MajMom96
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Posts posted by MajMom96
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An armed representative from the Mariners Society will soon appear at your door demanding confiscation of all award medallions you have previously and obviously fraudulently received. I hope you have not already melted them down for their precious metal value.
:eek:
[emoji23][emoji23]Oh no! Do you think they’ll also confiscate the tray I made with my Delft tiles??? [emoji33]
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I checked the website and my Mariner status and cruise history has also disappeared. I know that many of you think that it’s a waste of time to send feedback to HAL, but I believe if they get swamped with negative comments it will help to get these things fixed. I provided feedback from the website “feedback” tab as well as a direct email to mariner_society@hollandamerica.com. I’m sure this is just one more glitch in the website but I advised them that they should at least put a banner on the website to communicate that the issues are being addressed. Otherwise, they will lose customers. Very frustrating regardless! [emoji35]
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I just received an auto reply from the Mariner’s Society based on my e-mail. They say that I will be receiving a personal response from a representative once they research my comment/concern. Now we’ll see if I actually do get a response.
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I checked the website and my Mariner status and cruise history has also disappeared. I know that many of you think that it’s a waste of time to send feedback to HAL, but I believe if they get swamped with negative comments it will help to get these things fixed. I provided feedback from the website “feedback” tab as well as a direct email to mariner_society@hollandamerica.com. I’m sure this is just one more glitch in the website but I advised them that they should at least put a banner on the website to communicate that the issues are being addressed. Otherwise, they will lose customers. Very frustrating regardless! [emoji35]
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It is up to the crew whether they declare any direct tipping. I do not know if they do or not. Not sure what you mean by your first sentence as l cannot see any relationship between cruise line deductions and direct tipping. I agree wholeheartedly that service charges should be incorporated into initial cruise cost although, trust me, it is not reflected in additional remuneration to crew. If you have ever seen a standard maritime employment contract you would be shocked by how restrictive it is in favour of the cruise line as regards hours of work and auto deductions from pay for laundry etc.
And yet, even with those restrictions, it must still be a pretty good gig based on the economies of the crew members’ countries and the desire to score a job on a cruise ship. [emoji41]
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We are booked for the Amsterdam departing Seattle tomorrow. My husband fell last night, and experienced some other issues. So we’ve been in the ER for 8 hours now. Looks like we can go home soon, but the doctor wrote a note advising us not to go on the cruise. I bought insurance about a week ago through Insuremytrip. But I only insured it for half. I know, I know. I was willing to gamble a little on the trip cost. And that’s okay. It was the coverage I wanted should something happen on the cruise. I didn’t anticipate anything happening before we left. Where do I go from here? Is there a process? Call our TA? Insuremytrip? HAL? Thanks much!
First of all, I hope your husband is okay. Then as far as claiming insurance you’ll need a few things. The insurance you just purchased a week ago and your credit card travel insurance will need doctor statements signed. If you’re still in the ER, it would be great if you could access those forms before you leave and have the doctor sign them. Then the credit card will be the secondary insurance with the purchased insurance being primary. So first call the cruise line and see if they will do anything for you. Then the insurance company, and finally your credit card company. Everyone will have their own forms to file a claim and will want to know of any reimbursement you received since they will only pay the difference. Best case would be if the cruise line will just let you transfer your current cruise payments to a future cruise. Good luck with this. Just be patient. It will all work out.
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Yet again you didn't read what you replied to.
Predictable.
I rest my case. [emoji23][emoji23]Cheers! [emoji483]
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Given you hate the way the cruise line is changing, and given that you hate that I point out that it is changing because the cruise line is trying to attract cruisers who have different preferences from you, your assessment of how much sense it makes doesn't have credibility. By now one would think you would realize that your mostly purile responses just confirm the lengths you are willing to go to try to make the people that Holland America is attracting to the cruise line feel unwelcome in the forum.
This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.
I’m a newcomer to the forum and I don’t feel unwelcome, except by the comments directed at me by you.
