Need HELP!!

[kwhear435]

I need assistance. My husband and I, along with another couple, are booked on a 35-night Holland America cruise departing on February 17, 2024. We reserved specific cabins on the 11th deck and received 'Have It All' perks, crew appreciation, and onboard credit (OBC).  Our final receipt from our travel agent (TA) shows that we all have all of these items.  However, now on Holland America web site we no longer have crew appreciation or VB cabins, and most of our OBC is missing and we are in a VH guaranteed category cabin.

Does anybody have a phone number to Holland America corporate headquarters so we could try to get a resolution to our problem ?

Thank you in advance. 


[Crew News]

The website has been having issues.  Wait 30 minutes and re login.  Check your Navigator app.

[Blackduck59]

@kwhear435 I read your post and see that you are working with a TA. I would call the TA, it's their job to sort this for you. I dearly hope you get it resolved. Our TA sends us an invoice that has the cabin number, what perks you have and the cost of the cruise. It also shows the penalty dates and final payment dates.

[oakridger]

Yes, what @Blackduck59 and @Crew News said!!  Your confirmation is correct so you have been put in the system.  Call your TA. And it's true the HAL website is messed up at times.

 

Take a deep breath!  It's going to be fine!  Have a great time with your friends on your cruise. 😊

 

 

~Nancy

[Haljo1935]

As @Blackduck59 mentioned, you will need to sort this through your TA as that is your POC for HAL.

You won't see OBC on HAL website, very annoying, it's only visible on invoices and booking confirmations, which you have to get from your TA.

with that said, what is visible to you on HAL website and Navigator App is your cabin number. That is the peculiar part to me - that you see a different cabin class than you indicate you have.

I had that happen to me once on a very recent cruise (Dec 2023) on NS. We booked a lower obstructed cabin, bought CO and upgraded to the aft cabin we wanted. All the way through to the end, the booking confirmation showed correct cabin number, but the originally booked category. We mentioned it several times to the TA who said it showed correctly in the system and HAL confirmed it was correct. While they wouldn't answer any pricing questions because we had a TA on the booking, they did allow us to add HIA and confirmed our cabin w/o going through the TA.

If you see the correct cabin # on the App, I really think you're good.

Safe travels - enjoy your cruise!

Edited January 20 by Haljo1935
Typo

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, kwhear435 said:

Our final receipt from our travel agent (TA) shows that we all have all of these items.  However, now on Holland America web site we no longer have crew appreciation or VB cabins, and most of our OBC is missing and we are in a VH guaranteed category cabin.

Is your "final receipt" a booking confirmation from HAL? or does it include that document? Because that is what you need. I use a PCC, and I ask for new booking confirmations any time there is a change, well, I don't really have to ask. She sends them right away. But that's me not you. 

 

I would not stress about what you see on the website, nor try to call corporate (who wouldn't be able to help you anyway -- they outsource everything!) until Monday when you can get BOOKING CONFIRMATION from your TA. Especially don't fret over anything on the website over the weekend!

 

ETA: you have four weeks to sort it out. Have a good weekend!

 

Edited January 20 by crystalspin

[kwhear435]

Thanks for all your answers.  Unfortunately it’s been confirmed by HA that the TA (after our final payment and final paperwork we have)  went in and changed our cabin to a guaranteed cabin and took off our pre paid gratuities.  She is nothing but a crook.  She of course denies having done it.  Her supervisor believes her and no one will help.  

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 minutes ago, kwhear435 said:

Thanks for all your answers.  Unfortunately it’s been confirmed by HA that the TA (after our final payment and final paperwork we have)  went in and changed our cabin to a guaranteed cabin and took off our pre paid gratuities.  She is nothing but a crook.  She of course denies having done it.  Her supervisor believes her and no one will help.  

 

Rules here forbid telling us who your agency is, but is it large enough for you to escalate above her supervisor? Did you check your credit card to see if HAL or the agency issued a refund?

 

Did check the website to see if your cabins are still available? Will anyone at HAL hold them for you until Monday when you can try again to get satisfaction from the agency? There are some travel agents on this board. I hope one will chime in here to give you some advice on next steps.

[anniegb]

19 minutes ago, kwhear435 said:

Thanks for all your answers.  Unfortunately it’s been confirmed by HA that the TA (after our final payment and final paperwork we have)  went in and changed our cabin to a guaranteed cabin and took off our pre paid gratuities.  She is nothing but a crook.  She of course denies having done it.  Her supervisor believes her and no one will help.  

The question I would ask does the TA computer system not have a system log which records who made the change??

 

You can prove it was NOT you.  The TA or HA systems should be able to prove who initiated the change.

Edited January 20 by anniegb

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, kwhear435 said:

Thanks for all your answers.  Unfortunately it’s been confirmed by HA that the TA (after our final payment and final paperwork we have)  went in and changed our cabin to a guaranteed cabin and took off our pre paid gratuities.  She is nothing but a crook.  She of course denies having done it.  Her supervisor believes her and no one will help.  

 

OMG!  Do you have your original confirmation from when you booked?  If you do, you can prove the differences.  I’d go beyond her supervisor to the head of the company.  TA’s have error and omission insurance.

 

I’d report to the BBB etc.  That’s so wrong 😡 

[Blackduck59]

1 minute ago, kwhear435 said:

Thanks for all your answers.  Unfortunately it’s been confirmed by HA that the TA (after our final payment and final paperwork we have)  went in and changed our cabin to a guaranteed cabin and took off our pre paid gratuities.  She is nothing but a crook.  She of course denies having done it.  Her supervisor believes her and no one will help.  

That is unfortunate, do you have any correspondence from anyone to verify the original deal? I guess some TAs really are hacks.

