BUMP IN THE NIGHT: Looking for you thoughts when things go awry

[Mosaic]

Hi all. My wife and I are confused as to what weshould do or expect with a few issues that we had on a 28 day Koningsdam tripin Europe. Should I expect something orjust simply let go. At this point theproblems are behind us----we are more concerned about future issues. Please keep in mind the following: The overall trip was very good. We were in aSA Neptune Suite. We ask that your simple trust in what we say as TRUE andACCURATE as to the described problems… And Thanks for your responses!!!!

 

We all have problemsduring vacation, but here it goes:

 

Problem 1

Schedule changewithout notification: no one was told, no one knew.

We, as well as thedozen people we asked had no idea that the ship was sailing was 5:00 pm insteadof 11:00 pm as published in our itinerary. Our boarding itinerary from HAL received 1 week prior to sailing showedthe 11:00pm departure time. We foundout that it was 5:00 pm when we were leaving the ship---too late to cancel theHotel that we booked. We had booked a 4 star hotel room---not a just day roomto hang out. It was cut way short. We had intended dinner and sunset onMikonos. HAL's concierge also knew nothing of this change and barely handledthis situation. We had significant losttime, money and a unique experience.

 

Problem 2

Overnight in port:bad information, lost our day.

So, we had had overnight in port and had madeprivate plans for a whole evening, paid in advance: for my wife'sBirthday---for a night out on the town. This was horrible for us. We lost $400due to this. I feel that it was about a $2,000 loss. Of course I understand that HAL is notresponsible for our private losses. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY ARE THE CAUSEOF IT, THEY DO HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY. PERIOD. On the other hand, I donot know what that means. It was totally their miss information that caused usto lose out on our experiences. The nextday in port, we spent the whole morning retracing our foot steps to see WHY andWHAT went wrong. It turns out that wecould not get our transportation from the ship because the port has their staff(at noon), turned inward to bring new paxs into the port, rather than getting people off. In other words, none of the port staff wasgeared towards those of us getting off the ship and staying out late at night.The port, taxis, etc, were CLOSED for 3 hours at noon for those of us that weregetting off. Yes, the port had the areafor disembarking closed, roped off, with no personnel to talk with. This wasnot right at the ship, and, took 2 hours to figure out. The excursion people had told us that this wouldnot be a problem. Yes, we could havemade different plans had we not been misinformed ( we could have simply leftoff the ship earlier: but we were going to be in town till midnight.)

This turned out tobe a BIG problem for us, again, but not so much for others. HAL researched this at our insistence, butJUST LET IT DROP WITH NO RESOLUTION. Once again, it was there misinformation that caused us the problem.

 

Problem 3

Table Conflict.

So this was aCollector voyage made up of back-to-back 2 week each cruises. We had fixed dining and an assigned table forthe 28 Days. On the first day of part 2,we went to our table to meet our new table mates---with big smiles on or facesonly to meet a big sour puss asking what we were doing at his table! There was a mix-up-that HAL admitted to, asit turned out, but he was taking it out on us. He was the worst person I haveever met on a ship and that certainly affected upcoming situations. I recall his wife even softly saying "Ido not know why he is this way!" whilst their daughter sat in utter quiet.He became hostile to us and the crew. As it turned out, HAL permanently movedthem to a different table. Yes, HAL did resolve the situation, but neverapologized. With our insistence, I found out that it was a simple error ontheir part that caused the problem. It would have been no big deal had it notbeen for the very difficult person that we had to deal with. We felt threatened, no joke, told this to theConcierge (they said nothing back to us) and nothing further became of thematter. HAL did handle the matter, butnot in a very gracious manner.

 

Problem 4

Pinnacle Suite$6,600 upgrade and their deck work.

So our suite wasright next to the Pinnacle suite on the K'dam. As it turned out it wasn’tbooked for the second half of the trip. We were told this by the Neptune staff. Another couple on the ship andmy wife and I decided we would like to move there and that we would each take aweek. HAL said that it would be $6,600for the two weeks. But, as it turnedout, they refused to take the money because they did not want to split it for 2separate couples, each for a week. Well,ok I suppose, but they never did inform the other couple--they just let thosegood people hang. Worse yet - theyworked on the balcony for over 5 days PAINTING with industrial paints andstain. It was noisy and smellythroughout the day. They quit at 5:00pm. We are non-smokers and this, boy does this,harken back to the discussion of smoking on the balcony. But worse than that. For 2 days we had paintchips---hundreds of them-the size of quarters falling onto our balcony. Not only were we a bit upset that they didnot accept their own price for the upgrade, but the work was certainly a kickin the face. They largely disregardedour complaints about the repairs (they did apologize for the paint chips when Ishowed them the disgusting photos. Icould not give photos of the smell or noise as easily). The Concierge said to me, "well they only worked there a few I hours". HAL NEVER took our concerns seriously.

