Seattle screws up again!

[martinimadam]

So, preparing for my cruise, I contacted HAL to see if they carried my brand of cigarettes on the Maasdam. Gave them my booking number, cruise, etc. Fairly quickly I got a very definitive "No and don't plan to" from them. Much to my chagrin, when I boarded and passed by the duty free shop, there were cartons of my brand, and for about $45 dollars less than I would pay at home! So Seattle screwed up again, cost me money, took up space and weight in my suitcase I could have used for other things, etc.

 

Not sure what the answer to this dilemma is. Any way to actually contact someone on the ship? Who would that be?

 

I've written back to HAL to let them know of my disappointment. No response, yet (about 3 weeks ago).

[Randyk47]

While I understand your frustration I'm not sure I'd hold Holland America responsible. They don't have direct control over the shops on their ships, those are contractors working those concessions, and they probably don't have visibility of what is available and what isn't. Why they even offered to say whether or not your particular brand is available is interesting though, it would have been easier to say "we don't know".

[roohound]

took up space and weight in my suitcase I could have used for other things, etc.

 

I assume you're a very heavy smoker and wound up packing several cartons of your own? While I'm not a smoker my mom is and I don't remember her packs being all that heavy.

 

Look on the bright side, you had room in your suitcase on the way back for other purchases :)

 

As far as being mad at HAL/Seattle, I'm sure it was not done maliciously - just think - they would prefer to have the revenue generated by you purchasing cigarettes. I'm sorry you're disappointed in them, but again, I don't think it was done maliciously.

[kryos]

In defense of HAL, I would have to say this probably wasn't their fault.

 

The shops onboard, I believe, are operated by Starboard ... or some name such as that ... a concessionaire. Maybe they never had your brand before, but Starboard just started stocking it?

 

What's the problem, though? I would have just bought a couple of cartons anyway and brought them home. You'll get around to smoking them at some point ... and as long as the packs are unopened, they will stay fresh.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[martinimadam]

All - thanks for the responses. Next time I'll check with HAL to see who has the concession, and then work directly with them, if I can.

 

roohound - Sorry - I didn't mean to imply maliciousness, just lack of customer service.

 

randyk47 - You're right. I would have much preferred a "we don't know it's a concession", to the answer I got.

 

kryos - Again, it would have been better for them to say they didn't know, than to be so specific. Can only bring back one carton through customs, which I did, but I still figure this little mistake cost me around $45.

[sail7seas]

You absolutely can bring back the cigarettes brought from home and not declare them. The sealed package has tax stamps on it and shows they were not purchased duty free.

 

I agree with the others re: concession.

 

While I understand your displeasure, if this is the biggest error HAL in Seattle makes all year, what a great year they will have!!! :D :)

 

[martinimadam]

Sail - THANKS! Just what I needed to get my feet firmly planted back on the ground!

[sail7seas]

;) :D Happy to help. :)

 

I may have sounded a bit more harsh than I intended. :o Sorry.

[Host Walt]

...I would have much preferred a "we don't know it's a concession", to the answer I got.

 

... Again, it would have been better for them to say they didn't know, than to be so specific....

That's my beef with too many CS types at HAL and many other places.

 

"I don't know" is much more useful than a wrong answer on which the customer relies.

 

This is a very serious problem at Celebrity as well, especially regarding their recent changes on dress codes and smoking policies, where the CS staff gives authoritative sounding but wrong answers all the time.

 

Unfortunately it's like journalism any more. Accept no statements from CS people without double backup source checks.

 

The first travel industry company that understands the customer's frustration with incorrect CS comments and addresses that frustration will win a lot of friends.

[Goldryder]

Simple fact...

 

Customer service personnel rarely, if ever, go onto the ships that they are flogging cabins for. They work off cue cards and scripts given to them by management.

 

Same with airlines, utilities...any call center for any product or service.

 

If it ain't in the script they won't know and tbh they generally say anything to avoid saying 'I do not know'.

 

When I deal with customer services in a call center, the first question I ask is 'have you been on...have you used....' cos if they say no, well sorry but I want to speak to someone who has the correct experience so they can tell me the correct information.

 

Until such times as companies insist on using call centers for their bookings etc actually have their staff use the product or travel on the product...well they know jack wotsit in my eyes.

 

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines are the ONLY line who actually make a point of rotating their call center staff onto the ships as future cruise consultants. That way they know what the dickens the guest is talking about and can say with certainty exactly what the ship has, has not, does and does not do/have etc etc etc.

[Boytjie]

That's my beef with too many CS types at HAL and many other places.

 

"I don't know" is much more useful than a wrong answer on which the customer relies.

 

I guess it is human nature... It is believed that New Yorkers - when asked for directions by tourists - would rather give out wrong information than admit they don't know their way around their own city. I freely admit when I don't know - no use sending the poor things on a wild goose chase. :)

[funlovin'cruiser]

When you call customer service in Seattle you are actually talking to a reservation agent who is there to assist you on particulars in your reservation, not to tell you if a ship had a brand of cigarette. You would have had to ask to speak with Guest Relations, however this department technically only deals with answering questions that are post cruise. (see where I going with this...we never really get answers). In the future, contact http://www.starboardcruise.com as this is the company that runs the shops on board (not HAL). Right from their home page you can click on customer service.

 

Also, the person that you spoke to in Seattle could have contacted the shops manager and gotten a wrong answer. The shop's supply rotates every cruise and sometimes they run out of things, give an answer, and then get more of it a couple of home ports later. Not to give too many excuses, but that same person could have also asked the bar department if they sold the cigarettes, since the bars also carry them, and they could have given the wrong information.

