A really bad review

[dag144]

Sounds to me that this fellow was angry even before he left home. He got up on the wrong side of his wallet and cannot forget it. It is always interesting to read several reviews of the same cruise. What some people find awful, others don't find at all, because for them it doesn't exist.

 

Some of us see the world as half full and others as half empty. For this fellow perhaps the glass broke before he embarked.

[SwissMyst]

wow. this poor man and his wife endured HELL on this cruise, and still the 'hal flag-wavers' put these folks down and take up for hal? i, too, have been sick on hal -- twice -- and my 'care' was no better than theirs. i certainly empathize.

 

 

I wonder what the other side of this story has to say, which is not the same as saying anyone is a Hal Cheerleader because they ask for more information.

 

These two endured a few days or noro-virus which is a very common traveller affliction (see CDC), and who amongst us have not has some sort of travelers ailments even before we started cruising.

 

If you travel this is a known risk, not a surprise nor something you can blame on anyone else absent solid proof. On our last cruise we had multiple notices put in our cabins about this risk and the consequences that would be necessary in the event of an outbreak.

 

Even worse they apparently broke the contamination chain between themselves. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands and don't stick your fingers in your mouth, eyes or nose.

[RuthC]

A lot more sympathy is generated if the poster takes time to cool down before they write a review. They can then do it in a coherent fashion rather than in a way that has the rage jumping off the page. All that does is turn people off.

And put the reviewer's credibility in serious question.

[sapper1]

And put the reviewer's credibility in serious question.

 

That too. :)

[SwissMyst]

Sounds to me that this fellow was angry even before he left home. He got up on the wrong side of his wallet and cannot forget it. It is always interesting to read several reviews of the same cruise. What some people find awful, others don't find at all, because for them it doesn't exist.

 

Some of us see the world as half full and others as half empty. For this fellow perhaps the glass broke before he embarked.

 

True confession. I ended up hating Crystal Cruises after getting butchered on their CC forum, before I even set foot on the ship. I was gunning for them the moment I crossed the gangplank.

 

Several years later after becoming a more seasoned cruiser on HAL and Voyages of Discovery, I could take a more charitable look at Crystal when they offered a fire-sale price on a Mexican Riviera cruise. They still don't live up to their own hype, but it is a pretty ship decor wise and I was a far happier passenger.

[whogo]

I understand his frustration. He paid 75% more for his cruise by booking early. Ouch! He is "upgraded" to a noisy cabin under the galley. He paid more for a 14 day upgrade to a veranda cabin than he would have paid for a 28 day upgrade. Ouch! The milk is probably not imported from China, but might be that nasty, charred tasting super-pasteurized stuff.

 

I agree with him that HAL does not keep vegetarian food free from contact with meat. I know that many meat eaters don't care or think it is the vegetarian fault, but it is 2013 and HAL ought to offer seamless vegetarian dining.

 

The illness, lack of heat, and lack of housekeeping would get anyone down. Branding his disappointments as "lies" is over the top. A rant like that review will make him no friends. A more even toned review of his experiences would still rate a two star ranking.

[Boytjie]

I agree with him that HAL does not keep vegetarian food free from contact with meat. I know that many meat eaters don't care or think it is the vegetarian fault, but it is 2013 and HAL ought to offer seamless vegetarian dining.

 

I am a meat eater and I feel your statement is uncalled for; you have no idea what my opinion is about vegetarianism.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Does he want chicken broth or is he a vegetarian? I'm confused with the fish, Campbell's can, tough meat and cries for vegetarians.

 

Yeah, the chicken noodle soup comment got my attention, too. Odd request from a vegetarian.

[luv2cruisenz]

While on the Amsterdam in December in one of the cooking demonstrations, the host mentioned there had been alot of questions about the food and where it comes from, and why fresh fruit isn't available from the ports we visited.

 

They said that all food on all HAL ships comes from the USA, no food is from china, the ship does not grow anything fresh themselves such as herbs, lettuces etc and the milk used is the long life carton milk (which does smell differently to fresh milk anyway!). Food supplies are replenished in pre-arranged stops that has either been shipped from the USA to that port, or provided locally from USFDA approved suppliers.

 

So although food handling is another matter, I did find this interesting. Maybe people were asking as we were in code red for 2 weeks and some people were quite sick and thought it was the food?

[janmcn]

Dropping prices often happens after "final payment date"…not unusual for cruises that are not full at that time. He didn't have to accept the "upgrade" (first mistake…not really looking at deck plans)…what does anyone think the blank space is next to the dining room? Duh?

Getting sick is definitely not good…but nobody guarantees our health onboard. We just have to deal with it as if we were at home…at least there's room service! (I don't have that at home.)

Food on board the Volendam couldn't have been "that bad." NEVER have had a problem with food on board the Volendam or any other dam ship, so I think he's venting here. Lukewarm tea? Never had it from Room Service.

Too bad it's considered a "review." Hopefully others will read the other reviews.

To me, he got what he wanted…but then found he didn't want it. Upgrades aren't always upgrades as most of us know.

[SwissMyst]

We were also told no food is every recycled and all has a four hour expiration, even when held at proper temperatures.

 

Knowing how much extra work it is for the staff and crew when there is a Code Red, I would conclude the staff and crew are the first ones to insure proper food handling 24/7.

 

One needs to suspect picking up something while ashore, or self-contamination long before one accuses the staff/crew of improper food handling.

 

Cruise ship prices are as crazy as airline prices. At no time will every passenger on any plane on the same flight pay the same price as any other. It is the market place, bro.

