JUST OFF THE ZUIDERDAM--MY COMPLAINT LIST.........

[canadianbear]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

I agree but those are the rules.

 

We found a solution, knowing we had to pay and went to happy hour.  

The beverage package is “ok” for certain things (especially if you are a liquor drinker) but for wine, it’s pretty abysmal.  Too bad the OP hadn’t researched or checked it out onboard - they could have changed to the Elite package to get the moscato.

 

Neither does us any good as we like a wine that costs more than that 😉 

Our friends did have the premium or elite whichever it’s called but that night at dinner he wanted the $17 glass of wine.  He was ok with it as they certainly used the package to try lots of different drinks that  were covered.  However, I do wish HAL would change the policy where people could just pay the difference.  

 

 

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, Chuck said:

THANK YOU Canadianbear;   Finally someone that actually "Gets It".   Lord Sakes it took long enough.  Are you familiar with the term "Good Will"?    HAL could have a policy to let the customer pay the "Upcharge" and all would be well.  But they choose not to so as far as Iam concerned they have no good will.  

If you were familiar with the term "Good Will" you would realize that "Good Will" isn't the same thing as letting customers write the rules.

[bEwAbG]

58 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

Our friends did have the premium or elite whichever it’s called but that night at dinner he wanted the $17 glass of wine.  He was ok with it as they certainly used the package to try lots of different drinks that  were covered.  However, I do wish HAL would change the policy where people could just pay the difference.  

 

I think we all do.  Celebrity made that change a year or two ago and it's nice.  However, the package rules are clear if you choose to seek them out.  I'm not sure why anyone would spend hundreds of dollars per person to buy one without knowing the details, but there you go. "A fool and his money" etc.

[Chuck]

39 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

If you were familiar with the term "Good Will" you would realize that "Good Will" isn't the same thing as letting customers write the rules.

Sure glad that I don't have to do any business with you. I truly don't think you know what real good will is by your post.  Have a nice day though.

[Chuck]

I just want to chime in at this point as yes I agree this post is now way out of control.  When I "first" made the post my honest attempt was at helping other people who are "perhaps" new to cruising or maybe had not even cruised with HAL before just simply and plainly "understand" what to expect.  Its not really complicated.  The 2 previous HAL cruises that we took went off without a hitch and we had a really "GREAT TIME".  We really did.  This one was very "different".  I have now mentioned all my complaints so no need to repeat them.  Like I said previously it was just a "combination" of everything beating us down after 13 days of putting up with many of the irratants.  Irratants not meaning people but everything else that we have now talked about. Even my wife said as we got closer to the end of the cruise, "between the lack of decent internet, horrible TV selections, no decent paper to read, and listening to all the coughing and whooping on the Lido Deck #9 she was "NEVER SO GLAD" to get off the ship and go home.  Really a shame that a person cannot come to this site without the constant attacks that people feel the need to do.  And by the way we made friends with many many many nice elderly people.   I think its just a little shock to ones system to see such an elderly crowd thats all. 

[daisy-mae]

5 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

 

I’ll jog along with you or race you any time and I bet you are winded before I am.

 

And I will challenge you to a spirited game of pickleball - which is one of the activities that is actively promoted on HAL ships (and one of the reasons why we are hoping to return one day soon)

[kazu]

24 minutes ago, Chuck said:

Sure glad that I don't have to do any business with you. I truly don't think you know what real good will is by your post.  Have a nice day though.

 

Actually, he does.

 

You don’t get to write the rules.  And the rules are not meant to be broken by a few of the entitled (or who think they are) few.  We might not like the rules, but we cruise and sail by them.  (Heck, I’d like the corkage fee cancelled and go back to bringing the wine I want on board but it isn’t going to happen).

 

The problem is people think they are the exception to the rule.  And we’re not.  And then they get upset when they find out they can’t break them.

 

It’s not a matter of good will to break the rules for you.  Why should you or I be the exception?  We shouldn’t.  We need to understand what our packages (or rules) entail and abide by them or pay the difference.  

 

Sorry, but I know what my packages entail (if I have them) as I read.  It’s a good suggestion for the future.

[RocketMan275]

47 minutes ago, Chuck said:

Sure glad that I don't have to do any business with you. I truly don't think you know what real good will is by your post.  Have a nice day though.

"Good Will" works both ways.  Perhaps you should consider following the rules rather than asking for someone to bend the rules.