[world~citizen]

So, preparing for my cruise, I contacted HAL to see if they carried my brand of cigarettes on the Maasdam. Gave them my booking number, cruise, etc. Fairly quickly I got a very definitive "No and don't plan to" from them. Much to my chagrin, when I boarded and passed by the duty free shop, there were cartons of my brand, and for about $45 dollars less than I would pay at home! So Seattle screwed up again, cost me money, took up space and weight in my suitcase I could have used for other things, etc.

 

Not sure what the answer to this dilemma is. Any way to actually contact someone on the ship? Who would that be?

 

I've written back to HAL to let them know of my disappointment. No response, yet (about 3 weeks ago).

 

Its enough to make you quit smoking...:eek::)

 

Smooth sailing

[Pam in CA]

An interesting note: with our cruise evaluation packet on the Prinsendam last week, we received a questionnaire with three questions (as I remember them): [] do you smoke? [] would you cruise on this ship again if it were smoke-free? [] would you cruise on a Holland America ship if it were smoke-free?

[Two@Sea]

Have not cruised for a few years, but have one booked for next year. Has the smoking policy changed on Vista Class HAL ships recently? Thanks.

[sail7seas]

An interesting note: with our cruise evaluation packet on the Prinsendam last week, we received a questionnaire with three questions (as I remember them): [] do you smoke? [] would you cruise on this ship again if it were smoke-free? [] would you cruise on a Holland America ship if it were smoke-free?

 

 

We had that questionnaire in August on Maasdam. It has been on the ships for months now. Wonder how long they are going to keep asking the same three questions before they decide about new policy, if any?

[candbgirl]

My husband ran out of shaving cream. The stores on the ship were not open so we went to the main desk and asked if they had any shaving cream. They gave us a little pack of cream for which we were very grateful. I asked which store would have shaving cream and the person said very definitely that none of the stores carried shaving cream. We knew we would need some more so we got off the ship and walked to a little convenience store and purchased a can. That evening I was in the liquor store onboard and sitting there were about a dozen cans of shaving cream. I just laughed. I wasn't upset. People make mistakes. They aren't being mean or inefficient they are just being people. I'm not sure why the OP was upset. Someone in Seattle didn't know what kind of cigarettes they had on a ship hundeds of miles away. In my case, someone down 2 decks didn't know what they had in the stores. How was the cruise? Did you have a good time despite the "screw up in Seattle"? We did and that's all that matters.

[egh170]

So, preparing for my cruise, I contacted HAL to see if they carried my brand of cigarettes on the Maasdam. Gave them my booking number, cruise, etc. Fairly quickly I got a very definitive "No and don't plan to" from them. Much to my chagrin, when I boarded and passed by the duty free shop, there were cartons of my brand, and for about $45 dollars less than I would pay at home! So Seattle screwed up again, cost me money, took up space and weight in my suitcase I could have used for other things, etc.

 

Not sure what the answer to this dilemma is. Any way to actually contact someone on the ship? Who would that be?

 

I've written back to HAL to let them know of my disappointment. No response, yet (about 3 weeks ago).

 

A good solution to the problem is to quit smoking LOL.

[Susie51]

While I was on my last cruise in Oct., I had similar a similar experience at the pursers desk. Also, several other things occurred which were negatives, but when I look back on the cruise, I only think about the good times.

[roohound]

 

Not sure what the answer to this dilemma is. Any way to actually contact someone on the ship? Who would that be?

 

I've written back to HAL to let them know of my disappointment. No response, yet (about 3 weeks ago).

 

Just out of curiosity, what would you consider a proper response to be? An apology? An admission of wrong doing? An offer to give you $45 for each carton you purchased?

[pipedreams62]

I've got plenty to go around

[djhsolara]

Sorry for my ignorance on this topic, but you've piqued my curiosity. When you purchase alcohol in the duty free, isn't it held until the end of the sailing for you? I thought that alcohol purchased in duty free is not for consumption onboard. I would have thought that it was the same for cigarettes. Is it not?

 

Like I said, I'm only asking for my curiosity...

[waASPCrusier]

Sorry for my ignorance on this topic, but you've piqued my curiosity. When you purchase alcohol in the duty free, isn't it held until the end of the sailing for you? I thought that alcohol purchased in duty free is not for consumption onboard. I would have thought that it was the same for cigarettes. Is it not?

 

Like I said, I'm only asking for my curiosity...

 

 

Depends on the cruise line...for example HAL no, Princess yes :)

[Two@Sea]

A good solution to the problem is to quit smoking LOL.

 

 

Yes, good solution, but I've tried, and failed, and tried (you get the idea). I know the money I would save could go toward more cruises, but even THAT has been unsuccessful so far!

 

Am not asking for sympathy for my lack of will power, just stating how it is for me personally. Maybe, someday, soon, hopefully... ?

[martinimadam]

Quote from funlovin'cruiser: "When you call customer service in Seattle"

 

Actually I did all this via e-mail, with plenty of time for contact with the ship to occur.

 

Quote from funlovin'cruiser: In the future, contact www.starboardcruise.com as this is the company that runs the shops on board (not HAL). Right from their home page you can click on customer service.

 

Thanks, that's just the information I was looking for!

 

Quote from roohound, "Just out of curiosity, what would you consider a proper response to be? An apology? An admission of wrong doing? An offer to give you $45 for each carton you purchased?"

 

I would definitely appreciate an apology, at least. But, now that funlovin'cruiser has provided me with the right contact information (which HAL should/could have done in the first place) I should be set for the future.