Does anyone from Holland America read these posts? My experience over the last few days.....

[VennDiagram]

10 hours ago, canadarocks said:

Sometimes the squeaky wheel get the grease. We are now in the same aft VB cabin for both cruises (but not the one I started with). And I am beyond happy that we are "good to go" with two very needed cruises after these last two horrific years. 

 

But I owe all of you this cautionary advice..... The cabin we are now in was NOT available for me to book initially for either cruise. Which means someone else has been "bumped" from their chosen cabin to appease this "pitbull" (DH's nickname). 

 

Keep a very close eye on your bookings people. 

 

I am so happy and relieved for you that this got sorted out. 

[oaktreerb]

7 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Why give out prime real estate for staff/crew?  Aft cabins are higher category and price than forward cabins.  The quarantine area should be forward so as they can become accustomed to the movement of the sea at the same time as quarantining. 

The kitchens are aft and there is a stairway in that aft area on port side that staff can use to deliver meals, etc to the quarantined crew.  They can reach that area without going out into the general population.  Made perfect sense to me.  Those cabins are not the best except 4154 because most are obstructed balconies.  

[canadarocks]

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and all the Like & Thank You clicks. 🙂

[sapper1]

I am so glad that things worked out for you. 

[senorjim]

12 hours ago, canadarocks said:

I want to thank everyone for their kind words and all the Like & Thank You clicks. 🙂

I'm very happy that you received a satisfactory resolution. I hope you and your spouse enjoy the cruise!

I'm also curious who finally got it resolved? Was it you or your TA?

 

 

All the Best!

Jim

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by senorjim

[martinprof]

We are booked on Koningsdam on Jan 16 Hawaii.  Noticed that my boarding pass had disappeared from app.  Went online to check that pass and noticed that our stateroom had been moved from  a midship room on 4 to a room four from the back on 6.  My wife has motion sickness issues so the room was unacceptable. Also no notification.  Also five star.  Also marked as "no upgrade".  Told our original room was not available due to "operational reasons".  TA contacted them.  Was told nothing could be done and they had the right to change the room for "operational reasons" even if marked :no upgrade" .  Our TA kept at it and eventually got a midship room on deck 5.  Perhaps the implied threat of canceling our other six bookings helped.

We were also on  Nov 5 Rotterdam inaugural.    Had booked stateroom 4039.  Without notification it was changed to guarantee.  I noticed it when I went to print boarding pass.  Called HAL, explained motion issues, got the "operational reasons" excuse BUT got room changed to 4026. Great.  Printed new boarding pass.  Checked next day and found room changed to 4141 (no notification).  Called HAL and was told 4026 was not available because, wait for it, "operational reasons",  Printed boarding pass.  In last 2 weeks before the cruise, our boarding group was changed from A to B to C about every 3 days (at least got notifications about this).  I think I printed the boarding pass five times.  And there were only 900 passengers on the ship.  The cruise itself was great but dealing with Seattle was not.

Back to Hawaii cruise.  We have still not gotten any notification by HAL of the 2 day COVID test requirement but did get (yesterday) a response to an OCT 17 inquiry about Hawaii Safe Travels having informed HAL that the program will be adapted for cruise ships by the end of the year.

[WisRiver]

We were on the Rotterdam transatlantic in October, 2021.  We talked with our waiter in the MDR who was trying to entertain us with magic tricks.  He said he started practicing magic during his ten day quarantine before the beginning of the cruise.  We asked him if he was quarantined in the crew cabins on the lower decks.  He said crew were quarantined in balcony cabins on Deck 4 and 5.  He said it was a lonely experience, but HAL provided free internet and iPads to crew who did not have their own.  He was learning tricks from YouTube.  

[bowsprit]

On 12/13/2021 at 9:26 PM, canadarocks said:

Sometimes the squeaky wheel get the grease. We are now in the same aft VB cabin for both cruises (but not the one I started with). And I am beyond happy that we are "good to go" with two very needed cruises after these last two horrific years. 

 

But I owe all of you this cautionary advice..... The cabin we are now in was NOT available for me to book initially for either cruise. Which means someone else has been "bumped" from their chosen cabin to appease this "pitbull" (DH's nickname). 