[Chuck]

42 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Actually, he does.

 

You don’t get to write the rules.  And the rules are not meant to be broken by a few of the entitled (or who think they are) few.  We might not like the rules, but we cruise and sail by them.  (Heck, I’d like the corkage fee cancelled and go back to bringing the wine I want on board but it isn’t going to happen).

 

The problem is people think they are the exception to the rule.  And we’re not.  And then they get upset when they find out they can’t break them.

 

It’s not a matter of good will to break the rules for you.  Why should you or I be the exception?  We shouldn’t.  We need to understand what our packages (or rules) entail and abide by them or pay the difference.  

 

Sorry, but I know what my packages entail (if I have them) as I read.  It’s a good suggestion for the future.

I just have to "respectfully" disagree with you close to about 100%.   Here me out for a minute.  I was self employed and owned my own business for over 40 years and not to pay myself on the back too hard I was quite successful at it.  I can easily afford to take 2 or 3 cruises or vacations a year if I want with no problem whatsoever.  But the reason I was more successful than many others is I always and I do mean "always, LISTENED TO MY CUSTOMERS AND I CARED WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY".  I made a careful practice to ask them on a very regular basis as to what I could do better or differently that would even improve upon my service to them.  You would be surprised at how many "referrals" I got over the years and decades.  I had customers that left me for "price" only to call me a year later and "ask if they could come back to me" as they didn't even "realize how many business's give really crappy service and don't even care about the customer".  So Mr. KAZU your words ring hollow to me.  If a large Corp. like HAL chooses to NOT listen to their customers they will eventually go by the wayside like many before them.  There are hundreds and hundreds of companies that go out of business every year and many of them chose to NOT listen to their once loyal customers.   No company or no person is irreplaceable.  I know as I worked my ---- off for well over 40 years because I truly loved my customers and they knew it. I can tell you have never ran a company.  It shows.

[RENEEG]

My husband is disabled. He does not need a scooter or a wheel chair.  He is legally blind. Has no peripheral or night vision. Being disabled does not give you the right to be rude.  We have been standing in the disabled line getting on southwest where a couple came running down the  walkway to the plane yelling wheelchair passengers with their lap dog in a carrier. They pushed right past us. Neither was in a wheel chair. Some disabled people think they don’t need to follow rules.

When we go to the lido we find a nice table and my husband says you know what I like so just bring me what looks good. He orders us drinks while I am gone. He doesn’t want to get in peoples way or get trampled by rude passengers.  I think the author was just commenting on rude passengers. Not all disabled passengers are rude. And you don’t have to be disabled to be rude either. 

[RocketMan275]

14 minutes ago, Chuck said:

I just have to "respectfully" disagree with you close to about 100%.   Here me out for a minute.  I was self employed and owned my own business for over 40 years and not to pay myself on the back too hard I was quite successful at it.  I can easily afford to take 2 or 3 cruises or vacations a year if I want with no problem whatsoever.  But the reason I was more successful than many others is I always and I do mean "always, LISTENED TO MY CUSTOMERS AND I CARED WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY".  I made a careful practice to ask them on a very regular basis as to what I could do better or differently that would even improve upon my service to them.  You would be surprised at how many "referrals" I got over the years and decades.  I had customers that left me for "price" only to call me a year later and "ask if they could come back to me" as they didn't even "realize how many business's give really crappy service and don't even care about the customer".  So Mr. KAZU your words ring hollow to me.  If a large Corp. like HAL chooses to NOT listen to their customers they will eventually go by the wayside like many before them.  There are hundreds and hundreds of companies that go out of business every year and many of them chose to NOT listen to their once loyal customers.   No company or no person is irreplaceable.  I know as I worked my ---- off for well over 40 years because I truly loved my customers and they knew it. I can tell you have never ran a company.  It shows.

What would you do if one of  your employees was giving away free stuff (good will)?  You, as the business owner certainly can do so, but employees can only do what they've been authorized to do.  The wine steward had rules to follow.   

[Chuck]

Fully agree with you RocketMan. BUT if I was Orlando Ashford I would give a little “ latitude” to the Ships Mgmt. The dollar difference would not have put a dent in their profit margin. Lets see now $1.00 difference times 2 glasses per day ( I drank beer) over 13 days. Oh I can see more clearly now—That $26 would have put HAL out of Biz.  LOL.   PS.  Lighten up if you can.

