HAL Has Lost Another Repeat Cruiser

[fcorey]

Paul, I reckon you got off lightly:D

 

Way too many HAL apologists, people who live in glass houses and cruisecritters who read half posts - loved the post that kept referring to you as 'her' and 'she' - in amongst the replies to your original post.

 

Loved the 'partners' one especially. We're so lucky society is so enlightened and accepting aren't we?

 

HAL would have locked you in your cabin for 48 hours if you'd had a stomach bug so why aren't sick crew quarantined as well? In an area like housekeeping there is no excuse for allowing sick staff to be making up cabins or cleaning public areas. You had every right to be pi**ed that you ended up with similar symptoms to your steward. I would have been too.

 

Luckily in between the the ugly posts found on the HAL boards (by the dress police, the ettiquette police, the smoking police, Carnival shareholders, etc etc) are those that are non-judgemental and offer great advice and assistance

 

Keep cruising

 

Pete and Al (yes, as in Alan)

 

As one of the people that occasionally falls into the apologist category I have to say that I found Paul's post really disappointing. In the very least it sounded like poor customer service. I sat back and read the threads without commenting. Both problems you mention, the attitude of the internet manager and the sick employee still having to clean and spread their germs would bother me also. You did the right thing by writing the letter, and thanks for sharing it here. I agree with twinkletoes (and we know that doesn't happen often right ;) ) , Heather summed it up well in her last post.

[twinkletoes4445]

I agree with twinkletoes (and we know that doesn't happen often right ;)

 

LOL...now it's not that bad, is it. :)

[toz]

mercedmike...I think you missed the point...maybe it's your simple mind...as you said.

[happy cruzer]

Perception is reality! The OPs issues revolve around:

Service not as promised

Poor or non existent human communication

Inordinate delay in human communication

 

Notwithstanding the resolution of the issues the evidence presented supports the fact that HAL utilizes a 3rd party vendor to provide a service, yet has no immediate control over the service as it applies to the ships passengers(HAL customers). The representative of the 3rd party vendor operates without immediate responsibility and/or supervision. The HAL employee on board ship initiated an accommodation in this instance. The HAL land based office, at best, was tardy in replying to the OPs written inquiry. And there is the failure by HAL to address an issue that is IMHO a great personal concern; a health issue between employee and customer on board ship.

Being tardy by both the OP (in addressing the issues on board in a timely manner) and HAL (responding to a written inquiry in a timely manner) has exacerbated the situation whereby the OP is truly “voting with the feet and the wallet” The economics of having a captive ship board customer base should prompt a much better response time at the very least!

3rd party vendors are a major part of the CS effort in my field of endeavor. I provide a constant reminder to their “sales” reps in the form of: “continual and or constant complaints from my customers about your service will immediately terminate our relationship”. You serve at my pleasure, and when my customers are displeased so am I!

Perhaps if a HAL manager peruses these boards and reviews this thread it will prompt an inquiry into the relationship with the third party vendor and their representatives’ conduct on board ship. And hopefully the HAL land based office will review its quality control measures for response to customer inquiries!

Just my 2 cents . . .

 

I think I would add unrealistic expectations to your list.

 

Whenever I have to approach the front desk anywhere I know I'm in trouble. Almost all front desks are staffed with people who are trained to say no. If they can't say no, they can't do the job. So if I have a simple issue under their control, I might get some help. But alot of times the issue is like this one a contracter, a company policy you weren't aware of, other customers actions, etc and they will try to quickly say no and get rid of you. That's just how front desks work in my experience. Not saying it's right or that there's not room for some company to provide excellent service; I'm just not seeing it.:) So typically if I have a major problem, I try to give the front desk and maybe even the HM a shot at it. If that doesn't do it, then I either get over it or vote with my feet.