[shippmates]

I am sorry you are going through this.  Your TA will have to help you and I would go up the chain of command as high as you can go.  If she really did this I would report them to the BBB and post something on Facebook so everyone can see it.  You need to find a new travel agent.  If you call Holland, you should be able to talk to a supervisor or a pricing specialist on Monday and explain this to them and I am sure they will be able to give you more detail.  Just have all your booking confirmations, emails, and credit card receipts.  Good luck and I hope you get this solved real soon.

[daisy-mae]

Is there a chance that you were not eligible for the perks that were booked, and that your agent then changed the booking to avoid being out of pocket for the difference? 

[VMax1700]

12 hours ago, kwhear435 said:

 Our final receipt from our travel agent (TA) shows that we all have all of these items.

If your final receipt shows all the extras (HIA, Grats etc) then how can the TA's supervisor believe the TA?  You have the documentary proof.

Escalate, Escalate. Onwards and upwards!  

[OlsSalt]

Breach of contract - small claims, if you are out of pocket - or did perhaps she pocket the difference herself?

 

Preserve all your documents and start a written, detailed summary of every step, if you want to later pursue legal action. Yes, escalate this case to the highest level possible.

 

I am so sorry to hear this -thank you for passing it on. Can't imagine how hard this this is for you to face so close to your departure. Hope the cruise exceeds the very unfortunate beginning, but I would not let this drop once you get back.

[shadow 123]

4 hours ago, daisy-mae said:

Is there a chance that you were not eligible for the perks that were booked, and that your agent then changed the booking to avoid being out of pocket for the difference? 

If that were the case you think someone would have notified you immediately.

[Rinderoo]

You can call HAL and request they assume your reservation, and thus "fire" the TA. The agency must release the cruise though. Many don't want to, especially since commission will be recalled, but if you escalate within HAL and have a paper trail showing your deposited confirmations are different from what you now have, they are likely to do it.

One thing is you really need to show that you deposited what you think you did. Otherwise it shows just a misunderstanding on your part. Only HAL can restore a semblance of what you initially booked, if they even can. This is a very long time to have unhappy guests on board. 

 

 

Edited January 20 by Rinderoo

[crystalspin]

5 hours ago, kwhear435 said:

Unfortunately it’s been confirmed by HA that the TA (after our final payment and final paperwork we have) went in and changed our cabin to a guaranteed cabin and took off our pre paid gratuities.  She is nothing but a crook.  She of course denies having done it.  Her supervisor believes her and no one will help.  

You can't see available cabins on this cruise (that I am also on); it's been showing sold-out for several weeks, maybe a month. But there were quite a number of cabins available of all but high-suites, right before it went dark.

 

You probably can't get any help from HAL until Monday. Use the time to collect your papers and (print?) emails.

 

I'm sorry my first response was cavalier -- I didn't want to believe that your TA could be so crooked and malicious!

[TRLD]

Try and get your TA and her supervisor to set up a 3 way call involving you, them and HAL.  That is probably the best way to resolve it.

 

As far as your TA and her supervisor even if they did not change it and HAL did it is still their job to try and fix it is it was incorrectly changed.

 

 

Edited January 20 by TRLD

[YourWorldWithBill]

Because of what you are dealing with at your TA, which I'm guessing is a small agency, I agree with those who said you should show the final receipt from the TA to Holland America. As was said by others, you will have to go through the process of taking the booking away from the TA, but if your receipt from them shows the details of your booking, they will have to answer to HAL.

 

At HAL it's not unusual to get different answers from different people, so don't hesitate to press the matter. Some of those who answer the phones don't know much.

 

The idea of waiting till Monday is a good idea. There are many numbers, but one of the numbers you can try is the number for Personal Cruise Consultants, and just hold until someone answers. Hopefully whoever answers can refer up the chain to someone who can actually deal with this. The TA can't escape blame for their actions, as you have the receipt. Keep pressing this point.

800-355-3017.

[VMax1700]

Don't HAL have something called 'Resolution Specialist' or similar?  That is where I would be looking.  

[kazu]

15 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Don't HAL have something called 'Resolution Specialist' or similar?  That is where I would be looking.  

 

They do indeed.  I’m not sure if I have a number but will check.  I think it’s too late to email - the OP needs to speak to them.

 

Edited to say - I believe I do have the number for a Resolution Specialist - 

877-724-5425

 

Wait until Monday Seattle time to call, OP.

 

 

[Rinderoo]

On 1/19/2024 at 10:29 PM, kwhear435 said:

I need assistance. My husband and I, along with another couple, are booked on a 35-night Holland America cruise departing on February 17, 2024. We reserved specific cabins on the 11th deck and received 'Have It All' perks, crew appreciation, and onboard credit (OBC).  Our final receipt from our travel agent (TA) shows that we all have all of these items.  However, now on Holland America web site we no longer have crew appreciation or VB cabins, and most of our OBC is missing and we are in a VH guaranteed category cabin.

Does anybody have a phone number to Holland America corporate headquarters so we could try to get a resolution to our problem ?

Thank you in advance. 


It's been a few days since your post. Do you have an update?

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 minutes ago, Rinderoo said:

It's been a few days since your post. Do you have an update?

 

I don't think Seattle is open yet. It's 7 AM their time.

[Real NHDOC]

If you know where the TA’s headquarters are you can go to the local BBB website and get the contact information for the person they have on file who responds to consumer complaints. I would find that person and contact them directly, tell them that you received a confirmation that shows what you booked initially and that the agent unilaterally changed it to something else that is substantially inferior to what you agreed to. That’s classic bait and switch and it’s not only illegal but it voids your entire agreement with them. You should insist that they live up to the terms of the initial offer or file complaints with the BBB, your local consumer protection bureau, their local consumer protection bureau if they don’t. There’s no way that they can change the contract like that and expect you’ll agree to it.