 

 

As I ask, yoursincere feedback is much appreciated. Thank you.

Edited February 8, 2018 by Host Walt
Removed inappropriate word at OP's request

[RocketMan275]

I'm almost certain this isn't "about the money".

[Cruise or Lose!]

Your responsibility to plan your stateroom selection carefully and to figure out when you are due back on ship. The port’s responsibility for their operating hours. At this point, the only fault I would ascribe to HAL is for the table snafu, for which I would have awarded you...a nice bottle of wine.

 

IMHO, you are entitled to nothing else.

 

 

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[OlsSalt]

I think in the future you should book a smaller more personal service cruise line. And I am sorry you had such an awful time with all your unmet expectations and private planning that went so badly awry. This did sound like a very unhappy experience for you.

 

28 days is a long time to spend being in this compromised situation. One obvious lesson however is never, never, never rely on a printed itinerary that is a week old. You always listen, check and take photos of the exit board at the gangway setting out the proper departure times of both crew and guests.

 

Making private plans for off-ship activities is always fraught with peril and the risk is always that you can lose it all. Ship schedules come first and they are not changed by whim. Changed schedules are a truism of cruise travel. Was this your first cruise?

 

While the problem sharing the costs of the Pinnacle Suite sounds odd, I believe there are Homeland Security issues about who is the named passenger for each cabin - wild guess here. But maybe this was not as easy of a switch as you thought it should be. I thought I heard you can't change passengers three days before sailing because they have to be reported to US DHS. Though we all know final cabin numbers can change even on embarkation. So that is a curious one. Plus since these were friends you wanted to share space with, why not just "loan" the other party their share of the $6000 payment for later repayment once you got home?

[baggal]

I was on a Princess cruise two years ago where I experienced a series of "bumps". Most were created by the ineptitude of Princess management and staff, and to their credit, they tried to make amends, but in that process the situations became worse. It was only a 7 day cruise and we were sailing with friends, but if it were a land vacation, I would have left the hotel and gone home.

 

I no longer sail on Princess. Its as simple as that.

Edited February 6, 2018 by baggal
Spelling

[Lady Arwen]

I really don't think that you should expect anything from HAL. Itineraries change, sail away times change it's the nature of cruising. Transportation at the ports are not in the control of HAL. Nothing is ever written in stone and if an event is something that is of utmost importance for you to be there at a specific time and place, you must understand that you could be disappointed.

 

You said that you were "out $400.00 but it felt like $2000.00". I don't understand where you're going with that statement. Are you looking for compensation based on your "feelings"?

 

I don't think that HAL can be responsible for an unfortunate dining experience, because you did not like your tablemate. These things happen all the time and is really only a disappointment not a disaster.

 

I'm sorry that your cruise was not as perfect as you would have liked, but nothing jumps out that HAL is at fault and that you should be compensated in any way.

[cruisemom42]

I can address your first and second points from the viewpoint of a long-time solo traveler who mainly chooses to do things on my own at ports (and a veteran of nine Med cruises).

 

If you are doing things independently, you are on your own to check out and manage the logistics. Period. At least on mass market lines.

 

Whether this should be the case or not, it is the way it is. I have learned to check and re-check (via multiple sources) and check again right before sailing -- including port logistics. It's a shame you didn't spend some time on the ports of call forums before you left. The shuttle issue in Civitavecchia (I am assuming that is where you had this problem) is well known and regularly mentioned on the Italy board.

 

Similarly, re: your problem #1, one must be aware of the vagaries of cruising. Arrival and departure times change due to local weather conditions, among other things. Mykonos is especially prone to high winds and waves that cause port times to be changed (and too often it may be skipped altogether), another fact that is discussed regularly on the Greek ports of call board. When I was last in Mykonos, we were supposed to tender folks to Delos for the morning and then the ship was to move to Mykonos for the afternoon. Turned out that the winds and water were causing water spouts in the area and less than one hour after arriving in Delos from tender, the captain called us all back aboard. I probably spent in excess of 40 hours reading and researching the Roman and Greek structures on Delos -- but was out no money. I try very hard not to make any plans that cannot be cancelled without penalty in situations like this.

 

The ship makes no promises to independent travelers. Cruising can be less than ideal for us (unless one is willing to look at other options than the mass market ships). But I know that going in and I plan around it as much as possible because I also enjoy being at sea.

[CI66774]

Sorry you had some bumps during your cruise. I agree with the other poster who indicated the only thing HAL was to blame for was the table snafu. Perhaps a bottle of wine, etc. would have been nice.