 

Keep a very close eye on your bookings people. 

 

 I am betting that the VB cabin that you have now was ours!  booked over a year ago, and we were bumped around the timeframe that you got your wish granted.

 I had posted this thread about our situation.

 

QUOTE"

has anyone had any luck in contacting someone in HAL that can actually resolve an issue?

 

Having one right now, and wondering who to talk to, as the usual phone call bank is not working.

 

ONE year ago we booked a cabin on the cruise that we LOVE  for a couple of reasons. We always look for this cabin, and so usually book way out so that we get it.  the sailing is on Jan 12..

We have our friends booked  the cabins on either side of it, and expected to have the connecting doors opened between them if possible.. We were a  group of friends  celebrating a birthday.

 

We had this cruise booked back  in Jan  2021, and in the SAME cabins. Then Covid hit and it was cancelled. So we rebooked for this coming Jan 

 

Imagine our surprise when this morning we find out that we have been "upgraded" to another deck, and in the LEAST desirable cabin in that "upgrade" category. We will be  looking into an angled balcony.  And we are nowhere near our friends. They are all still in their original cabins.

 

And NO, we have never asked to be considered for upgrades.  

 

We want our cabin back, next to our friends. Yet the answering service says that that "WE can not move the people in that cabin"

WHY NOT? YOU MOVED US!

We had it for a year, they have had it for days.  Who do they know?

 

SO naturally we are trying to contact someone in the organization that can actually do something about this.

 

Anyone out there had any luck with anyone in the HAL organization?

END QUOTE

 

 

 And about the excuse about keeping ANY balcony cabin for quarantine!!!  

Total BS.

They do not put people in balcony cabins for quarantine. They do not want you sitting out there coughing away with people on either side of you.

 

Quarantine cabins are grouped near the hospital, and they usually are "outside" cabins.. Cabins with windows, NOT balconies.

Ask the people on the cruises that had balcony cabins but were moved immediately into a cabin with only a window when they tested positive.

 

 And our original cabin was a VB at the end of the ship. 

 

So I have to admit that although I am glad that your problem was resolved, keep in mind that it came at the cost of some other poor person.

 Oh yes, my spouse has medical issues also.

 

 And the bottom line is that HAL does NOT read the boards! that is wishful thinking.

And by what has happened here, The have demonstrated that they do not know their product OR their customers.

 

Most of us book the cabin that we WANT! and to arbitrarily move people around is so wrong.

 

They need to offer these upgrades to people that have not got "DO NOT UPGRADE" on their records.

And it needs to come in the form of an email that is time limited.

 For instance.. "There is an upgrade available for you if you are interested. It moves you from cabin 1234 to cabin 5678. This offer is time limited. you have 24 hours from this time and date to accept or refuse. After that time, the offer will no longer be available."

 

 Right now our plans with sharing our balconies with our friends are shattered, and our "Upgrade" is with a great view of an angled balcony on a different deck and is a totally different location.  It is a cabin that we would never book, not even at half the cost.

 

Angry does not even come close to what I am feeling right now.

 

You know the loyalty program? it only goes in one direction... from you to them.  do not expect it to flow back to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bowsprit]

 P.S.

 

while re-reading this whole thread and reading the really stressful and unnecessary things that have happened to so many other HAL pax.....this made me smile..

 

"Or we cancel both, and Holland America is out a lot of money and 4* Mariners who will never cruise with them again. "

 

Plus someone mentioned that perhaps it was because of the other cruises that HAL would loose if they cancelled that they (HAL) backed off....

 

 Five star here🙄... like it really means anything at all.   and as for the cruises that we will dump.. right now we have 104 days booked with HAL. NOT counting this cruise of 21 days. So total of 125 days.

 and as we cruise over half the year..we were not done booking yet, as we have nothing on the books at this moment for Sep, Oct, Nov or Dec 2022

 

But you know what that will get us?

 not a darn thing! and anyone that thinks otherwise is living in a dream world.

We are all just replaceable numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

[canadarocks]

53 minutes ago, bowsprit said:

 

 I am betting that the VB cabin that you have now was ours!  booked over a year ago, and we were bumped around the timeframe that you got your wish granted.

