Disapointted

[cruz chic]

Hi weluvcruisin,

 

I agree with you, but you might get more sympathy or interest if you did provide a few more specific examples of what service was downhill on your specific cruise.

 

I forgot to mention on our cruise that the "Yum Yum" man was out of ginger the entire cruise. Now that is someone that was special to HAL to greet you on the way out of the dining room with treats. The only one I wanted was the ginger. At first I was told there was no ginger because of code red, and later told they simply were out of ginger.

 

I couldn't find a mint to save my soul on my 2 week Veendam cruise on the open dining level.

[cruz chic]

Fair enough, but we used to board by 11:00-11:30AM the first day, and we lost the day part of "Day 1". There was always a lot of excitement to board that first day and go to the Lido for lunch.

 

I did not mention that we boarded earlier than a lot of others because we checked in earlier and went back into town, so that when we came back we did not have to wait to check-in. The rooms were still not ready at that time.

 

I've never been able to board before 11:30 and sometimes 12. Many times lately the rooms have not been ready.

[cruz chic]

Since so many of the crew were sick and/or very busy cleaning, I expected the crew show and/or farewell to be cancelled. While we did not see a lido beverage cart, there were servers around getting you drinks (we used this several times). There was a Captain's toast, but we did not attend. The disembarkation talk no longer exists on any HAL ships (and I am glad it does not) - instead you watch instructions on your TV. We did have a champagne toast from the Captain one night at dinner (due to code red ending).

 

I am not trying to be a HAL "cheerleader", but I am merely pointing out that code red does change things onboard and that we should take this into consideration. As a LONG time frequent traveler, I have learned to "roll with the punches".

 

I've got about 350 days on hal and I have no idea what a lido beverage cart is. I was driven crazy by them asking if I wanted a drink from the bar every time I sat down on my recent Veendam cruise. Sometimes multiple times. Seems like they have way too many beverage servers. I made a conscious effort to sit in obscure places trying to hide from them and they still tracked me down.

[weluvcruisin']

Pago Pago had old busses more like old trucks an some broke down

[taxmantoo]

ENOUGH SAID END of STORY

 

Pago Pago had old busses more like old trucks an some broke down

 

I think you should have taken your own advice and quit while you still had a chance :rolleyes:

[cruz chic]

Pago Pago had old busses more like old trucks an some broke down

 

Ok, now I'm lost?

[SilvertoGold]

Pago Pago had old busses more like old trucks an some broke down

 

And this is HAL's fault? On Pago Pago?!

 

Nuka Hiva is similar. I've never heard anyone complaining this was HAL's fault there.

[weluvcruisin']

Yes it is. Don't Sell tours that are not up to standards. Especially at those inflated prices

[ellieanne]

Yes it is. Don't Sell tours that are not up to standards. Especially at those inflated prices

 

With that attitude, the best advice is to experience the world via National Geographic documentaries.

[weluvcruisin']

This is my last post. I just said that Hal is going downhill. And this is on every aspect of cruising, but some don't agree ,that is your choice. It just isn't one thing but many things. If you want to continue with Hal great, but we will not Happy Cruising to all

[sppunk]

Yes it is. Don't Sell tours that are not up to standards. Especially at those inflated prices

 

HAL should carry onboard 20 brand new Mercedes tour buses to use in ports that aren't developed. Got it.

[cruisin'girl]

I'm NOT getting into these personal little arguments which are occurring so often now that they are beginning to ruin this forum, but I do think OP has a point about HAL being responsible for excursions they choose to book in their name. I know in some of these ports it is not easy for HAL to guarantee the best of equipment or ideal conditions, but they are in the end responsible for the safety of their pax who book these excursions and their basic comfort. We were on a tour in Dominica several years ago where the vehicles were so bad we were literally sitting on the bumpy rocky 'road' and I don't think there was a person on the excursion that thought we would make it back to the ship. That 'company' never should have had a contract with HAL.

 

Whether this was true on OP's excursion I have no idea. But HAL is responsible for excursions they sell in their name.

[cruz chic]

I'm NOT getting into these personal little arguments which are occurring so often now that they are beginning to ruin this forum' date=' but I do think OP has a point about HAL being responsible for excursions they choose to book in their name. I know in some of these ports it is not easy for HAL to guarantee the best of equipment or ideal conditions, but they are in the end responsible for the safety of their pax who book these excursions and their basic comfort. We were on a tour in Dominica several years ago where the vehicles were so bad we were literally sitting on the bumpy rocky 'road' and I don't think there was a person on the excursion that thought we would make it back to the ship. That 'company' never should have had a contract with HAL.

 

Whether this was true on OP's excursion I have no idea. But HAL is responsible for excursions they sell in their name.[/quote']

That is reasonable. I don't think anyone would dispute that.

[SilvertoGold]

That is reasonable. I don't think anyone would dispute that.

 

Well, I won't dispute that.