[Chuck]

24 minutes ago, RENEEG said:

My husband is disabled. He does not need a scooter or a wheel chair.  He is legally blind. Has no peripheral or night vision. Being disabled does not give you the right to be rude.  We have been standing in the disabled line getting on southwest where a couple came running down the  walkway to the plane yelling wheelchair passengers with their lap dog in a carrier. They pushed right past us. Neither was in a wheel chair. Some disabled people think they don’t need to follow rules.

When we go to the lido we find a nice table and my husband says you know what I like so just bring me what looks good. He orders us drinks while I am gone. He doesn’t want to get in peoples way or get trampled by rude passengers.  I think the author was just commenting on rude passengers. Not all disabled passengers are rude. And you don’t have to be disabled to be rude either. 

 

[kazu]

41 minutes ago, Chuck said:

I was self employed and owned my own business for over 40 years and not to pay myself on the back too hard I was quite successful at it. 

 

And so was I.  So what?  I listened to my customers too.  And I took care of them.  I learned that if you take care of your customers they take care of you.

 

However, if there were rules in place that couldn’t be changed we all had to follow them. Pretty simple whether you like it or not.  You can reach out to HAL and send in your feedback but beating them here on CC will get you nowhere.
 

And just because you succeeded in business (as many of us have) doesn’t mean that you are any more all seeing than the rest of us.  Sorry.  

[RocketMan275]

20 minutes ago, Chuck said:

Fully agree with you RocketMan. BUT if I was Orlando Ashford I would give a little “ latitude” to the Ships Mgmt. The dollar difference would not have put a dent in their profit margin. Lets see now $1.00 difference times 2 glasses per day ( I drank beer) over 13 days. Oh I can see more clearly now—That $26 would have put HAL out of Biz.  LOL.   PS.  Lighten up if you can.

Times several hundred thousand passengers per year.  Adds up.  

BTW, what if the wine wasn't just a dollar more?  What about two dollars?  Three?  Where does the "Good Will" end?

[rotjeknor]

Maybe it was posted before, but before you buy the SBP isn’t wise to see what you are buying. In other words what drinks are covered. The barmenu is easily found online using your search engine. We’ve had a SBP with the booking a few times and my favorite Pinot Grigio was not covered by it, so I got to try a different one. We wouldn’t normally buy the package as we are not big drinkers, but getting it as a freebee is nice.

After all , you’re on holiday , so relax and don’t get so worked up about everything.

Agewise we are at the lower rungs of the HAL clientele ladder , but we do enjoy meeting elderly people ,  with or without canes or strollers , and enjoy picking up some life lessons along the way.

[bEwAbG]

Odd how HAL can have millions of satisfied guests but one person who doesn't bother to do any research is so adamant that he's not in the wrong. 

 

One footnote to add to Celebrity letting people "pay the difference."  Not only did they raise the price of their packages shortly thereafter and also raise the price of their individual drinks so that paying $1 more often became paying $3 or $4 more, they're now instituting a new policy that your fare goes up by $14/pp per day if you choose a beverage package as one of the "perks" when booking.  HAL probably will not have to do this if they keep their current policy.  Those who really care about selection will just book the higher package from the beginning.

[coffeebean]

On 9/28/2019 at 5:09 PM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

............ the stations. It's set up so that people can head for what they want rather than moving through a long cafeteria-style line.

 

I get the impression the OP was not happy that folks were getting ahead of him when he was waiting at the entree station. I certainly understand going to the station you are interested in, but not to jump ahead of someone already waiting at said station to be served by the crew. That is one thing that is different on HAL.....not all the stations are self serve yet some are. I would prefer to serve myself at all stations.

[coffeebean]

On 9/28/2019 at 5:32 PM, daisy-mae said:

We were on the Zuiderdam in April. We did not have a drink package, but dined with a lovely couple who did. What they found strange is that while the package did not include a glass of champagne, they could order mimosa's to their heart's content.

One Mimosa please. Hold the OJ. Thanks.

[coffeebean]

On 9/28/2019 at 10:18 PM, Hlitner said:

..........On a recent Princess cruise we watched a man simply put his scooter in reverse and back into two folks (he never turned to look and did not have a mirror). 

Were the two passengers who were hit injured badly? Scary situation.

[3rdGenCunarder]

 

Chuck,  did you have trouble getting to use one of the 2 computers? There were only 3 on K'dam, but they were never busy because so many people do travel with smartphones and/or tablets and/or laptops. 

