HAL email asking me to volunteer for …

[LAFFNVEGAS]

@Freckles1983 I really wonder if you spoke to the right department today. I personally have had move over offers as well as know of many others that have also with Holland America. I few years ago I was offered a lower category for an Alaska cruise because of being over sold. With that being said it is definitely not the regular HAL agents that handle this. It is the revenue department also known as the Upsell Department. This department is not open on Saturday or Sunday and is only open from 8am till 5pm Pacific time Monday through Friday. Any agent answering today would not be able to do what was offered in the email. Nor would they even be able to answer your questions correctly. At this point I would wait till Monday if you are interested or just delete the email and continue with your planned cruise. 

As for the cruise not being what you had hoped for, There are a few cruise lines that have stepped up their game or kept things consistent with how cruising was prior to the pause. Unfortunately my two cruises with HAL they were not one of these cruise lines.....But with that being said.... a Cruise Vacation is what you make of it. There are differences in what has changed with HAL but it is still a very good cruise experience. Alaska is truly stunning if you go this year or move it to next year you will most likely have the same experience. I do not forseen HAL being any different next year. The difference I do see is the pricing will continue to go up.

 

[Tampa Girl]

2 hours ago, julia said:

Ok, makes sense. But not sure why anyone would take this offer then....

 Because you get a free cruise plus full FCC for the cancelled cruise.  What is there to hate?

[oaktreerb]

Your cruisetour includes hotels, busses, air flights that HAL is managing and I suspect they are trying to make the travel groups smaller because of Covid precautions.   I have a Denali cruisetour in August and I am concerned about the size of our group.  A full bus load of passengers is my main concern.  There are even more concerns for HAL about the Yukon trips.  HAL is  not only dealing with modes of transportation but Covid rules in Canada as well as the U.S.

 

Lisa @LAFFNVEGASis giving you good advice.  Call the numbers in the e-mail on Monday to clarify.

 

 

[oaktreerb]

For those who live within driving distance of the port (Seattle or Vancouver) and who can be flexible with vacation dates this would be a great offer.

[VMax1700]

2 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I would wait till Monday

Will they be open on Monday?  (Memorial Day?)

(asked as a foreigner purely out of interest!)

[Expo67]

2 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

@Freckles1983 I really wonder if you spoke to the right department today. I personally have had move over offers as well as know of many others that have also with Holland America. I few years ago I was offered a lower category for an Alaska cruise because of being over sold. With that being said it is definitely not the regular HAL agents that handle this. It is the revenue department also known as the Upsell Department. This department is not open on Saturday or Sunday and is only open from 8am till 5pm Pacific time Monday through Friday. Any agent answering today would not be able to do what was offered in the email. Nor would they even be able to answer your questions correctly. At this point I would wait till Monday if you are interested or just delete the email and continue with your planned cruise. 

As for the cruise not being what you had hoped for, There are a few cruise lines that have stepped up their game or kept things consistent with how cruising was prior to the pause. Unfortunately my two cruises with HAL they were not one of these cruise lines.....But with that being said.... a Cruise Vacation is what you make of it. There are differences in what has changed with HAL but it is still a very good cruise experience. Alaska is truly stunning if you go this year or move it to next year you will most likely have the same experience. I do not forseen HAL being any different next year. The difference I do see is the pricing will continue to go up.

 

I agree 100%. 👏 The Upsell Dept is the only on capable of handling this. The timing of this stinks and is worldly poorly with many assumptions left for those affected to fill in the blanks. Considering Mon. Is Memorial Day the question beckons to be answered is will the Upsell Dept. be open to field calls. 🤔 As prices are about 50% higher for the same cruise tour for the rest of the year and next years pricing will probably be similar. I do agree with the last poster that anyone living in the near vicinity of Vancouver might be worth taking a look at considering there are no hidden surprises in the T & C’s

[syesmar]

5 hours ago, blueexpedition29 said:

The "additionally" also seems to indicate that they will reimburse other expenses that you incur as a result of accepting their offer.  This might include any fare cancellation costs. 

For those who have previously accepted one of these offers: does this also include airline change fees and/or hotel cancellation fees (if applicable)?

[Btimmer]

1 minute ago, syesmar said:

For those who have previously accepted one of these offers: does this also include airline change fees and/or hotel cancellation fees (if applicable)?

