HAL cancelled our cabana 2 days before sailing

[lagirlforjesus]

I'm writing this from the Eurodam aboard the 12/21/22 sailing. Months ago, my wife determined to book a sailing on HAL where we could get a family cabana. She found a cruise that would work for our schedule and called Ships Services at HAL. She confirmed with Nicole that a family cabana was available on the 12/21/22 Eurodam sailing. My wife immediately booked the cruise and called back Nicole to book the cabana on the same afternoon. We were confirmed and paid for the cabana. Then, on Monday of this week - 48 hours before sailing - we received a short email telling us the family cabana was not available and we were being moved to a smaller retreat cabana. This size fits 2 people instead of the 4 we had in our party. Even two smaller cabanas do not meet our need since we have minor children with us. We followed up with the line immediately trying to get answers. We were told that possibly someone on the ship had booked the cabana to a party continuing from a previous cruise. However, we cannot get a straight answer from anyone. No one has yet taken responsibilty for this. From our perspective, either one of two things happened:

 

1) either two other parties booked family cabanas before us and my wife was misled when she called Ships Services. In this case, she booked the cruise for the cabana and this is a lot like a bait and switch.

 

2) we booked the cabana earlier than either of the parties who are in the cabanas but HAL is not following their own policies that the cabanas as available on a first come basis.

 

The mistake the cruise line made is aggravated by the timing. Within 48 hours of sailing, we had no time to change our itinerary, change flights, hotels, etc. So, we are stuck on a cruise missing the key amenity the entire booking hangs on. Plus, HAL has not taken any significant action to address their failure. I will update this thread as the situation develops.

[Alberta Quilter]

I hope you get this resolved.  I do recall several years ago  someone posting about a similar situation.  In that case, it turned out to be the Dutch Royal family for whom HAL bumped the cruiser.  IIRC the cruiser was able to get her cabana back.  I would certainly escalate this once you get onboard, if it's not resolved before boarding.  Take all documentation regarding the cabana booking with you.

 

Maybe a possible resolution is using two smaller cabanas but lifting the drapery in between the two?  Might that work?  I don't know if that can be done though; I've never used a cabana.

 

Good Luck!

[lagirlforjesus]

Alberta, thank you for your message of support!

[Hlitner]

I am wondering why anyone would think that HAL made a mistake.  It is more likely that somebody, with a little influence, got preferential treatment.  The fact that HAL sent the e-mail means they were well aware of situation and simply screwed the OP.  Unfortunately that seems to be the way of the world.  We have friends who booked a First Class Suite on Emirates (these are outrageiously expensive) and looked forward to the experience.  A few days before their flight they were notified that they had not only lost their suite but had also been bounced off the flight (and booked on a different flight).  Why?  They were later told a VIP got preference.

 

Hank

[Mary229]

I am sorry that happened and I am sorry that HAL has chosen not to honor a first come, first serve policy.  I think it is wise never to have one single aspect of a cruise determine the outcome.  
 

I would again address this  once onboard.  

[BobbiSox]

Welcome to Holland America. 😆

[CruiserBruce]

I can't explain what happened, but its not bait and switch.

[iceman93]

I understand your disappointment, @lagirlforjesus.  The family cabana was obviously important to you, and to have it snatched away at the last second under unknown circumstances is certainly frustrating (to say the least).

 

One possibility that hasn't been mentioned yet is that the family cabana may have been taken out of service for some reason (like maintenance).  In any case, I think HAL should have offered some kind of compensation for the inconvenience or, ideally, called you to explain in person that the cabana was no longer available and to discuss options that would work to make things right (or at least as right as they could).

 

My final piece of advice, though, is to try your hardest not to let this ruin your cruise.  The situation sucks, no doubt, but try to put that behind you.  How you approach things from here is all up to your attitude, and if all you focus on is disappointment then that's the way the rest of the cruise is going to go.  Try to make the best of a bad situation, and focus on all the other wonderful aspects of traveling together as a family--you can still have a great vacation!