[1ANGELCAT]

To the OP , I’m sorry you had some bumps in the road.

However, I m wondering why you’ve waited several months to bring this up ?

Did you mention this on your onboard survey or contact Guest relations post cruise ?

Again, sorry for the bumps.

 

 

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[OlsSalt]

Sorry you had some bumps during your cruise. I agree with the other poster who indicated the only thing HAL was to blame for was the table snafu. Perhaps a bottle of wine, etc. would have been nice.

 

Not sure what the table snafu was - they requested a larger table and had an unpleasant person sitting there in the second segment. Luck of the draw and HAL made requested changes. Touchy area if HAL is expected to apologize for other passengers personalities. Best it was handled the way that it was - just a nice quiet move.

[Lady Arwen]

Not sure what the table snafu was - they requested a larger table and had an unpleasant person sitting there in the second segment. Luck of the draw and HAL made requested changes. Touchy area if HAL is expected to apologize for other passengers personalities. Best it was handled the way that it was - just a nice quiet move.

Exactly. Well said. I also could not understand how HAL could be held accountable for a passenger not liking a particular tablemate. They fixed the situation to the OPs satisfaction. No wine or apology should be forthcoming.

[cruisemom42]

Not sure what the table snafu was - they requested a larger table and had an unpleasant person sitting there in the second segment. Luck of the draw and HAL made requested changes. Touchy area if HAL is expected to apologize for other passengers personalities. Best it was handled the way that it was - just a nice quiet move.

 

The OP stated:

 

There was a mix-up-that HAL admitted to, as it turned out, but he was taking it out on us. He was the worst person I have ever met on a ship and that certainly affected upcoming situations. I recall his wife even softly saying "I do not know why he is this way!" whilst their daughter sat in utter quiet.He became hostile to us and the crew. As it turned out, HAL permanently moved them to a different table. Yes, HAL did resolve the situation, but never apologized. With our insistence, I found out that it was a simple error on their part that caused the problem.

 

If this is the case -- and I could see a scenario where the persons seated at the OP's assigned table were perhaps guaranteed a table only for their party by HAL -- then I do agree a small gesture on HAL's part would have been appropriate if their mistake resulted in significant unpleasantness that was a result of their mistake.

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

Sorry you had some bumps on your last cruise. You really should have written a letter explaining everything in detail. after you had gotten home from the cruise.

We have found out that filling out the online survey -- HAL reads only a handful of them. We were very disappointed in one of our cruises -- DH did fill out the survey and no one ever questioned him about his concerns/complaints. We debated back and forth and finally cancelled a future cruise. Our TA was questioned as to why we were cancelling not one but two cruises. She gave them some of the details. The person whom she talked to passed the information onto a person higher up and hunted through thousands and thousands of surveys and found DH's (I never bothered to fill out one out). The person called out TA back and admitted that they do not have the time to read but a few of them.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

It's a good idea to proofread, especially longer posts, for readability.

[SilvertoGold]

Everyone wants smooth cruise, but all the OP's problems were typical, if not standard, for cruising.

 

Land vacations can be better choices for tightly planned days. With cruises you have to understand that changes can occur and be able to go with the flow.

 

I still don't understand the dining problem: a grouchy tablemate is supposed to be HAL's fault?

[ithaca gal]

I'm still stuck on the OP losing $400 on the dinner plans but having it FEEL like $2,000.

 

Any explanation?

 

I agree that a bottle of wine could have been a nice gesture since HAL admitted their fault for the snafu. The fact that the person sitting at the table was so nasty and rude has nothing to do with it.

[ski ww]

Sounds like you had a bad experience which left you with a bad out look on any future dealings with HAL. Not a good memory of your vacation. Bad table mates are a nightmare, we only had the experience once and we had to put up with her for two weeks. Really don't know how or what HAL could of done to make it better.

Allan

[Mosaic]

Hi, I am the OP. a few clarifications for what it is worth.

Keep in mind I SAID: I do not understand what should have been done by HAL. I just simply do not know. Yet they were still problems.

I am a 4 star Mariner

I did proof read the post

I am a very careful with travel plans, spend hundreds of hours planning.

The 400.00 and 2,000.00 comment was in regards to it was my wife's 60 birthday and we will never be back to that port again. I do think that HAL is responsible for either amount. Period. But they did cause the problem. It was their bad infomation.

The table snafu, ya maybe a bottle of wine. But it was very disheartening when the concierge did not take our safety as a concern. The guy was threatening! And they knew that.

The port change can happen anytime, of course. IT WAS NOT ANNOUNCED! EVER. That is the problem.

I bring all this up now because I am sailing on HAL soon and want to get your feedback. I am not asking for any compensation.

Any thoughts on the disgusting noise and smells on the work on the room next to us for 5 days???