 

You get the cruise the price you are willing to spend. You can try to tweak that price later, but you were a willing buyer contracting with a willing seller whose interests upfront differ from your own. But to ruin the trip you were willing to pay for up front with later buyer's remorse seems self-defeating.

 

Tip: if you have early morning port arrivals and you are near the anchor chains and the ship will require tenders, forward cabins will be noisy early in the morning. The whole point of providing deck plans is to determine up front if your cabin is located under or next to anything you find personally objectionable.

 

This is why people use guaranteed cabin reservations when they book. Otherwise, one takes the luck of the draw -sometimes a winner and sometimes not. We have been both, and most likely will continue to ...... pays our money and takes our chances.

[luv2cruisenz]

Totally agree with you SwissMyst. We were on a cheap P & O cruise once in the Pacific Islands and got assigned a front cabin that was noisy with the anchor chains in the mornings. It's all an experience to find out what works for you and what doesn't. You pay for what is important to you with anything, not just a cruise.

 

I wouldn't like to be sick on holiday either but you have to roll with the punches when travelling as sometimes things just happen and your plans have to change. It's how you choose to deal with it that matters.

[whogo]

I am a meat eater and I feel your statement is uncalled for; you have no idea what my opinion is about vegetarianism.

I never claimed to know your opinion. I referred to "many" not "all" meat eaters.

 

I am referring to comments like, "The fact that they limit their food selections (no meat) is a problem of their own making." It should not be a problem on HAL in 2013.

[Boytjie]

I never claimed to know your opinion. I referred to "many" not "all" meat eaters.

 

I am referring to comments like, "The fact that they limit their food selections (no meat) is a problem of their own making." It should not be a problem on HAL in 2013.

 

That last comment was from one person, how do you get to many?

[SwissMyst]

I noticed on our last cruise the MDR menu included a note that changes would only be made due to dietary requirements (or words to that effect). It looks like the concept "As You Wish" dining is starting to creep into the menu selections as well.

 

How far does any cruise line need to go accommodating an ever increasing variety of special needs for dining without adding a surcharge, I dunno? But I think this is going to be more and more of an issue in the future.

[RevNeal]

Regarding the review ... for once, I'm speechless.

[kazu]

wow. this poor man and his wife endured HELL on this cruise, and still the 'hal flag-wavers' put these folks down and take up for hal? i, too, have been sick on hal -- twice -- and my 'care' was no better than theirs. i certainly empathize.

 

Sorry dr, dawg

 

In the review he posts that they were in a SUITE in G category???? yet he shows he was in BC? yes, he got upsold/upgraded - how about reporting properly?

 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this person isn't reporting accurately.

 

I'm not sticking up for HAL or for the OP

 

One quick read and I saw so many confusing inconsistencies - I just closed the link.

 

If you don't know what cabin you are in - how the heck can you report properly??

 

anyways I was so tired of lie #1, lie #2, etc. that I just closed it.

 

I am actually looking at doing a similar cruise on this very same ship - does this review bother me? no! why? because there is just too much that doesn't make sense.

 

Sorry, I'm not biting on this one.

[Typhoon1]

Sounds like someone with an ax to grind.

[startwin]

It's clear the reviewer wrote with a great deal of anger and emotion, therefore things are exaggerated or blown out of proportion. Perhaps he should have waited awhile to write the review, but he obviously wanted to vent.

[HamOp]

Checking the Cruise Critic members listing, no entry under the Q's (QBcruiser) for the poster of the review. Could be very new to CC.

[whogo]

Checking the Cruise Critic members listing, no entry under the Q's (QBcruiser) for the poster of the review. Could be very new to CC.

 

Members are not listed until they make a forum post. Some never do.

[Watson's aunt]

one point he said he saw lots of wmpty tables. we Those tables were resevered for that seating. He must have wanted fixed seating. yet he blames HAl for not seating him and his wife

 

 

 

Mary

[lvz2cruz]

I thought the review was nutty. Sorry, that's my best description;).

I wondered if maybe English was not his first language and that could be why he kept saying lies--not understanding the meaning of the word.

Maybe he will be happier on another cruise line.

Don't think he will be missed here.

[SwissMyst]

The concept of "anytime" or "as you wish" dining might be better described and "open-seating dining" and "fixed-seating dining".

 

These are cruise ships with limited resources, so one needs to get the impression ahead of time that ships can't be all things, to all people, at all times. One joins a "team" when cruising and there are "rules" one needs to honor, when sharing small spaces with a number of people for a limited period of time.

 

A handbook on "cruise etiquette" might well be timely, because we do have a generation coming down the pike for which the rules are for fools, and the world revolves around me, me, me. Sorry, but this is a demographic that has been passing through the schools, the workplace and now cruise vacation travel and has a great deal of data to validate its existence.

 

No comment whether this generation is good, bad or ugly. It just is and it is just different. And there will be a different generational identity soon to follow. Those in touch with college age kids today find them to be far more conservative and work-oriented, than found in the prior decades. These younger kids know they are up against global competition and know they are inheriting a massive public debt they did not create.

 

These much younger college kids know jobs are going to be scarce and life is not going to be a plush cocoon. Luck and pluck that got you ahead in the past is no longer in easy supply. Nor are their parents necessarily going to open doors or leave much behind, because they got crushed in the global economic re-alignments that we in the US have seen in these past few decades as well.

 

(Okay - Minus points for my sweeping generalizations. Granted.)

[HamOp]

Members are not listed until they make a forum post. Some never do.

 

I believe what you say, but that seems strange to me. Why not be listed as a member when you sign up?