Is the Statendam fit for Purpose

[roberts2005]

I still can't believe the op was on the ship for 20 days and didn't have one good day. Was the ship sold out that their cabin couldn't have been changed? Any one else out there back from this cruise?

[Dee James]

In reference to my previous post "Is the Statendam fit for purpose" and some of the replies.

 

Perhaps I am a little innocent/naieve but I had not realized people would waste their time in creating fictitious stories to post on this site.

 

Dose HAL have some little pixies online trying to discredit any complaints?

 

I have reported the issues as they happened to make others aware of the current condition of the Statendam so no one else wastes their vacation time or money.

 

If you choose to ignore my recent experience do so at your own peril.

 

In spite of the many issues we had to deal with we made sure we enjoyed our cruise

[roberts2005]

What was your cabin number and dinner seating assignment ( and table) ?

 

Just want to make sure I avoid both.

[Atomica]

I don't think that people are necessarily creating 'ficticious stories', nor are they trying to discredit your issues with the Statendam.

 

However, I think everyone would like more details other than just 'it was awful'. HOW was it awful? There were plumbing issues, yes, but are we talking about one set of cabins, one deck, or the entire boat, encompassing everyones cabins? Was it for the entire transpacific crossing or was it confined to a few days? Is your main concern the issues with the plumbing, the onboard response or both? These are all details that are important.

 

If you were truly unsatisfied with your cruise, I'd write a letter to Holland America outlining in detail the issues you faced - at the very least so that they can appreciate the seriousness of the problems onboard. They're usually very receptive to feedback, good or otherwise.

 

I do hope your next cruise is smoother than this one...

[garydm]

We got off the Statendam on October 2, following ten days on board. I wrote a review on this board. Fortunately, we experienced no toilet issues and sewage odors were never present during our stay on any of the decks we visited. One restroom, near Explorations, was closed the whole time however. Overall, we found the Statendam to be in great mechanical shape given its years. Having said that, the previous time on board (SD to Hawaii RT), we did have an engine down for a couple days on the way over and did have a fire in a boiler room on the way back.

 

Statendam used to be our favorite ship, but after the most recent cruise it is not. The other 3 times we were onboard Frits Gehner was the hotel manager. The staff all like him alot and he had very high expectations. But now it seems expectations are much more modest. We were ready to get off the ship after ten days and felt a bit of concern for those going on to Auckland.

 

Gary

[RuthC]

Why a second thread from the same poster to say the same thing? :confused:

[HoneyGV]

Well, I am never surprised to see people criticizing any ships of any line on the CRUISE CRITIC board. The name alone invites criticism and if people who have cruised before never had any problems, they had nothing to criticize or post about, until they had some criticism.

Everybody is different. What bothers one person might not bother someone else. If new cruisers read the boards and hear how smacking wonderful a cruise or cruiseline is, and all they read are good things, then it just might hit them a little low when those things don't meet the expectations they came to look forward to from reading all the good stuff. What is it we say? Oh, "ship happens".:)

We should never judge another until we've walked a mile in their moccasins.

Now take me for instance. Sometimes things can be so crappy on land, that someone might tell me I'm going on the Queen Mary II and I might end up on a broken raft from Cuba....it would be a cruise dream for me, compared to what I left at the time.:D

[Jemima]

On embarkation our cabin had not been cleaned nor had the bed linen been changed from the previous occupants...fresh blood stains on pillow cases, bathroom filthy, floor not vacuumed and verrandah in such a state of disrepair it was unusable.

QUOTE]

 

Did you possibly go to the cabin on boarding rather than waiting for an announcement? If so, then you may have gone before the cabin was cleaned.

[the2ofus]

Would you share with us - who were the Hotel Manager and the Guest Relations Manager on your cruise?

[mike35]

Thank you for your comments on the Statendam. We are scheduled to sail on her on December 22, from Auckland to Sydney. This will be our first HA cruise, and hopefully we won't experience any of the horrendous problems that the OP had.

 

A couple of years ago we were booked on the Statendam from LA to Hawaii and return. Our TA convinced us to cancel the cruise and switch to the Island Princess, based on negative feedback he had received from several recent Statendam passengers. The Statendam subsequently went in for its "Signature of Excellence" upgrade, so we booked her for our upcoming cruise. We specifically wanted an ANZAC itinerary, and the only alternative was the Sapphire Princess, who's size caused us to choose the Statendam. Hopefully, we won't experience the disappointment of the OP.

 

I guess we've been lucky; we've never experienced problems similar to the OP's on our previous 16 cruises on Oceania, Princess, Crystal, Celebrity, Regent, etc.

 

Mike

[sail7seas]

Thanks, the2ofUs....

 

I was just about to ask the same question.

I think the Hotel Manager might be Diderik van Rigemorter but am not sure.

What I think is probably true is that it is not difficult to find a Hotel Manager on an HAL ship if one really wants to have a chat. My experience has been they are very visible and approachable.

 

 

 

[PRINSENDAM]

Thanks, the2ofUs....

 

I was just about to ask the same question.

I think the Hotel Manager might be Diderik van Rigemorter but am not sure.

What I think is probably true is that it is not difficult to find a Hotel Manager on an HAL ship if one really wants to have a chat. My experience has been they are very visible and approachable.

 

 

 

 

Hi there S7S!

 

Diderik was on board for the Alaska season. Stan Kuppens joined in Vancouver and is still on board. You know Stan and you know he is always available.

 

Stephen

[localady]

Just FYI, the Statendam will not be doing ANZAC run in 2008, the Volendam will be, according to current media releases for 2008. We have cruised the Statendam and have chosen to wait until the 2008 to sail HAL in Auck/NZ.

