I need to vent!

[RuthC]

Everyone being upset that major cruise lines like HAL or Princess or etc. doesn't respect them and take care of their individual needs is not realistic.

However, that isn't what the OP is upset about. The OP is upset that something promised to her by the cruiseline was not going to be given to her. And she was given no choice in the matter. Remember the old saying "You pay your money, and you make your choice"? HAL apparently doesn't.

It's one thing to be told when you first inquire that your choice of dining times is not available. You have the option then to decide to go with what is available, or decline the booking. That's fair. It's also fair to be told at booking that there is a waitlist, and you may or may not get what you want. Again, you have the option to book or not.

But it is totally unfair to the person shelling out the bucks to be told that yes, you will have the dining time you want, then snatch it away without so much as an "Oh, by the way".

It isn't a matter of "taking care of your individual needs". It's a matter of respecting your right to purchase what's right for you.

If that isn't realistic, then it -dam well should be.

[cruz chic]

Lorekauf...... I am really sorry to read the disappointment and anger? you have about your upcoming cruise. I sincerely hope you can put it aside before you board and go ahead with plans to have a wonderful time. It truly is a 'cruise of a lifetime' and to go bearing such disappointment and expectation of disappointment seems unfortunate.

 

I in NO WAY mean to be critical as I agree HAL should not have switched your dining from what they originally confirmed but it has happened and hopefully has now been corrected. As to 'not impressed' with your cabin assignment...... assuming you got the category you booked and paid for, then why is there a complaint about that?

 

What is done is done....... you cannot control that.

 

But, you CAN control the attitude you bring aboard with you. If you expect the trip to disappoint you, it most assuredly will and that would truly be too bad.

 

Set it aside and get on with being excited about your upcoming adventure and all of the wonderful things you will love about your trip.

 

Just my unsolicited, bossy, nosey suggestions........ :o

 

Sail, I agree with everything you are saying. I would have been happy with the category I had booked but HAL "upgraded" me 2 categories to a spot I do not like. I should have picked a specific cabin. I don't want to whine about this anymore but I was really looking forward to this and now everything has changed to the point that I don't want to even go. I'm sure once I get on the ship I will feel much different. This has been a rough few months for me personally and this is just icing on the cake.

[cruz chic]

However, that isn't what the OP is upset about. The OP is upset that something promised to her by the cruiseline was not going to be given to her. And she was given no choice in the matter. Remember the old saying "You pay your money, and you make your choice"? HAL apparently doesn't.

 

It's one thing to be told when you first inquire that your choice of dining times is not available. You have the option then to decide to go with what is available, or decline the booking. That's fair. It's also fair to be told at booking that there is a waitlist, and you may or may not get what you want. Again, you have the option to book or not.

But it is totally unfair to the person shelling out the bucks to be told that yes, you will have the dining time you want, then snatch it away without so much as an "Oh, by the way".

 

It isn't a matter of "taking care of your individual needs". It's a matter of respecting your right to purchase what's right for you.

If that isn't realistic, then it -dam well should be.

Thank you. At least I know one person "gets it"

[CrabbyHarper]

Lore: I think I get it, too. And I am in total sympathy with you. You should not have to go through all this pre-cruise stress, nor worry about standing in line to see the maitre d' when you get on the ship. HAL goofed: you paid your money with the understanding that you were assigned to fixed seating, now HAL is changing the story.

 

Just a suggestion. Have you read the Roll Call for your cruise? Would it be worthwhile to "link up" with several congenial souls from the roll call? Then if all else fails, and the other party or parties is agreeable, you could meet for AYWD every night at the same time. I understand that you can make reservations each morning and ask for the same table and time.

 

Please do enjoy your cruise. No matter what happens a bad day cruising is better than the best day at work.

[marle7]

However, that isn't what the OP is upset about. The OP is upset that something promised to her by the cruiseline was not going to be given to her. And she was given no choice in the matter. Remember the old saying "You pay your money, and you make your choice"? HAL apparently doesn't.

It's one thing to be told when you first inquire that your choice of dining times is not available. You have the option then to decide to go with what is available, or decline the booking. That's fair. It's also fair to be told at booking that there is a waitlist, and you may or may not get what you want. Again, you have the option to book or not.

But it is totally unfair to the person shelling out the bucks to be told that yes, you will have the dining time you want, then snatch it away without so much as an "Oh, by the way".

It isn't a matter of "taking care of your individual needs". It's a matter of respecting your right to purchase what's right for you.

If that isn't realistic, then it -dam well should be.

 

 

This is it exactly.

[cruz chic]

Lore: I think I get it, too. And I am in total sympathy with you. You should not have to go through all this pre-cruise stress, nor worry about standing in line to see the maitre d' when you get on the ship. HAL goofed: you paid your money with the understanding that you were assigned to fixed seating, now HAL is changing the story.