 I had posted this thread about our situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty sure it wasn't us that got your cabin. We don't sail until January 23. But I agree the whole situation sucks. 

[albingirl]

Glad for you that the issue was resolved.  It shouldn't be that hard and it just makes your trip coming up stressful. For us, airports are another crazy issue.  Traveling can be a drag, unfortunately.

[bowsprit]

1 hour ago, canadarocks said:

Pretty sure it wasn't us that got your cabin. We don't sail until January 23. But I agree the whole situation sucks. 

 then you are getting on as we are getting off. lol

we will try to leave whatever cabin we are in clean and tidy.

 

Yes, you are in the same exact position that we are in.

 we do not want to bump someone out of the cabin they originally chose, we just want to get the cabin that we booked over a year ago.

 

And I wonder just how many people were bumped during this process?

 the people that got our cabin, were they bumped from somewhere else and raised a fuss so that HAL said that they would give them our cabin?  It started somewhere with one wrong move.

 

It would be interesting to see just how many people HAL infuriated along the way.

 

very bad business.

 

we will do this cruise because of our friends, but I am already actively looking for cruises to replace the HAL ones that we have on the books.

 

 safe travels everyone

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

I’m pretty sure hal uses these balcony cabins for crew to quarantine.  I was on the koningsdam at the back on the ship on the 4th floor. I’m fairly certain that the port side was blocked off at the back, so it appears that they are using them for crew. If a paying passenger become infected I’m sure they wouldn’t be moved.  Not sure how someone would be so sure they crew weren’t unless they work for hal.  The thing is hal should have known well in advance that they would need those cabins, not just a month or two before.  Planning ahead doesn’t appear to be in hal wheelhouse.

[nocl]

4 hours ago, bowsprit said:

 

 I am betting that the VB cabin that you have now was ours!  booked over a year ago, and we were bumped around the timeframe that you got your wish granted.

 I had posted this thread about our situation.

 

QUOTE"

has anyone had any luck in contacting someone in HAL that can actually resolve an issue?

 

Having one right now, and wondering who to talk to, as the usual phone call bank is not working.

 

ONE year ago we booked a cabin on the cruise that we LOVE  for a couple of reasons. We always look for this cabin, and so usually book way out so that we get it.  the sailing is on Jan 12..

We have our friends booked  the cabins on either side of it, and expected to have the connecting doors opened between them if possible.. We were a  group of friends  celebrating a birthday.

 

We had this cruise booked back  in Jan  2021, and in the SAME cabins. Then Covid hit and it was cancelled. So we rebooked for this coming Jan 

 

Imagine our surprise when this morning we find out that we have been "upgraded" to another deck, and in the LEAST desirable cabin in that "upgrade" category. We will be  looking into an angled balcony.  And we are nowhere near our friends. They are all still in their original cabins.

 

And NO, we have never asked to be considered for upgrades.  

 

We want our cabin back, next to our friends. Yet the answering service says that that "WE can not move the people in that cabin"

WHY NOT? YOU MOVED US!

We had it for a year, they have had it for days.  Who do they know?

 

SO naturally we are trying to contact someone in the organization that can actually do something about this.

 

Anyone out there had any luck with anyone in the HAL organization?

END QUOTE

 

 

 And about the excuse about keeping ANY balcony cabin for quarantine!!!  

Total BS.

They do not put people in balcony cabins for quarantine. They do not want you sitting out there coughing away with people on either side of you.

 

Quarantine cabins are grouped near the hospital, and they usually are "outside" cabins.. Cabins with windows, NOT balconies.

Ask the people on the cruises that had balcony cabins but were moved immediately into a cabin with only a window when they tested positive.

 

 And our original cabin was a VB at the end of the ship. 

 

So I have to admit that although I am glad that your problem was resolved, keep in mind that it came at the cost of some other poor person.

 Oh yes, my spouse has medical issues also.

 

 And the bottom line is that HAL does NOT read the boards! that is wishful thinking.

And by what has happened here, The have demonstrated that they do not know their product OR their customers.