 

I will say, however, that my experience with HAL is that they bend over backwards to warn, when needed, that a shorex may/will not be the standard one that HAL usually does.

 

My example of some ports on the Tahiti cruise: shorex brochures and the shorex department were very, very clear that the bus would not be a standard bus (pick-up truck in some ports, withe plank seats), no A/C, the restroom breaks would be few or non-existent, etc. It was always very clear what we were getting into. I hope HAL does this with all non-standard shorex.

[serendipity1499]

Yes it is. Don't Sell tours that are not up to standards. Especially at those inflated prices

 

There are many places in the under developed world that have terrible equipment for tours.. This is not HAL's fault!

 

My goodness in the Amazon we had rickshaws with runners to take us on tours.. We took one tour which HAL sold & the same tour was sold by Oceania an expensive cruise Line.. Instead the third time we booked it directly...But we would not have missed those tours for anything... And all other cruise lines sold the same tours using the same tour operators..

 

Do you honestly believe that HAL should supply better transportation? If you do then you probably should not be cruising... Every cruise line including the top lines use the same tour operators in all the ports....We've been on many different modes of transportation which seemed to be glued together with bald tires...LOL

Edited May 25, 2015 by serendipity1499

[pris993]

We cruise HAL along with Princess, Cunard, Celebrity, and NCL most recently.

 

We are elite on Princess and Celebrity, 2 star on HAL... all lines have had cut backs.

 

What we have found, is we focus on what we want, look for that when on board, if something is not to our liking we skip it. This works out a lot better than focusing what once was and no longer is these days.

 

Nothing stays the same... that is life.

[Spurschick]

There are many places in the under developed world that have terrible equipment for tours.. This is not HAL's fault!

 

My goodness in the Amazon we had rickshaws with runners to take us on tours.. We took one tour which HAL sold & the same tour was sold by Oceania an expensive cruise Line.. Instead the third time we booked it directly...But we would not have missed those tours for anything... And all other cruise lines sold the same tours using the same tour operators..

 

Do you honestly believe that HAL should supply better transportation? If you do then you probably should not be cruising... Every cruise line including the top lines use the same tour operators in all the ports....We've been on many different modes of transportation which seemed to be glued together with bald tires...LOL

 

Well said.

I take it a lot of people missed the old saying "when in Rome do as the Romans"?

 

It defies belief that people expect every single country to provide the highest quality, most luxurious modes of transportation and comfort known to mankind. I have been on a train in Belize with no AC in the middle of the rainforest. Did I demand the cruise line provide ac for the excursion? No because that is what life is like. Did I complain to the cruise line I had to share a beach in india with a herd of cows? No. That is regarded as normal to the locals.

 

If you want to see the world, see it and accept it for what it is. The cost of what some people are expecting in terms of transportation would put most of these tour operators out of business. The next time you are in one of these places ask the cost to buy a new car or minibus. Work out how much it is to run and maintain and then have a long hard think about whether this is viable for them to maintain given the amount of people they are likely to serve over the course of a year, especially on smaller islands. If you want to experience something then accept it is what it is, not what you want it to be.

[Opua Kiwi]

We were also on the Oosterdam when you were on it. We actually boarded in Auckland on April 5th.

 

The biggest complaint we had was the number of people who contracted the "URI" and were coughing throughout the cruise.

 

One of our cruisers actually named it the Coughingdam.

 

HAL didn't seem to do anything to get control of the problem (other than wash your hands). There was no 48 hour Code Orange and they didn't invoke a Code Red at all during the cruise.

I agree with this comment 100%.

It was my main comment in the questionnaire.

 

The amount and the severity of constant coughing all around the ship was really really annoying during the last 10 days.

 

I was very disappointed at the failure to instigate a Code response.

[erewhon]

Pago Pago had old busses more like old trucks an some broke down

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

During our last cruise, we noticed that in the stateroom excursion brochure, HAL stated that in some ports buses may not be to the standard that cruisers are used to.

 

During our first visit to Pago Pago, we were amused to see a bus "labelled air conditioned', it had no windows apart from the drivers windscreen.:)

[Quendryth]

My DH was out by 5:00AM and I was out by 6:45AM.

 

They wouldn't clean any earlier as they had some specific order so our cabin was not cleaned until the afternoon.

 

We always call housekeeping & advise them we are leaving the stateroom & would appreciate it if the room could be attended to ASAP. & when we return all is well & clean. This is not in 15 or 20 mins- we allow sufficient time for the stewards to do their jobs before we return. BTW, I am in a wheelchair & never have a problem in having everything completed in an adequate time. I don't think being disabled makes them work any faster. I believe if you call & request that you require service while you are out they will come & clean ASAP.