[VennDiagram]

deleted

[ChinaShrek]

Hi, I am the OP. a few clarifications for what it is worth.

Keep in mind I SAID: I do not understand what should have been done by HAL. I just simply do not know. Yet they were still problems.

I am a 4 star Mariner

I did proof read the post

I am a very careful with travel plans, spend hundreds of hours planning.

The 400.00 and 2,000.00 comment was in regards to it was my wife's 60 birthday and we will never be back to that port again. I do think that HAL is responsible for either amount. Period. But they did cause the problem. It was their bad infomation.

The table snafu, ya maybe a bottle of wine. But it was very disheartening when the concierge did not take our safety as a concern. The guy was threatening! And they knew that.

The port change can happen anytime, of course. IT WAS NOT ANNOUNCED! EVER. That is the problem.

I bring all this up now because I am sailing on HAL soon and want to get your feedback. I am not asking for any compensation.

Any thoughts on the disgusting noise and smells on the work on the room next to us for 5 days???

 

As I posted in another thread but was laughed at, HAL should guarantee their itineraries or provide compensation for the pain and suffering caused by the above deviations. At what point can we count on the schedule being set in stone? When we reserve the cruise? When we pay for it? When we arrive at the port? I have great sympathy for the OP. What if she had been left in port because the captain decided he wanted to leave two hours early without telling anyone? She could have been stranded in a foriegn country for weeks!

[Boytjie]

I did proof read the post

 

The 400.00 and 2,000.00 comment was in regards to it was my wife's 60 birthday and we will never be back to that port again. I do think that HAL is responsible for either amount.

 

Period. I am not asking for any compensation.

 

I am confused.

[Boytjie]

While the problem sharing the costs of the Pinnacle Suite sounds odd, I believe there are Homeland Security issues about who is the named passenger for each cabin - wild guess here.

 

Why would the US Homeland Security need to know who is - or be interested - in a cabin on a European ship on a European cruise?

[VennDiagram]

Hi, I am the OP. a few clarifications for what it is worth.

Keep in mind I SAID: I do not understand what should have been done by HAL. I just simply do not know. Yet they were still problems.

 

....

I bring all this up now because I am sailing on HAL soon and want to get your feedback. I am not asking for any compensation.

Any thoughts on the disgusting noise and smells on the work on the room next to us for 5 days???

 

As I read your first post, and subsequent post, I was at a loss for what exactly you expected either from HAL or from us.

 

If you don't want compensation, what do you want? If you don't want information from other cruisers about how YES this stuff happens and you need to just roll with it/adjust to changes, what do you want?

 

It's unfortunate that so many of your plans were disrupted.

[cruisemom42]

I am a very careful with travel plans, spend hundreds of hours planning.

 

Did you specifically research the port situation in Civitavecchia? (Not sure why you refuse to mention ports by name, it is confusing to others.) Did you look at the official port shuttle site, which makes it clear the shuttle has a different route in the middle of the day? Did you search for information or ask a question about it on the Ports of Call board? Just curious what research you did....

 

 

The 400.00 and 2,000.00 comment was in regards to it was my wife's 60 birthday and we will never be back to that port again. I do think that HAL is responsible for either amount. Period. But they did cause the problem. It was their bad infomation.

 

Can you specify what bad information was given? Did HAL specifically tell you that you could get a shuttle at the cruise terminal AT ANY TIME DURING THE DAY or did you just assume it? (And btw, it's not that the shuttles don't run, they just don't stop at the cruise terminal. You could have walked out of the port or you could have gotten the shuttle at a different point.)

And did you mean to say that you DO NOT think HAL is responsible? Or that you DO think they are?

The port change can happen anytime, of course. IT WAS NOT ANNOUNCED! EVER. That is the problem.

 

I'm pretty sure every cruise I've been on has included a blanket statement at various times during port talks, on daily schedules, etc. reminding passengers to always look at the gangway sign on the way off the ship for the LATEST information on what time to be back to the ship. Are you saying that this sign was not accurate? If it was, then it was announced.

 

See above. If a traveler cannot live with the uncertainties of timing and possibilities that ports may be skipped, I truly think s/he is better off choosing a different type of vacation. No reason to go through all the stress....

I've been in nine Mediterranean cruises. I've missed one port, once. (Civitavecchia, by the way), had two ports rescheduled and have had port times truncated three times. This kind of thing happens.

[bUU]

If a traveler cannot live with the uncertainties of timing and possibilities that ports may be skipped, I truly think s/he is better off choosing a different type of vacation. No reason to go through all the stress....

I agree. While it applies to all vacations, it is especially true with cruise vacations that the division of risk between the passenger and the cruise line is much more complicated than most passengers allow themselves to internalize.