 

Most of us book the cabin that we WANT! and to arbitrarily move people around is so wrong.

 

They need to offer these upgrades to people that have not got "DO NOT UPGRADE" on their records.

And it needs to come in the form of an email that is time limited.

 For instance.. "There is an upgrade available for you if you are interested. It moves you from cabin 1234 to cabin 5678. This offer is time limited. you have 24 hours from this time and date to accept or refuse. After that time, the offer will no longer be available."

 

 Right now our plans with sharing our balconies with our friends are shattered, and our "Upgrade" is with a great view of an angled balcony on a different deck and is a totally different location.  It is a cabin that we would never book, not even at half the cost.

 

Angry does not even come close to what I am feeling right now.

 

You know the loyalty program? it only goes in one direction... from you to them.  do not expect it to flow back to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind that there is also a quarantine area for crew.  Who must quarantine for at least 10 days when they join the ship.  Both HAL and Princess are blocking off a portion of a passenger deck for this space.  They are using balcony cabins for that space.  Since the crew is in there for a fair amount of time and do not have access to any other space for exercise.  On one ship I was on the area chosen was mostly larger balcony spaces.  

[bowsprit]

On 12/24/2021 at 12:57 PM, nocl said:

Keep in mind that there is also a quarantine area for crew.  Who must quarantine for at least 10 days when they join the ship.  Both HAL and Princess are blocking off a portion of a passenger deck for this space.  They are using balcony cabins for that space.  Since the crew is in there for a fair amount of time and do not have access to any other space for exercise.  On one ship I was on the area chosen was mostly larger balcony spaces.  

 "Portions" yes. But one balcony cabin in-between our friends? and one f the top grade balcony cabins? not a chance lol

[nocl]

7 hours ago, bowsprit said:

 "Portions" yes. But one balcony cabin in-between our friends? and one f the top grade balcony cabins? not a chance lol

I was addressing the comment about the cruise line not using large balconies for quarantine,  nothing about your specific issue.

 

Maybe they just do not like you.

[bowsprit]

3 minutes ago, nocl said:

I was addressing the comment about the cruise line not using large balconies for quarantine,  nothing about your specific issue.

 

Maybe they just do not like you.

I think that you may be right lol

 

 

[oaktreerb]

On 12/24/2021 at 5:52 AM, bowsprit said:

 

 

Anyone out there had any luck with anyone in the HAL organization?

 

 

 And about the excuse about keeping ANY balcony cabin for quarantine!!!  

Total BS.

They do not put people in balcony cabins for quarantine. They do not want you sitting out there coughing away with people on either side of you.

 

Quarantine cabins are grouped near the hospital, and they usually are "outside" cabins.. Cabins with windows, NOT balconies.

Ask the people on the cruises that had balcony cabins but were moved immediately into a cabin with only a window when they tested positive.

 

 And our original cabin was a VB at the end of the ship. 

 

I can understand your anger.  I hope you and/or your TA can resolve your issue.  Since the ship is not sailing at full capacity maybe HAL can find a solution for you, too.

 

I know that in November on the Koningsdam the staterooms beginning with 4154 forward including the obstructed balconies were being used for newly arriving crew quarantine.  The area blocked off began and ended with the firewalls that can close off the entire corridor along those staterooms.  The aft crew stairway in that area gives access to the kitchen area making it easier to deliver meals and supplies within that closed area.   We were in 4156.  

 

I don’t know how HAL handled any passengers who were quarantined because they were ill.  I hope there weren’t any.

 

 

 

[bowsprit]

10 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

I can understand your anger.  I hope you and/or your TA can resolve your issue.  Since the ship is not sailing at full capacity maybe HAL can find a solution for you, too.

 

I know that in November on the Koningsdam the staterooms beginning with 4154 forward including the obstructed balconies were being used for newly arriving crew quarantine.  The area blocked off began and ended with the firewalls that can close off the entire corridor along those staterooms.  The aft crew stairway in that area gives access to the kitchen area making it easier to deliver meals and supplies within that closed area.   We were in 4156.  

 

I don’t know how HAL handled any passengers who were quarantined because they were ill.  I hope there weren’t any.