 

Just a suggestion. Have you read the Roll Call for your cruise? Would it be worthwhile to "link up" with several congenial souls from the roll call? Then if all else fails, and the other party or parties is agreeable, you could meet for AYWD every night at the same time. I understand that you can make reservations each morning and ask for the same table and time.

 

Please do enjoy your cruise. No matter what happens a bad day cruising is better than the best day at work.

Actually I do understand that many people "get it" on this thread. That was not my best comment. I'm letting my frustration get the best of me.

 

I have been on the roll call for my sailing and thanks for the suggestion. If HAL does not make good on what they say, that is a good suggestion for dining. Hopefully everyone doesn't have fixed:D .

 

This has been an expensive lesson for me and one that I guess I needed to learn to move to something better or simply different. I'm glad that is the last dollar that I have invested in what feels to be a losing proposition.

 

Thanks again to all that have supported me:) .

[puddles'n splashes]

In spite of all the problems created by HAL:( , I hope you have a friendly roll call:D and a wonderful cruise. Incidentally, where are you going??:)

[u4ea]

I can totally understand what you are saying and I would be delighted if I had only paid $100-150 a night. The fact is that I paid well over $200 a night for this cruise. Princess does charge 200% but on my next cruise it was $1000 less then the same itinerary on HAL. I'm sure things won't be perfect on Princess but they have not let me down in the way that HAL has. I'm sure I won't be missed but maybe the $50,000 or more that I've put into their pockets over the last 8 years will be.

 

Mmmm, I understand.

I won't even go (solo) unless I find a good deal because of the single supplement. Price is the most important thing to me when booking a cruise.(also known as being a cheapskate:eek:;):D)

Are you going to Machu Picchu?

Mark...

[jym613]

I have cruised with CCL and RCL and I have never had a problem. One time when we requested early dining we were assigned late. When we got on the ship we went to the dining room and it was changed with no problem and with a smile. We have also sailed on NCL with open seating and I do not like it either so I agree with keeping the traditional seating and let the ones that do not like it go to the Supper Clubs or the Lido deck.

[cruz chic]

In spite of all the problems created by HAL:( ' date=' I hope you have a friendly roll call:D and a wonderful cruise. Incidentally, where are you going??:)[/quote']

Everyone seems very nice on my roll call so I'm happy about that:) . I'm going to South America.

[cruz chic]

Mmmm, I understand.

I won't even go (solo) unless I find a good deal because of the single supplement. Price is the most important thing to me when booking a cruise.(also known as being a cheapskate:eek:;):D)

Are you going to Machu Picchu?

Mark...

I wanted to go to Machu Picchu badly but HAL was charging $3200. No thanks....especially now. I think my onboard account is going to be much lighter then previous cruises. I also tore the meniscus in my knee about 6 weeks ago and it going to take a long time to heal so it's really out of the question now. One of my colleagues went to Machu Picchu in August and had her pictures in yesterday. What an amazing place!

[ekerr19]

Could you kindly quote "my" post where I said you "took" my confirmed dining? I am upset about this and the way I have been treated by HAL. This is a long cruise and I am fortunate that I can afford both the time and money to do it my age. This is probably going to be a trip of a lifetime for me. I am very hurt that something I have spent so much money on is starting off with such a bad taste in my mouth. I'm sorry if you can't understand that.

 

It was the "bingo - this is so true" regarding one of the posters claim that the cabin category may have something to do with this; with which I respectfully disagree.

 

I sympathize with you as the same thing happened to us last year, however ours was only a 7-day cruise so there wasn't a huge negative impact for either of us. I merely wanted to point out that cabin category isn't the issue and HAL really needs to start to address the problem where most cruisers seem to WANT fixed dining times.

 

I'm really sorry to hear HAL is not honoring their dining confirmations and I hope you are able to get what you've been guaranteed.

[powderhorn]

After reading about all the confusion around AYW dining, I used an approach that worked great for me on a previous cruise. I called ship services and got the name and email address for the ship coordinator for the ship I am going to cruise on. I then downloaded a floorplan of the dining room and sent her an e-mail asking for early traditional dining with a specific table number. The e-mail thread was then sent directly to the dining room manager on board and he replied with a confirmation. The great thing is that I have printed off the e-mail and will be taking it with me in case there is any confusion when I arrive on board. Having a written confirmation from the dining room manager is about the best you can do. It doesn't guarantee anything but at least you have some tangible proof to state your case should the arrangements become fouled for some reason.