 

So relating to the OP, I think he got an acceptable deal on the internet issue. Regarding the sick passenger, since it doesn't seem he addressed it onboard, I think expecting something now is not reasonable. I'm not even sure his claim that employee was made to work is valid; there could be a few other explanations. And being mad at the communication delays is a personal thing. I'm not he or anyone else wants to pay extra for each cruise for the complaint dept. to have a bigger staff.

 

The only reason I typed so long is because I do feel for the OP. I've been in his shoes and have had to learn to adjust to reality and lower expectations which is not pleasant. Here's hoping that the OP finds satisfaction.

[bUU]

These are very good points. I think we all benefit from thinking about every expectation we carry, in terms of, "Is this something I was explicitly promised? or is this something I really want and wish I were promised?"

[MercedMike]

...

I also understand why you cancelled your next cruise with HAL. It's too bad because that might have been an absolute dream cruise, but if nothing else works how else can we let a corporation know that we feel we've been handled badly? ...

 

My dear departed mother used to say, "You would bite off your nose to spite your face."

 

Give up a dream cruise to "let a corporation know"?? Not me.

[MercedMike]

mercedmike...I think you missed the point...maybe it's your simple mind...as you said.

 

Thanks, Toz, I love you too. Us idiots need to stick together. If I missed the point, I invited people to explain it again to me. It is really helpful and advances the discussion a whole lot for you to insult people you don't agree with.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

PS -- I can feel the grammar police coming. Of course I know it should be, "WE idiots need to stick together." The misuse of prepositions is part of the ironic humor, see?? SIGH

[haligonian37]

I have to agree that at times bad reviews or comments can get you shot down here but I don't think it's any different here than on any other boards at CC. From what I've seen on other cruise line's boards here, HAL's might be the most tame when it comes to language or harshness. Maybe it's just that most of the posters here are just more "polite" when it comes to disagreeing w/others. :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

I think I would add unrealistic expectations to your list.

 

Whenever I have to approach the front desk anywhere I know I'm in trouble. Almost all front desks are staffed with people who are trained to say no. If they can't say no, they can't do the job. ....................

 

I certainly hope that this isn't true. If it's come to that we're in a sorrier mess than I thought. While there are bad apples everywhere, overall I think the people who handle the Front Desk on cruiselines do an amazing job.

 

I don't think it's an "unrealistic expectation" to expect good service.

 

My dear departed mother used to say, "You would bite off your nose to spite your face."

 

Give up a dream cruise to "let a corporation know"?? Not me.

 

No, booking a cruise on another line isn't biting my nose at all!!! Booking NO cruise would be biting it badly:D . HAL isn't the only fish in the sea, kid on the block, rock on the beach, horse in the race:) . Thankfully there are so many wonderful alternatives out there.

 

I didn't say the next HAL cruise would be a dream cruise, I said it MIGHT have turned out to be a dream cruise ...... but so might a cruise on Celebrity (I'm betting on that one;) ).

 

Nothing wrong with making a statement by not using a product. It comes down to principle and that's important to some of us. I won't cruise Windstar anymore because of a customer service issue and I'm not suffering with that decision at all. I know that until recently that line was blurred because Carnival owned both HAL and Windstar, but it was enough of a line for me.

[TMJplus1]

Regardless of anyone's opinion on the OP's cruise experience and how he dealt with what happened, the saddest thing about this issue is it could have been resolved with a simple letter of acknowledgement and a sincere apology from HAL.

 

If Marybeth (or whoever from HAL) had written a letter saying how much they regretted what happened, would follow up with the internet manager, and have taken a closer look at their employee sickness policies as a result of his comments I'm sure this thread would never even have been started. (Even lacking an offer of a free bottle of wine on his next cruise.)

 

I am in customer service and let's face it, HAL is not taking any lessons from Nordstrom or Les Schwab when it comes to resolving some of the things we've read about on this board. :(

[bUU]

I don't think it's an "unrealistic expectation" to expect good service.