[regnig]

1 hour ago, Alberta Quilter said:

............................

Maybe a possible resolution is using two smaller cabanas but lifting the drapery in between the two?  Might that work? Good Luck!

This sounds like the perfect solution and I would push HAL to expedite this plan.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Ask for 2 cabins  next to each other  ..

[LMaxwell]

The family cabanas that are larger have a sea view, the smaller cabanas, even if combined, have a nice view of the mechanical components of the pool dome cover.  There is no hot tub or pool in retreat on Edam. Express your displeasure to GS through the onboard app and ask for a comparable value resolution instead and then put it out of your head and find a suitable, complimentary spot near Lido. 

 

Once a company takes my money and welches on the deal, I'm not so fast to pursue trying to give them money. They've already told me the value of my business to them. 

[Florida_gal_50]

I'd be tempted to get on board with paperwork in hand (minus and cancellation info) and park my butt in that cabana and let HAL sort it out.  Once you book you should not be booted out of it for someone more "important".  The family cabanas are just lovely on the non pinnacle class and anyone that gets one would know this is a huge disappointment.  Hal needs to honor commitments and stop treating people this way and think its ok.  Good luck!

[wdw1972]

2 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

Maybe a possible resolution is using two smaller cabanas but lifting the drapery in between the two?  Might that work?  I don't know if that can be done though; I've never used a cabana.

 

Good Luck!

On the Eurodam it's all solid walls separating the cabanas.  It's just the Pinnacle class ships (as far as I know) that alternate solid wall, curtain, solid wall, curtain, etc.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, iceman93 said:

 

 

My final piece of advice, though, is to try your hardest not to let this ruin your cruise.  The situation sucks, no doubt, but try to put that behind you.  How you approach things from here is all up to your attitude, and if all you focus on is disappointment then that's the way the rest of the cruise is going to go.  Try to make the best of a bad situation, and focus on all the other wonderful aspects of traveling together as a family--you can still have a great vacation!

I don't love comments like this.  Would you like if you booked a neptune suite or above and then hal told you here is this lovely inside room but don't let it ruin your vacation?  It would absolutely ruin mine.  I'm sure you could still have a lovely vacation in that inside room!

[Florida_gal_50]

Just now, wdw1972 said:

On the Eurodam it's all solid walls separating the cabanas.  It's just the Pinnacle class ships (as far as I know) that alternate solid wall, curtain, solid wall, curtain, etc.

 

Sue/WDW1972

The family has the amazing view from two sides as well.  Not the same for sure.

[12cruise2]

Aren't there family cabanas on each corner?

[wdw1972]

2 minutes ago, 12cruise2 said:

Aren't there family cabanas on each corner?

Yes, but there are only 2 corners.  A regular cabana is no comparison to the family cabana - especially on the non-Pinnacle ships!

 

Three of us loved our family cabana on the Eurodam earlier this month (Capri).  We've got Costa del Sol for next year's Eurodam cruise (November, 11 night itinerary).

 

Sue/WDW1972

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

Yes, but there are only 2 corners.  A regular cabana is no comparison to the family cabana - especially on the non-Pinnacle ships!

 

Three of us loved our family cabana on the Eurodam earlier this month (Capri).  We've got Costa del Sol for next year's Eurodam cruise (November, 11 night itinerary).

 

Sue/WDW1972

They are really beautiful on the non pinnacle.  I love me a pinnacle ship but those family cabanas are not worth it.

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I am sorry that happened and I am sorry that HAL has chosen not to honor a first come, first serve policy.  I think it is wise never to have one single aspect of a cruise determine the outcome.  
 

I would again address this  once onboard.  

 

I agree that it's risky to pin the whole plan on one element. That said, I've done a few cruises for a specific port, and been lucky that nothing was cancelled. But even so, that would have been just one day.