[altosax]

Oh boy - I am glad that we don't care when we eat, we selected open dining for more flexibility. Honestly I don't understand why the timing of a meal is an issue for people, but I do understand frustration if HAL isn't delivering what they said they would...

 

 

FYI, although I don't think "timing" is at issue here, breach of promise being the primary issue, "timing" (eating all meals at roughly the same time everyday) can be a very serious health concern for some people.

[Benita]

HAL has been shuttlling people out of their confirmed seatings for years, long before anytime dining was thought of. On our honeymoon cruise in 1991, we had confirmed late seating for an Alaska cruise, booked almost a year in advance. We were surprised to get on board and see our seating was changed to early. When we went to the maitre'd to switch, we were told that a large group (800 of the the 1200 passengers) had been given late seating and everybody else was switched. When I protested that this was not fair, he said it was a religous organization and they wanted to have prayer sessions during dinner. They sure did, and had them in the theater during the day as well. There sure were no waits for tables in the casino that cruise.

When I got home, I wrote a letter of complaint to HAL and received a form letter saying they hope my next cruise with them would be more to my liking. Never did cruise with HAL again until about 10 years later,after the cruise line ownership changed hands.

[marle7]

I wanted to go to Machu Picchu badly but HAL was charging $3200. No thanks....especially now. I think my onboard account is going to be much lighter then previous cruises. I also tore the meniscus in my knee about 6 weeks ago and it going to take a long time to heal so it's really out of the question now. One of my colleagues went to Machu Picchu in August and had her pictures in yesterday. What an amazing place!

 

You really have had a rough time. I hope this all works out the way it should for you!

[cruz chic]

You really have had a rough time. I hope this all works out the way it should for you!

I should add that with my knee issues my sewer backed up twice within a two month period. I hope that issue is resolved and doesn't happen while I'm gone. My family will be checking in often but what if it happens 5 minutes after they leave? I could go on, but why bother. This issue with HAL is just the straw that broke the camels back. While my life could be 100X worse then it is one thing on another is wearing me down. Thank you for the well wishes.

[marle7]

I should add that with my knee issues my sewer backed up twice within a two month period. I hope that issue is resolved and doesn't happen while I'm gone. My family will be checking in often but what if it happens 5 minutes after they leave? I could go on, but why bother. This issue with HAL is just the straw that broke the camels back. While my life could be 100X worse then it is one thing on another is wearing me down. Thank you for the well wishes.

 

Sometimes things happen that way. A friend of ours wrote off our ATV two weeks ago. Last week, our water heater broke and flooded our basement. Tonight, we arrived at our cottage to find a pipe had frozen, then burst. Fortunately, no inside damage.

 

I get it though. I went through two years of my brother, then my mom passing away. Sometimes you just think, enough is enough. I need to get away. And, for the money you're paying, you expect it to go right. And when it doesn't, it IS the straw that breaks the camel's back.

 

And yes. There are lots of people who have it worse, but when it's happening to you, one thing after another, it's hard to think about that.

 

You are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

[cruz chic]

Sometimes things happen that way. A friend of ours wrote off our ATV two weeks ago. Last week, our water heater broke and flooded our basement. Tonight, we arrived at our cottage to find a pipe had frozen, then burst. Fortunately, no inside damage.

 

I get it though. I went through two years of my brother, then my mom passing away. Sometimes you just think, enough is enough. I need to get away. And, for the money you're paying, you expect it to go right. And when it doesn't, it IS the straw that breaks the camel's back.

 

And yes. There are lots of people who have it worse, but when it's happening to you, one thing after another, it's hard to think about that.

 

You are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Thank you so much. There have been several posters on here that have really touched my heart. I'm going to miss this board....but I may still lurk:D . Good luck with your fun issues.....it's always somthing....

[u4ea]

Job 14:1

One version says “We're all adrift in the same boat: too few days, too many troubles.”

Or, as Albert Collins used to say, “If trouble was money, I’d sure be a millionaire, if worries were dollar bills, I’d buy the whole world, and have money to spare”;)

 

So, if HAL doesn’t work out, will it be strictly Princess for you? Any other lines?

Mark…

[cruz chic]

Job 14:1

One version says “We're all adrift in the same boat: too few days, too many troubles.”

Or, as Albert Collins used to say, “If trouble was money, I’d sure be a millionaire, if worries were dollar bills, I’d buy the whole world, and have money to spare”;)

 

So, if HAL doesn’t work out, will it be strictly Princess for you? Any other lines?

Mark…

Too true and too funny:D .

 

I think I will stick with Princess but who knows. I've been pretty impressed with them so far. I've tried Celebrity but for some reason I wasn't really fond of them. Maybe I will try them again. Not really interesting in trying RCL or going with Carnival. I'm kind of painting myself into a corner here:eek: . Not rich enough to try the upper crust lines....we shall see what comes my way.