[sail7seas]

Hi there S7S!

 

Diderik was on board for the Alaska season. Stan Kuppens joined in Vancouver and is still on board. You know Stan and you know he is always available.

 

Stephen

 

Hi Stephen......

 

Lucky you to sail with Stan. Sure wish he would be on Noordam in January when we finally get to sail her. Wonderful Hotel Manager; great guy!! I forgot he just joined Statendam. He, indeed, is always out and about and approachable by any guests.

 

Welcome Back, Stephen. We missed you.

[RevNeal]

Hi Stephen......

 

Lucky you to sail with Stan. Sure wish he would be on Noordam in January when we finally get to sail her. Wonderful Hotel Manager; great guy!! I forgot he just joined Statendam. He, indeed, is always out and about and approachable by any guests.

 

Welcome Back, Stephen. We missed you.

 

True, Sail ... Stan is a wonderful man. However ... we'll have Henk on the Noordam in January. Henk Minsink is fantastic too. :)

[RevNeal]

Just FYI, the Statendam will not be doing ANZAC run in 2008, the Volendam will be, according to current media releases for 2008. We have cruised the Statendam and have chosen to wait until the 2008 to sail HAL in Auck/NZ.

 

You must mean in the Fall of 2008.

[RevNeal]

Why a second thread from the same poster to say the same thing? :confused:

 

Two threads ... twice the coverage? ;)

[RevNeal]

Well, I am never surprised to see people criticizing any ships of any line on the CRUISE CRITIC board. The name alone invites criticism and if people who have cruised before never had any problems, they had nothing to criticize or post about, until they had some criticism.

 

You know, Honey, only one of the lexical definitions of the noun "Critic" has to do with expressing an unfavorable opinion of something. A true "Critic" doesn't just offer up NEGATIVE views ... but also positive view, CONSTRUCTIVE remarks, and other observations. Hence, I appreciate people who come here with problems -- as in the OP -- and people who come here with positive remarks. :)

 

The OP has painted a very negative picture. That's ok: it's PART of what this website is about ... the sharing experiences, evaluations, and opinions. I appreciate the sharing of the experience, I weigh the OP's evaluation against what I know others experience plus what I know can cause negative experiences, etc., and I always value multiple opinions (even those that disagree with my own). As a "Cruise Critic" I try never to just criticize, but to offer CONSTRUCTIVE positive and negative criticism, weighed and balanced against the provinciality of my (or anyone else's') experience. To wit ... there were 1200 other people on that ship, and I doubt that they all had a similarly negative experience, but we won't hear from most of them on this board. Meanwhile, the OP has launched a second thread. Is it to get more attention? Or, do they just not know any better?

[juliecat]

I was just onboard the Statendam in late September - early October. I found my cabin perfectly maintained and the ship in excellent condition. She's now one of my favorites.

 

Julia

[bepsf]

Having read Prinsendam/Stephen's remarks on another thread regarding his experience on the same cruise, it would appear that the OP's remark about her verandah being "unusable" was simply a result of the work being done to replace the partitions with fireproof hardware to bring the ship up to new fire regulations.

 

Surely, this work didnt affect her for the entire 20 days?

[beach2sea]

Our deposit has been made for Statendam to Alaska July 1, 2007. I'm reading all pros and cons to determine if this was a good choice. Our 3rd cruise and 1st on HAL. I had felt they were supposed to be tops in service.

[the2ofus]

Dee, on the other thread I asked the name of the Hotel Manager and the Guest Relations Manager. You did not reply. Did you talk with either one in person? Did you put your detailed complaints in writing and deliver them to the Front Office so you could be sure the message got through?

 

I had a couple of minor issues re: my cabin on the Zaandam two weeks ago. I put my concerns in writing the second day of the cruise. By the end of the day, the problems were rectified and I had a personal note of apology from the Guest Releations Manager.

 

I also made sure to send a note to the GRM later in the cruise expressing my satisfaction with the resolution and complimenting my cabin steward for excellent service.

 

It certainly would be useful and pertinent for you to give more detail about what exactly was the problem with your verandah. Likewise, how many cabins were affected by the plumbing problems and for how long.

 

Interesting note: on the Zaandam there was a sign above the toilet clearly stating that if a blockage was caused by a foreign object improperly disposed of by the cabin occupant the cost of repair could be charged to that occupant. High time, I'd say.

[beach2sea]

More details would be helpful for those of us with deposits already in place. Did any of the problems get resolved?????

[happy cruzer]

I too had asked for details in the other thread. Instead we get a second even more general thread?

 

This poster has lost crediablity.

 

Usually a poster with a complaint has lots of details and really goes into them as a sort of venting/cleansing. they typically include a copy of the letter of complaint that they are sending the cruiseline.

 

I'm moving on.

[Sea King]

agree with both Ruth C and revneal .. why 2 threads from the same poster on exactly the same subject?:confused:

 

makes no sense at all

 

what makes even less sense is failure, as mentioned by Happy and others, by poster to answer specific questions including by name to whom the complaints were made

 

perhaps most importantly: Prinsendam just completed a fairly extensive review of Statendam here on CC; Stephen was very open and direct; Statendam is not perfect:eek:

 

on the other hand, it's not as horrible as the poster would like us to believe:(

 

I don't believe in personal confrontations, especially when none of us really knows anything concrete about each other .. other than of course the written word

 

sorry: don't find this thread any more credible than the first

 

in fact, IMHO it appears even less accurate:rolleyes:

 

oh by the way: never said I had not encountered any problems in more than 25 cruises on HAL; said, never ever in 25+ cruises did I ever get to my cabin on the first day and found it to be anything but spotless