 

Please, please use the quote function correctly. The way you're doing it makes it difficult to tell at a glance which paragraphs are yours and which are from the post you're quoting. 

 

When you click on "quote," the text you're quoting appears in a box. Please type your response below the box, so that it will appear outside the box when you submit your reply. Look above and see the difference between your post #139 and coffeebean's three posts above.

 

Thank you.

Edited October 3, 2019 by 3rdGenCunarder

[3rdGenCunarder]

25 minutes ago, coffeebean said:

I get the impression the OP was not happy that folks were getting ahead of him when he was waiting at the entree station. I certainly understand going to the station you are interested in, but not to jump ahead of someone already waiting at said station to be served by the crew. That is one thing that is different on HAL.....not all the stations are self serve yet some are. I would prefer to serve myself at all stations.

 

As someone who has had noro, I am happy that most stations are not self-serve. It does make things a bit slower, but I think it's a fair trade to avoid contamination of food/serving spoons. And it certainly doesn't reduce line-cutting. People "just want a little" of something so they think they can reach right in past others. 

Edited October 3, 2019 by 3rdGenCunarder

[sail7seas]

40 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

As someone who has had noro, I am happy that most stations are not self-serve. It does make things a bit slower, but I think it's a fair trade to avoid contamination of food/serving spoons. And it certainly doesn't reduce line-cutting. People "just want a little" of something so they think they can reach right in past others. 

In the buffet when someone cuts in front of me and  says"" I jus t want a spooful of - - -   whatever , 

 

 

I usually answer that  with  something like:   all of  us 'just want'   everyone to politely get in line. and wait their turn.

 

 

[kazu]

I am truly perplexed Chuck as you were unhappy with your last cruise (many of the same complaints) and stated you would be much pickier in the future.

 

 

With your unhappiness with HAL and Veendam, I’m gobsmacked that you chose HAL again. 

[Chuck]

29 minutes ago, kazu said:

I am truly perplexed Chuck as you were unhappy with your last cruise (many of the same complaints) and stated you would be much pickier in the future.

 

 

With your unhappiness with HAL and Veendam, I’m gobsmacked that you chose HAL again. 

Really very glad to see your post Miss Kazu.   With all the torpedos and arrows flying around on my post I almost decided to not even venture here anymore.  But less me address your point because it does deserve answered.  This was actually our 3rd cruise with HAL and the previous 2 we had an absolutely wonderful time.  We truly did. But for some reason ( a combination of many things) this one in particular was "different".  My wife who absolutely NEVER COMPLAINS about anything even said to me on several occasions she couldn't wait to get off the ship and get back home.  Maybe the 14 days is just too much.  But she said something that "will always stick with me".  She said "You know honey this experience is like going back in time 30 or so years and losing all communication with the world".  No keep in mind she is not a complainer.  She too missed the computer room that is on the Veendam which we took in JAN. OF THIS YEAR (2019).   She also hated the TV channels. She also hated the very liberal and biased N.Y. Times.  She also had the same experiences at the "Bistro on the Lido Deck #9" with many rude people just barging in front of you.   The other stations seemed to be fine but the Bistro was really a bad experience.  She told me she felt cut off from the world after the 14 days.  Then throw in the "Mix" that about 20 to 25% of the people were coughing and hacking their heads off up on the Lido and everywhere else for that matter and it was just a "Perfect Storm".  Could HAL have done a few things differently????   Of course they could have.  I had a good laugh at the poster that was spouting off of how they have hundreds of thousands of happy customers. The reason that is funny to me being a business owner is the fact that people now expect a low level of service as that has gotten to be the "norm" pretty much everyplace you go.  Walmart does around $500 Billion in gross revenues but when you go to Walmart have you ever gotten what you would call "Really Great Customer Service"????   But yet they too just like HAL deal with the "MASSES".  Just because you deal with the masses and are a successful company certainly does NOT MEAN YOU GIVE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE-----FAR FROM IT.  But lost in all of this ABYSS  is the fact that there were many days where we had a perfectly fine day and we did enjoy for the most part the 9 HAL shore excursions.   Again, I just think maybe at this point we will look at other cruise lines that maybe do not cater to the more mature crowd.   Sorry for such a long answer but hope this helps some of you understand our thinking.   For those of you that can't understand our feelings then its because you don't want to.