[sail7seas]

Lorekauf....... Sorry for the problems you have encountered in recent days.

 

We all have 'stuff'. 'Ship' happens.

I had the sewer back up misery just before our Maasdam cruise, summer 2007. My way of handling it was for the fix it guys to come dig up our lawn while we were GONE, fix the pipe, do whatever they needed and have it cleaned up and fixed by the time we got home. Guess what? They did it and it's been fine since.

 

Then there was the really serious health issue that popped up last winter and caused us to cancel an April cruise as well as our plans to travel to Europe for Eurodam's dedication and Inaugural cruises.

 

Guess what? We cancelled and booked alternate vacations.

 

We all have to deal with life.

But, to go on your cruise so sure you will be unhappy and saying 'I don't want to go' is so counter-productive it makes me sad for you. Truthfully, HAL will go along just fine if they lose one or ten or one hundred pouty, unhappy, displeased guests. They lose some every month.....every service business does. No customer service, hospitality business will ever please all the people all the time.

 

So, I'm hoping you can perk yourself up and switch the mindset a bit to tilt things in your favor. I smiling face always gets a better reception than an angry, pouty one, don't 'cha think?

 

I wouldn't bother saying/writing any of this dribble if I wasn't genuinely sorry this has happened to you at a time you seem to have other issues going on. The chances are good when you board, you will have the dining assignment you want and if you don't, you'll find a way to manage.

 

The choice is misery and a horrid time when you should be looking for all the ways to have a great time. Let yourself be happy and enjoy it. Let yourself get excited you are so lucky to be going on this cruise.

 

There are so many people with such terrible problems right now, I think all of us need to evaluate a bit.

 

I hope you know I have the best of intentions. I really want to 'see you smile'.

 

[RuthC]

On our honeymoon cruise in 1991, ...

 

 

When I got home, I wrote a letter of complaint to HAL and received a form letter saying they hope my next cruise with them would be more to my liking. Never did cruise with HAL again until about 10 years later,after the cruise line ownership changed hands.

Carnival Corporation purchased HAL in January, 1989 and continues to own it to this day.

[cruz chic]

Lorekauf....... Sorry for the problems you have encountered in recent days.

 

We all have 'stuff'. 'Ship' happens.

I had the sewer back up misery just before our Maasdam cruise, summer 2007. My way of handling it was for the fix it guys to come dig up our lawn while we were GONE, fix the pipe, do whatever they needed and have it cleaned up and fixed by the time we got home. Guess what? They did it and it's been fine since.

 

Then there was the really serious health issue that popped up last winter and caused us to cancel an April cruise as well as our plans to travel to Europe for Eurodam's dedication and Inaugural cruises.

 

Guess what? We cancelled and booked alternate vacations.

 

We all have to deal with life.

But, to go on your cruise so sure you will be unhappy and saying 'I don't want to go' is so counter-productive it makes me sad for you. Truthfully, HAL will go along just fine if they lose one or ten or one hundred pouty, unhappy, displeased guests. They lose some every month.....every service business does. No customer service, hospitality business will ever please all the people all the time.

 

So, I'm hoping you can perk yourself up and switch the mindset a bit to tilt things in your favor. I smiling face always gets a better reception than an angry, pouty one, don't 'cha think?

 

I wouldn't bother saying/writing any of this dribble if I wasn't genuinely sorry this has happened to you at a time you seem to have other issues going on. The chances are good when you board, you will have the dining assignment you want and if you don't, you'll find a way to manage.

 

The choice is misery and a horrid time when you should be looking for all the ways to have a great time. Let yourself be happy and enjoy it. Let yourself get excited you are so lucky to be going on this cruise.

 

There are so many people with such terrible problems right now, I think all of us need to evaluate a bit.

 

I hope you know I have the best of intentions. I really want to 'see you smile'.

 

You know you remind me of my boss. We had some serious issues to deal with in the office and I was not happy. He decided that he was going to go up one side of me and down the other because he "assumed" incorrectly that I would not face this issue with a happy face. He was wrong but he almost made me walk out of the office over this. I know that you are trying to be helpful but really it's not. He knows me far better then you do and I am asking you to give me a bit of credit here. Nowhere did I say that no one has problems except for me. I also did say that things could be so much worse then they are. Please give me some credit here...but please also realize that others may not be as flush with cash and may not be able to walk away from our issues and have someone else deal with them. I understand this is coming from a place of concern for me but it's just hit a nerve with me. Please understand I do appreciate what you are trying to say.

[Benita]

Oops, RuthC, I thought the management had changed which is why I am giving it another try. Maybe this time, we will be bumped for a different reason.