Of course not, but as always, the devil is in the details. "Good" service is subjective, and even people very near-and-dear to my heart have radically different perspectives about what constitutes "good" service versus unreasonable expectations.

 

No, booking a cruise on another line isn't biting my nose at all!!! Booking NO cruise would be biting it badly:D .

True, but with one caveat, which isn't really cruise-specific, but applies generally. The key is that within a class, all suppliers to the mass-market tend to provide the same level of service. Bouncing between various suppliers only means you'll need to indoctrinate yourself to each of their unique complaint-handling processes in turn, rather than learning one early-on, and then utilizing what you've learned, and the contacts you make along the way, to get faster and better resolution to any problems you encounter, each time you encounter a problem. Basic networking principles at work.

 

By the same token, choosing a cruise line in a higher class would surely be a smart move, if you're unsatisfied with the customer service of the cruise lines at the class you've been purchasing. So leaving HAL for Costa or Silversea or Seven Seas would make sense, while leaving HAL for Princess or even Celebrity perhaps is more questionable. FWIR, Celebrity and HAL are pretty comparable.

 

I didn't say the next HAL cruise would be a dream cruise, I said it MIGHT have turned out to be a dream cruise

I think you just confused me. What was the reason for mentioning "dream cruise" in your earlier message, then? :confused:

 

Regardless of anyone's opinion on the OP's cruise experience and how he dealt with what happened, the saddest thing about this issue is it could have been resolved with a simple letter of acknowledgement and a sincere apology from HAL.

It's hard to say. I've seen these kinds of things brought up in forums at many different stages of the process. What would and wouldn't have sufficed to quell upset varies by person, and people are so inconsistent that certain actions that would quell some would tend to egg others on. I don't see much good in second-guessing, especially without hearing both sides of the story.

[Copper10-8]

...........By the same token, choosing a cruise line in a higher class would surely be a smart move, if you're unsatisfied with the customer service of the cruise lines at the class you've been purchasing. So leaving HAL for Costa or Silversea or Seven Seas would make sense,...........

 

 

Whoa! So Costa and their toga parties are a step up from HAL?? Mamma Mia!:eek:

[serendipity1499]

Whoa! So Costa and their toga parties are a step up from HAL?? Mamma Mia!:eek:

 

 

LOL...;)

[bUU]

I'm just guessing by price, there, for the purposes of providing examples... I haven't actually been on Costa. ;)

 

How about the other two? Are they good examples of what I was alluding to?

[Copper10-8]

I'm just guessing by price, there, for the purposes of providing examples... I haven't actually been on Costa. ;)

 

How about the other two? Are they good examples of what I was alluding to?

 

I think you're right on with Silversea Cruises and Seven Seas which, btw, is now Regent Seven Seas Cruises ;) And, IMHO, The Yachts of Seabourn belongs in that same class.

[HeatherInFlorida]

..................I think you just confused me. What was the reason for mentioning "dream cruise" in your earlier message, then? :confused:..............

 

If you read the entire post that MercedMike referred to, I think I couldn't have been more clear. I don't understand why people pull apart my posts when they're just not obtuse at all.

 

But just to clarify for anyone who may have missed the paragraph which seems to have hit a nerve for some. Here it is:

 

I also understand why you cancelled your next cruise with HAL. It's too bad because that might have been an absolute dream cruise, but if nothing else works how else can we let a corporation know that we feel we've been handled badly?

 

 

I said simply that I understood the OP's reasons for cancelling their cruise but felt it was "too bad" because it MIGHT have been a dream cruise.

 

There's nothing heavy about the message. We never know what's going to happen tomorrow, but we are often affected in our choices by what has come before. It's called "life" ... or "them's the breaks":) .

 

Actually, I think the customer service on Celebrity definitely surpasses HAL. I don't think the price you pay necessarily is the key.

[bUU]

No, I was really quite confused. :blush: Thanks for the clarification.