When our Volendam cruise was cancelled due to chartering the ship for Ukranian refugees, we received a full refund in about 19 days and HAL agreed to refund our non-refundable hotel charges but it would be handled by a 3rd party.  That 3rd party would take 4 to 5 weeks for the refund which we still have not received the check after 4 weeks.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

14 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Will they be open on Monday?  (Memorial Day?)

(asked as a foreigner purely out of interest!)

Unfortunately, No not till Tuesday this wee. I totally forgot about Monday being a Holiday.

[kangforpres]

Sounds like they are asking you be  "voluntarily bumped" . There are no specific rules for compensation in the cruise industry like the airline industry. I would ask for a full cash refund and a 100% FCC. If they really need the space they will make a deal with you

 

Since the rules have changed for airlines and all the bad PR they had suffered, getting bumped from a flight can be a lucrative experience if your travel schedule permits it.

 

Good Luck, 

 

Paul

[Expo67]

2 hours ago, kangforpres said:

Sounds like they are asking you be  "voluntarily bumped" . There are no specific rules for compensation in the cruise industry like the airline industry. I would ask for a full cash refund and a 100% FCC. If they really need the space they will make a deal with you

 

Since the rules have changed for airlines and all the bad PR they had suffered, getting bumped from a flight can be a lucrative experience if your travel schedule permits it.

 

Good Luck, 

 

Paul

Considering HAL will be 5 days from sailing when they start taking return calls on this I think you might be spot on. Considering the state of the cruise industry I would be hard pressed to take anything other than a full refund and 100% FCC. 👍

[iceman93]

4 hours ago, Expo67 said:

The timing of this stinks and is worldly poorly with many assumptions left for those affected to fill in the blanks.

This is becoming a pattern with HAL lately--poorly-worded communications.  Every time they "clarify" their COVID policies, they open up as many new questions as they close.  I'm surprised, that in a company as large as HAL, that public-facing copy isn't drafted then reviewed by many people, at least some of whom should be educated and trained in communications.  I fully understand the need to sometimes be vague for legal reasons, but these are matters where absolute clarity is called for.

 

An e-mail to customers asking them to volunteer to give up their cruise should be crystal clear and completely unambiguous about what the cruise line is offering.  Alternately, they could send a vague e-mail along the lines of "If your travel plans are flexible, please contact us at this number to hear about the generous compensation we are offering," allowing them to tailor what they offer based on factors like booked cabin category, Mariner star status, etc.

[julia]

9 hours ago, Tampa Girl said:

 Because you get a free cruise plus full FCC for the cancelled cruise.  What is there to hate?

@Tampa Girl

Perhaps you should read the entire thread before weighing in.

There was NO "free cruise" offered!

 

 

[Freckles1983]

Wow, so many lovely responses.  Thank you all for the great advice.  I will try the upsell department out of curiosity but I think this close out from the trip I have to go.  Unless they offer me something I can’t refuse.  But after a long shift on my feet I think there’s not much that could talk me out of some time away from work.

The info in this topic is very interesting so thanks again for the people who shared .  I’ll see what happens on tues when I call them and keep you all posted 🙂

[KAKcruiser]

The letter from Holland America states "opportunity to sail at a later date AND a future cruise credit equal to the base fare."  It seems very clear to me that they are giving you both.   But, you would have to call the right department which should have the phone number listed on the letter.  

[Expo67]

2 hours ago, KAKcruiser said:

The letter from Holland America states "opportunity to sail at a later date AND a future cruise credit equal to the base fare."  It seems very clear to me that they are giving you both.   But, you would have to call the right department which should have the phone number listed on the letter.  

You are most likely correct but there are still far too many vague assumptions left to be sure. Such as how much later … this year or maybe 2023? Does it have to be on the exact same cruise tour and is the fare price protected? How long is the additional FCC good for? If accumulated FCC’s from past cancelled Covid cruises with a specified expiration date being used will the expiration date be extended? 
 

Yes I know all these questions may not have been capable of being explained but considering the lateness of this letter one would of hoped for a few more answers considering most folks will be within 3 days of travel when contacting HAL for answers. As previous posters have mentioned HAL has had wind of all the issues that have warranted such a letter. I guess the affected parties will hopefully have a lot more clarity come Tues. Then the question arises if not enough booked clients opt for the offer what comes next. 🤔

[Tampa Girl]

12 hours ago, julia said:

@Tampa Girl

Perhaps you should read the entire thread before weighing in.

There was NO "free cruise" offered!

 

 

 

I and others on this thread have interpreted that the 100% FCC to be the free cruise and "the opportunity to sail at a later date" to be a rescheduling of the present cruise.  And, yes, I did read the entire thread.  Perhaps you could be a little less judgmental.