 

 

 

 Thank you Oaktree,

 Just as long as our solution does not mean that we bump someone also. We would not want our satisfaction to come at the expence of someone else.

 

We have not  yet broke the news to our friends that we will not be next door. We are waiting to see if we can at least get out of our "new" cabin with the view of our neighbours and  (did I mention?) the lifeboats? 😖🚢🚢🚢🚢🚢

 

 We were on the  Eurodam on Sept 12, over in Europe. And we knew of quarantine quarters for crew on that ship. usually they were forward. I guess it was because not too many paying pax choose that area.🤢

 

We saw many ships that were just anchored offshore awaiting the call to return to service.

In Cyprus our ship went a little off course to deliver Covid tests etc. to the Diamond Princess (one of 6 ships floating there)

 

 And in another port we had to pass by two HAL ships  within the port that were operating with a skeleton crew. 

When we sailed out that evening, the crew came out on deck and waved flashlights. We cheered them, but it was sad to see.

 Those ships are not scheduled to return to service until this coming April.

 

What a time we are all living through.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cinder Again]

I think this has happened to me as well. I have back to back cruises, (Feb, 2022) and just by happenstance (not notification) learned they’ve moved me between cruises, so I’ll have to pack and move for the second leg.That’s not ideal. I did complain (through my T/A) without success, or a reasonable explanation. That said, the new cabin IS an upgrade, so I decided I could live with the change this time. Your story (and other’s explanation about quarantine rooms) may be the explanation, so I appreciate that insight.

[AFNavigator]

13 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

I can understand your anger.  I hope you and/or your TA can resolve your issue.  Since the ship is not sailing at full capacity maybe HAL can find a solution for you, too.

 

I know that in November on the Koningsdam the staterooms beginning with 4154 forward including the obstructed balconies were being used for newly arriving crew quarantine.  The area blocked off began and ended with the firewalls that can close off the entire corridor along those staterooms.  The aft crew stairway in that area gives access to the kitchen area making it easier to deliver meals and supplies within that closed area.   We were in 4156.  

 

I don’t know how HAL handled any passengers who were quarantined because they were ill.  I hope there weren’t any.

 

 

 

On our 15-22 Dec Eurodam, we heard a portion of Deck 4 forward-most cabins (including balcony cabins) were reserved for potential passenger quarantines and far forward Deck 6 was reserved for crewmember quarantines.  We never heard if any passengers needed to be quarantined.  We assumed some crew were quarantined for at least standard new-to-ship quarantine purposes.

[Expo67]

On 12/13/2021 at 9:26 PM, canadarocks said:

Sometimes the squeaky wheel get the grease. We are now in the same aft VB cabin for both cruises (but not the one I started with). And I am beyond happy that we are "good to go" with two very needed cruises after these last two horrific years. 

 

But I owe all of you this cautionary advice..... The cabin we are now in was NOT available for me to book initially for either cruise. Which means someone else has been "bumped" from their chosen cabin to appease this "pitbull" (DH's nickname). 

 

Keep a very close eye on your bookings people. 

We are in 4156 for the 1/23 cruise. You are not in 4154 by any chance are you? If not hopefully we will meet at the Meet & Mingle. Just wondering if by chance we already knew our neighbor. 😉

 

[canadarocks]

2 hours ago, Expo67 said:

We are in 4156 for the 1/23 cruise. You are not in 4154 by any chance are you? If not hopefully we will meet at the Meet & Mingle. Just wondering if by chance we already knew our neighbor. 😉

 

Nope... but hopefully whoever's in 4154 will be a good neighbor! 🙂 

[Sea42]

On 12/27/2021 at 6:38 AM, bowsprit said:

We have not  yet broke the news to our friends that we will not be next door.

Perhaps they have also been moved?

[bowsprit]

1 hour ago, Sea42 said:

Perhaps they have also been moved?

Nope! We casually checked with them, and also asked our joint TA to check.

they are still in the original cabins. Except for being next to us, they could potentially be next to new crew that have flown out to join the ship, and are under quarantine to make sure they are Covid free.

 

makes sense to me..lol