[kanigeta]

I agree that I wouldn't be satisfied with the canned reply from a corporation to a letter I sent that ends with "however the fact that I am having to write a letter in hopes of resolving these issues" ....

 

But I do beleive, 100%, that the end result will only be satisfactory if the problem is presented logically, as unemotionally as possible, and the expected result is reasonable for the circumstances and clearly conveyed. In the OP's case, this applies both to the on board situation as well as to correspondence sent after the fact. Incidentally, I have never ever felt that approaching the front desk (on a cruise ship or any other hospitality environment) meant that I was in trouble or that they were trained to say no. Quite the contrary.

 

However, given the same circumstances on board, I would have handled it differently. Regarding the internet issue, I'd consider that HAL did in fact resolve it with the full credit for the package plus the $20 OBC, but...and this is a big but...I'd have made sure I logged a written complaint on board about the rude individual. I'd have requested the contact info of the corporate office handling the outsourced internet services, and after departure directed another complaint letter to them with a cc to HAL corp. I'd have phrased my letter to the effect that I thought they should be aware that "x" employee acted rudely and is likely offending other guests. I'd also have acknowledged, and expressed my appreciation, that HAL did make an exception while I was on board to resolve my particular issue. (I never would have thought that either HAL or the I-net service would have altered or xferred the minutes I used from my partner's account....unless I could document that I'd promptly attempted to resolve the issue much earlier and had no response to written communications left for the internet manager).

 

Regarding the sick employee, I completely agree with the person who earlier posted similarly, that I'd simply not allow that cabin steward to provide my services (essentially I'd take the same steps mentioned, except I might try asking my steward first if his supervisors were aware of his illness, simply so I'd have a better understanding of the particular cruise line's practices in that regard).

 

The only reason I'd mention that situation in a letter to HAL corporate would be to either 1) state that my request to have my cabin steward replaced was denied; wherein I would clearly state that I expect monetary compensation of "x" amount because I still wouldn't have let him in my cabin (and I'd have justified the amount by "x" number of days plus a reasonable "extreme inconvenience to me" charge or 2) make corporate aware that my request was handled to my satisfaction on board but that they should be aware that the steward's supervisors knew he was ill and still had him working in guest services.

[MercedMike]

Whoa! So Costa and their toga parties are a step up from HAL?? Mamma Mia!:eek:

 

No, but Bicker can agree with me -- Oberoi's galabyia parties are a big step up from toga parties! Right, B?

 

OK, so this is a very inside joke between those of us who have cruised the Nile. Check out

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egypt6.html

to see what I mean;)

[MercedMike]

I agree that I wouldn't be satisfied with the canned reply from a corporation to a letter I sent that ends with "however the fact that I am having to write a letter in hopes of resolving these issues" ....

 

But I do beleive, 100%, that the end result will only be satisfactory if the problem is presented logically, as unemotionally as possible, and the expected result is reasonable for the circumstances and clearly conveyed. In the OP's case, this applies both to the on board situation as well as to correspondence sent after the fact......I'd have made sure I logged a written complaint on board about the rude individual. ... I'd have phrased my letter to the effect that I thought they should be aware that "x" employee acted rudely and is likely offending other guests. I'd also have acknowledged, and expressed my appreciation, that HAL did make an exception while I was on board to resolve my particular issue. ...

Regarding the sick employee, I completely agree with the person who earlier posted similarly, that I'd simply not allow that cabin steward to provide my services (essentially I'd take the same steps mentioned, except I might try asking my steward first if his supervisors were aware of his illness, simply so I'd have a better understanding of the particular cruise line's practices in that regard).

 

The only reason I'd mention that situation in a letter to HAL corporate would be to either 1) state that my request to have my cabin steward replaced was denied; wherein I would clearly state that I expect monetary compensation of "x" amount ...2) make corporate aware that my request was handled to my satisfaction on board but that they should be aware that the steward's supervisors knew he was ill and still had him working in guest services.