 

Faith

(Quendryth)

[philsuarez]

I await my first trip with HAL on MS Ryndam in July 2105 from Harwich. We tend to cruise based on availability and price hence have tried NCL, Cunard, P&O, Princess, Celebrity and now HAL. Will be interesting to compare products. If I had a choice would probably go Celebrity as I love the Solstice class ships. Have never had a poor cruise experience and long may that continue. We are low maintenance cruisers so provided service and food good we should be happy. My main gripe as only ever been rude fellow passengers. Did a ship visit to Ryndam last year and was impressed so hopefully all will be well. I normally produce a review and blog so will look forward to sharing my thoughts on the HAL experience.

Edited May 25, 2015 by philsuarez

[serendipity1499]

I'm NOT getting into these personal little arguments which are occurring so often now that they are beginning to ruin this forum' date=' but I do think OP has a point about HAL being responsible for excursions they choose to book in their name. I know in some of these ports it is not easy for HAL to guarantee the best of equipment or ideal conditions, but they are in the end responsible for the safety of their pax who book these excursions and their basic comfort. We were on a tour in Dominica several years ago where the vehicles were so bad we were literally sitting on the bumpy rocky 'road' and I don't think there was a person on the excursion that thought we would make it back to the ship. That 'company' never should have had a contract with HAL.

 

Whether this was true on OP's excursion I have no idea. But HAL is responsible for excursions they sell in their name.[/quote']

 

You are absolutely correct!

 

However, I'm retired from a European Airline, & have been in many third world countries, where the modes of transportation are not up to our standards... In their brochures HAL mentions that the modes of transportation on their tours, may or may not be what we are used to...Therefore, it is up to the Psgr. to decide if they still what to book that tour..

 

I would have missed so many good times & not have met some wonderful people who lived in these third world countries if I wanted new, air conditioned modes of transportation...

 

In Morocco I & another Friend, rented a car & got a flat half way to Agadir.. The tires were bald..A truckload of men came along, changed our tire, & took the old tire into the nearby town to be fixed..

 

In the 60's & 70's, in some parts of Africa, there were no facilities for tourists in many of the local villages.. If I let that stop me, I would not have experienced some of the wonderful days & nights which I can still remember to this day.. In my hotel room on one of our safaris, there was no glass window panes, only open shutters...I was awakened by howling animals who came to the salt lick at dawn...In another hotel out on the African plains, a young boy escorted me from the main lodge to my cabin with a long pole... He would use the pole to keep animals from getting too close to us while walking.... How boring my life would have been if I decided not to visit & stay in these places..

 

I actually agree with the poster who said that some people would be better off experiencing life around the world, by reading National Geographic..

 

 

Well, I won't dispute that.

 

I will say, however, that my experience with HAL is that they bend over backwards to warn, when needed, that a shorex may/will not be the standard one that HAL usually does.

 

My example of some ports on the Tahiti cruise: shorex brochures and the shorex department were very, very clear that the bus would not be a standard bus (pick-up truck in some ports, withe plank seats), no A/C, the restroom breaks would be few or non-existent, etc. It was always very clear what we were getting into. I hope HAL does this with all non-standard shorex.

 

Completely agree!

[DeeniEncinitas]

This is my last post. I just said that Hal is going downhill. And this is on every aspect of cruising' date=' but some don't agree ,that is your choice. It just isn't one thing but many things. If you want to continue with Hal great, but we will not Happy Cruising to all[/quote']

 

Wow I wake up this am in San Diego, drinking my coffee, watching the French Open, get on CC to see what is happening and your negativity is still going.

ENOUGH!.

People get the point with you, some understand, some don't, I look at life is what you make it, and you will find fault IMO with anything because you already experienced something that in your opinion was not to your standards.

You vented, people gave thought and responded. End of story.

I am a 4 STAR and it does not matter what star you have or IMO how much you pay!

Let's move on and enjoy another great day and some great posts to. Our CC board.

Denise😄

[cbr663]

I wanted to take this opportunity to extend thanks to weluvcrusin. As an experienced "cruiser," you have expressed your disappointment in Holland America Line. Your comments are useful for me as I plan future vacations and cruises. This may not be the forum for articulating your observations and concerns. The regulars (HAL cheerleaders) have subjected you to the usual cross-examination. You have been quite clear in your comments. You have stressed that HAL has gone downhill. You have specific examples for your disappointment, including unsatisfactory cleaning of your room, unsatisfactory meals in the MDR, unsatisfactory food, poor lectures, and overpriced tours. I value your comments as it lends some balance and credibility to this forum. To be quite frank, there are too many regulars who just cannot accept that some people experience "bad things" on Holland America cruises. I admire your honesty and courage in posting your comments. Good luck on future cruising!

 

I agree with you. The OP provided detail in post #18. Those who needed to learn more should go back and read that post again.

[iancal]

Could not agree more with your comments.

 

Our last cruise was on RCI. It was less than perfect. My guess is that if I had mentioned this on the HAL forum I would not have had one follow up question. Rather it would be posts about how wonderful HAL is compared to RCI or any other cruise line. It is the reason why I very seldom comment about our specific experiences on any cruise-HAL or otherwise.