half an hour before it flushed. It never quit working completely just took a long time to flush. This to me was a minor inconvenience and not something I was going to make a big deal about or let ruin my cruise. I did make the room steward aware of it though. If it had been an ongoing problem every day and did not work at all then I would have been upset. Yes a working toilet in my cabin is a necessity and I dont feel it is an overblown expectation :D

[Himself]

Because Dodges are worse and Oldsmobile has been out of business for the past 6 years?

;)

 

Ha! Why try a Dodge when you could step up to a Buick?

[SwissMyst]

I do NOT agree 100%, but do respect your right (and all others) to speak your mind on this forum. I do agree some standards have gone downhill on HAL (ie more work for less crew), but personally believe that is the price we pay (or actually don't pay) in this McDonalds society we have created. There are to me 2 distinct issues here. One is the physical plant (condition, maintainence) of the ships...the other is the people on the ship...crew. I DO believe ship happens and it is how the line responds to that breakdown which matters. I don't know the reason the plumbing broke (neither do you) on the Zuid, but I can't imagine it would be something ongoing for months...if so come back and flame me. The people side of things...well I gotta say I am a small business employer with less than 100 employees, we do our very best to train and track employees and their progress. Most of our employees are excellent and follow training well etc, but we are not perfect and neither is any business. I believe HAL does an exceptional job with there employees, yes I said EXCEPTIONAL...I can only imagine how they do it with so many service oriented employees. The ships will show wear from time to time, that is why they have a scheduled drydock to handles a thorough going over.

 

As far as anyone going on a future Zuiderdam cruise I hope you have an exceptional experience and hopefully they fix the problems before you board.

 

Hope the flailing of my pom-poms hasn't bothered anyone! lol ;)

 

Very well stated. Hear! Hear! We think if one gets 80% satisfaction from any business as large and complex as a cruise ship, that is an A+ cruise for us.

[SwissMyst]

We were on a two week cruise on the Caribbean Princess last month. On 3 seperate occasions our toilet decided it was going to take a half an hour before it flushed. It never quit working completely just took a long time to flush. This to me was a minor inconvenience and not something I was going to make a big deal about or let ruin my cruise. I did make the room steward aware of it though. If it had been an ongoing problem every day and did not work at all then I would have been upset. Yes a working toilet in my cabin is a necessity and I dont feel it is an overblown expectation :D

 

Agree, we also had quirky cabin toilets too from time to time. Nope, never even thought to complain. Our first thought is HAL will fix things when they can because they don't like anything being out of order any more than the passenger does. it is their continued appearance of caring and wanting to do things right that wins us over; not whether things actually work 100% of the time or not.

[cruz chic]

Agree, we also had quirky cabin toilets too from time to time. Nope, never even thought to complain. Our first thought is HAL will fix things when they can because they don't like anything being out of order any more than the passenger does. it is their continued appearance of caring and wanting to do things right that wins us over; not whether things actually work 100% of the time or not.

I think most people that have cruised have had a "quirky" toilet. Having a non functioning toilet is quite another. I'm thinking you wouldn't be so accepting of that.

[BugsyCruiser]

A non working toilet wouldn't be acceptable to me either. No knock against HAL but a lot of the complaints seem to be about the Zuiderdam.... maybe that might be a ship I will avoid on future cruises. Might just be my opinion but it does seem like that ship gets a lot of complaints against it so why chance it and then be told "I told you so."

[RuthC]

A non working toilet wouldn't be acceptable to me either. No knock against HAL but a lot of the complaints seem to be about the Zuiderdam.... maybe that might be a ship I will avoid on future cruises. Might just be my opinion but it does seem like that ship gets a lot of complaints against it so why chance it and then be told "I told you so."

Keep in mind, though, that the problems reported are of very recent origin. They are not longstanding.

I expect that the source of the problem will be located, and the problem resolved, and that will be it for a while. Then, some other ship will have a problem. These things tend to cycle.

[SwissMyst]

I think most people that have cruised have had a "quirky" toilet. Having a non functioning toilet is quite another. I'm thinking you wouldn't be so accepting of that.

 

Yes, I would accept that. Of course it would not be a happy situation, but sometimes even failed plumbing when there are no other alternatives happens. Just like we accepted being asked to be out of our cabin for three days for hours at a time while they dealt with the wet carpet issue.

 

On a closed system like a ship, often times there are no other alternatives and one does just have to muck through it. What does HAL do when faced with these situations - so far they have been more than generous, efficient, courteous and thoughtful when faced with something we accept that would be fixed, if it could be fixed. We accept that sometimes it could not.

 

Take poster who states "he" did not put anything down the toilet so don't blame him when it didn't work. That is a person that should not be spending much more time on a cruise ship, don't you think?

 

If passengers believe they get shabby treatment from HAL, by all means they should leave.

[SwissMyst]

Keep in mind, though, that the problems reported are of very recent origin. They are not longstanding.

I expect that the source of the problem will be located, and the problem resolved, and that will be it for a while. Then, some other ship will have a problem. These things tend to cycle.

 

A seasoned response. Thank you. That is the sense I have always gotten from HAL personal as well. Yes, problems happen. No one is happy. Neither the passenger or HAL. What happens next makes or breaks a cruise line. HAL is still floating a lot of full boats for a lot of satisfied passengers. Which means that they still must be doing most things 80% right.

[djg541]

I worked with the general public for over 35 years and here's the rule of the road:

A person having a good experience will tell 5 people about it.

 

A person having a BAD experience will tell 25 people about it.

 

Seems to be part of the human psyche. be aware and respond accordingly.

Bon Voyage!

[BugsyCruiser]

Keep in mind, though, that the problems reported are of very recent origin. They are not longstanding.

I expect that the source of the problem will be located, and the problem resolved, and that will be it for a while. Then, some other ship will have a problem. These things tend to cycle.

 

I'm not knocking HAL... obviously since my first cruise was with them. I just stated that I noticed there seems to be a lot of complaints against that particular ship. So I could see where someone new to cruising may look at that and say they'll avoid that one. I've even noticed people really ripping the Allure of the Seas, which shocked me since it's gotten so many positive reviews. Again, a quirky toilet would not turn me off to cruising on a particular ship or line, unless the problem kept repeating itself on every cruise. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case