 

A voice crying sense in the desert! Clearly someone who knows how to deal with problems in a way that is likely to get them resolved.

 

The only things I would add:

Customer service people rarely keep their jobs long if they are actually rude to customers. Of course, that is a matter of perception. I reiterate that saying, "No, that's not our policy," is really not rude. Whether the individual concerned actually was unacceptably rude is something none of us can tell, nor can a corporate suit reading a letter.

 

And the entire question of the steward has been less considered in this thread. Frankly, I have seen a number of stewards wearing masks as they work. It is a fairly standard industrial precaution for employees who are exposed to a variety of substances and sanitary issues in their work. Again none of us can judge now whether the steward in question was actually seriously ill, or just sneezed once in the OP's cabin. We also do not know whether the supervisor was actually aware he was seriously ill. I pretty much have the feeling that it was not until the poster fell ill four days later that he actually had any concerns.

 

In any case, letting it ruin a cruise and cause all this furor on the board is way beyond any reaction I would have had! Let me tell you some day about my wife's run in with security in Istanbul -- or our problems with the accounting department when they cut off my cruise card mid cruise -- or the warm water coming out of the cold tap in our cabin -- or of course multiple problems with on board internet -- or the pool boys dragging chairs over our heads at 4 AM -- in over 30 cruises, we have certainly run into some problems. Some of them are mentioned briefly in our glowing review of the cruise, others are simply not mentioned. None of them ruined our cruise nor made me feel I had to write nasty letters to corporate nor post diatribes on the board.;)

[bUU]

No, but Bicker can agree with me -- Oberoi's galabyia parties are a big step up from toga parties! Right, B?

Oh gosh -- don't remind me!

 

OK, so this is a very inside joke between those of us who have cruised the Nile. Check out

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egypt6.html

to see what I mean;)

This is us, carrying over 100 extra pounds between the two of us:

 

http://brianandrobbie.com/offwegotoegypt/0415-OnTheNile53-RobbieAndBrianAtGalabiaParty.jpg

[HeatherInFlorida]

................... None of them ruined our cruise nor made me feel I had to write nasty letters to corporate nor post diatribes on the board.;)

 

I think you're being very unfair to the OP. If we look back at this thread, there are relatively few posts by Paul. He came on to tell us what happened on his cruise. He posted his letter and HAL's response and then responded to a couple of posts.

 

That's not a diatribe. It's up to all of us, as individuals, to decide what we feel is worth writing about either here on the board or to HAL. Nobody is forced to read it and if we do we can discuss it. We can certainly disagree about whether the incident is poor service or not.

 

But it is anyone's right to create a thread about an incident on a cruise without being told they are "nasty" or posting "diatribes".

 

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I really do think we should be fair with everyone.

[mamaofami]

Regardless of anyone's opinion on the OP's cruise experience and how he dealt with what happened, the saddest thing about this issue is it could have been resolved with a simple letter of acknowledgement and a sincere apology from HAL.

 

If Marybeth (or whoever from HAL) had written a letter saying how much they regretted what happened, would follow up with the internet manager, and have taken a closer look at their employee sickness policies as a result of his comments I'm sure this thread would never even have been started. (Even lacking an offer of a free bottle of wine on his next cruise.)

 

I am in customer service and let's face it, HAL is not taking any lessons from Nordstrom or Les Schwab when it comes to resolving some of the things we've read about on this board. :(

 

 

As I've read through these many posts, it seems to me that if HAl had done as suggested above, everyone would have felt heard and acknowleged. A simple, "I'm sorry you had this experience" would have probably been sufficient to keep the OP satisfied. When one receives an apology, it's hard to continue being angry. IMO.

[mamaofami]

double post

[bUU]

When one receives an apology, it's hard to continue being angry. IMO.

I don't know about that; in my experience, a lot of people seem to be able to manage it. :(

 

I agree, though, that they typically shouldn't.