[KroozNut]

On 5/28/2022 at 11:09 AM, Mary229 said:

It might be worth moving it to next year when everything should be back to normal.  We are doing this same tour but only as an extension of a larger trip.  If I were in your shoes I would seriously consider 2023

 

What makes you think that 'everything should be back to normal'? And what do you mean by 'normal'?

[Mary229]

45 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

 

What makes you think that 'everything should be back to normal'? And what do you mean by 'normal'?

The complete answer would violate Covid rules on Cruise Critic.  The start up process should be finished and staffing levels should be ar a semi permanent level.  Borders between the US and Canada should be fully open, currently the White Pass rail is not running cross border, I am sure by 2023 they will.  

[frankc98376]

Story on local news this morning said that most cruise lines were having to reduce capacity due to difficulty staffing the ships

[KroozNut]

55 minutes ago, frankc98376 said:

Story on local news this morning said that most cruise lines were having to reduce capacity due to difficulty staffing the ships

Did the story offer any insight as to the specific cause or causes of the staffing difficulties?

[BermudaBound2014]

5 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

Did the story offer any insight as to the specific cause or causes of the staffing difficulties?

 

Here are a few current stories in print that give an idea of the many challenges cruise lines are facing.

 

In terms of staffing, the current news stories often mention the Pride of America (NCL). Because this ship is flagged in the USA, most workers need to be American Citizens and undergo additional training (think fire safety, evacuation, etc..) required by the USA. So the PoA is unique and it is not surprising they appear to be having the most difficulty staffing this ship.

 

Of course all of the cruise lines are running into staffing shortages. Many potential crew members don't want to deal with quarantining to board. Some are vaccine hesitant. Some are bitter over how they were treated during the shut down. Many have gone on to find other work. One of the most common complaints I read on the crew social media pages is forced mask wearing in front of the public. Potential crew simply don't want to jump thru the hoops of the current protocols.

 

Here are a few articles published in the last few days on the subject:

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-26/staffing-shortages-limit-carnival-norwegian-cruise-trips

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/with-cruise-lines-making-a-recovery-staffing-issues-are-becoming-a-problem/71928

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-royal-caribbean-struggling-to-hire-crew-members-2022-5'

 

[iancal]

Ambiguity and assumptions are NOT your friends.

Get the details in writing.  In plain and simple English.  
 

No wriggle room for some clever boots at HAL to utter that word ‘but’ when you call to make subsequent arrangements.

Edited May 29, 2022 by iancal

[Expo67]

6 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Here are a few current stories in print that give an idea of the many challenges cruise lines are facing.

 

In terms of staffing, the current news stories often mention the Pride of America (NCL). Because this ship is flagged in the USA, most workers need to be American Citizens and undergo additional training (think fire safety, evacuation, etc..) required by the USA. So the PoA is unique and it is not surprising they appear to be having the most difficulty staffing this ship.

 

Of course all of the cruise lines are running into staffing shortages. Many potential crew members don't want to deal with quarantining to board. Some are vaccine hesitant. Some are bitter over how they were treated during the shut down. Many have gone on to find other work. One of the most common complaints I read on the crew social media pages is forced mask wearing in front of the public. Potential crew simply don't want to jump thru the hoops of the current protocols.

 

Here are a few articles published in the last few days on the subject:

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-26/staffing-shortages-limit-carnival-norwegian-cruise-trips

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/with-cruise-lines-making-a-recovery-staffing-issues-are-becoming-a-problem/71928

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-royal-caribbean-struggling-to-hire-crew-members-2022-5'

 

Add into it that many crew members are requesting shorter contracts (4 -5 months) because of being locked on the ship and not being able to get off at ports. This also means more crew quarantine issues as new incoming crew needs to go through the 14 day quarantine on the ship prior to getting reinstated into the work cycle. It is a vicious cycle that will probably not end until Covid is treated as Noro is treated IMO.

[Boatdrill]

On 5/28/2022 at 2:46 PM, oaktreerb said:

Your cruisetour includes hotels, busses, air flights that HAL is managing and I suspect they are trying to make the travel groups smaller because of Covid precautions.  

if that's the case, HAL should have put a limit on the amount of people they were willing to take when they marketed the tour.  When they reach that number, the waitlist is started. 

To ask a fully paid guest  at the last minute to change travel plans because of an abrupt change in available space, and then set the price for the inconvenience, is poor customer relations.