 

The cabana is for the whole cruise. OP did not say what kind of cabin they booked. I've seen people say they book an inside or OV knowing they will have the cabana as their outdoor space. If that's the situation, losing the cabana really does ruin the cruise.

 

I agree that this issue should be pursued on board. 

[lagirlforjesus]

We booked a less expensive cabin because we were planning on using the family cabana as our outside space.

 

We are on the cruise right now and we have contacted ship services as well as guest services onboard at least 8 times regarding the matter.  They have repeatedly told us that they would get back to us at a certain time and we have been in our room to accept the call at least 4 times and we have waited and waited and waited.  Then we call them again and they say that they will call us back with a solution but we have still not heard from them.  
 

Nicole, the woman that originally booked our family cabin with ship services has been out of the office; we received an “out of office” email when we tried to respond to her email about the cancellation.  I agree that she should have called me directly. 
 

Both of the family cabins are occupied currently; neither one of the family cabins is out of service.  
 

It is not helpful when someone suggests that we should just accept this change and move on.  We spent a tremendous amount of money and time flying to FL and planning this vacation.  The family cabana was the main part of our cruise.  We had one in Alaska last June and our whole family was looking forward to escaping the winter cold and enjoying our privacy on the sold out ship. I called ship services prior to booking my cabin to ensure the cabana was available and then immediately booked the cabin and called them back to secure the cabana.
 

The ship offered us two smaller cabanas but there is a wall between the smaller cabanas and they are not at all the same as the larger family cabana.  Plus, we have our minor children with us.

 

HAL needs to honor their first come, first serve policy.  We booked the cabana on October 6th.  We were charged $549.  On Monday, December 19th we received the emailing telling us that it was canceled by Nicole @ ship services.  How can we be certain that a cabana is reserved even when we pay for it and receive a confirmation if HAL can just decide to give it to someone else or worse sell it to you when it’s already been reserved and then not give you compensation for their mistake especially when your cruise was predicated on that purchased amenity. 
 

We are still waiting a response.  I’ll update when I know more.  

[lagirlforjesus]

1 hour ago, 12cruise2 said:

Aren't there family cabanas on each corner?

Yes, but they are both occupied. 

[julia]

Wow...  sooooo very sorry that you are dealing with this.  Thanks for the update.

[PROCRUISE]

I'd be at Guest Services and refuse to move until Nicole presents herself front and center with an explanation and solution. We found Guest Services on the NS, this month, to be less than helpful.

[Ipeeinthepools]

2 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I'd be tempted to get on board with paperwork in hand (minus and cancellation info) and park my butt in that cabana and let HAL sort it out.  Once you book you should not be booted out of it for someone more "important".  The family cabanas are just lovely on the non pinnacle class and anyone that gets one would know this is a huge disappointment.  Hal needs to honor commitments and stop treating people this way and think its ok.  Good luck!

 

I doubt this would work.  They may sort it out by booting you off the ship.

[lagirlforjesus]

My husband is headed to Guest Services again to seek resolution.  This will be our 9th attempt to get the situation resolved. We still have not received any kind of explanation.

 

We’d really like to get back to our cruise. We need HAL to take responsibility for this situation. 
 

So far, this is our 3rd cruise with HAL.  Our first cruise was in December 2019 and our ship had engine trouble and we were held captive for 3 days in Fort Lauderdale.  We never left FL.  HAL “made good” and provided refunds to everyone along with a free credit for the future.  I’m hoping they will do the right thing and “make good” in this situation.

 

i am optimistic although I would like to get back to the business of having fun with my family. 
 

If HAL does the right thing then we will continue to cruise with them.  If not, then we will be leaving the line and head somewhere else and we will tell others of our experiences.  We will contact our local media outlets and tell them about the response that we received from HAL. We will utilize social media so that others are aware of the service that we received.  We will give the facts of the situation.