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LOL! Do you ever think we’ll be able to stop the insanity? Some just love to pontificate. 🤣🤣[emoji483][emoji483]
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And I hope you know “4” that I was not referring to you. [emoji12]
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Actually, it was, but never mind, you clearly won't or can't give an explanation.
As for reiterating what you've already posted dozens of times, you do know what they call someone who insists on doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results?
LOL! Do you ever think we’ll be able to stop the insanity? Some just love to pontificate. 🤣🤣[emoji483][emoji483]
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I'm currently on board Koningsdam and just wanted to post that the title of this thread actually IS correct. They're no longer going to have a cast of singers and dancers specific to each ship. Instead, revues (with smaller casts) will move between ships as guest entertainers do. I got this from the CD on my sailing after being told by two of the current cast members that they were indeed getting rid of the singers and dancers.
I'm about to lose free Wi-Fi in port (Stevanger) so I won't be able to respond until Sunday. I don't think that this info had previously been posted; I recall people saying that HAL was just changing production companies. If this info was previously posted, my apologies.
So, obviously another cost saving move, like having guest performers do 2 different shows on the same cruise.
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Thanks for the info, but I’m not sure how much this will be noticed. The last few cruises I was on, the dancers only did a few shows anyway. [emoji483]
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The pools are usually open from 7 AM - 9 PM.
The hot tubs are open from 9 AM - 10 PM.
There is a steam room that is free. Thermo pool and sauna rooms -- you pay.
Dining room is closed on port days.
There is 24 hour room service.
Can't answer about cabins being refurbished.
You may be interested in trying the Tamarind restaurant -- excellent Pan Asian food. Cost is $25.
Totally agree on trying the Tamarind! It is an excellent restaurant! We always make reservations around the time of sunset. It has beautiful views. And the food and service are exceptional!
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Hi All,
I'm perilously close to booking my first HAL cruise (Nieuw Amsterdam/Solo cruiser/7 night caribbean). Since I've never sailed with HAL before I was hoping you could help me out with a couple of specific questions, which as always I'm sure will be more accurately answered by CC cruisers than any call centre!
Most of my questions are specific to Nieuw Amsterdam...
- Does NA have any sauna/steam facilities included in the fare?
- Are there set opening times for the pools & hot tubs, and if so can anyone indicate roughly what these are? I love to take a swim in the late evenings when the decks are quieter :)
- Were all cabin categories refurbished during the 2017 drydock, or just the suites?
- Is 24hr room service included for all cabins?
- Is the main dining room open for lunch on port days?
I'm hoping to use this trip to completely relax (straight after a week on board Allure of the Seas; I really like RCI but always feel I need a break afterwards ;p) and so will be spending most of my time on board either strolling around the promenade, or with my feet up and a good book:). It seems like this yearning for a more peaceful experience in more restrained surroundings will be best served by HAL, but any comments from you guys would be much appreciated!
I can’t answer all your questions but I can provide some info. Yes, there is 24 hour room service for all cabin categories, but I don’t think the mdr serves lunch on port days, however the Lido buffet is very good and offers a wide selection of different cuisines. And on port days, it’s usually not crowded and a table is easier to find. The Nieuw Amsterdam is one of my favorite ships and I think you’ll find that it will meet your expectations. Enjoy! [emoji483]
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That explains your confusion. Thanks for letting us know.
This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.
[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]not confused, just better things to do with my time than read your drivel. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
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You clearly didn't read what I wrote, again. I think I get it: You don't like when people are specific and express things with care and nuance. As such, you are not going to understand what I posted. I suggest you just skip every post longer than what you wish to read fully and read specifically to understand the nuanced detail expressed. Thanks.
This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.
No worries! I usually do skip most of what you post because what you call “specific ... with care and nuance”, definitely fits the definition of pontification. And to help you out, here’s the definition of pontification: the act of speaking out for the sole purpose of hearing oneself speak. Speech or written communication that is generally pointless except to cast favorable light on the speaker or author as if the message were a pronouncement from “on high”.
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"Seek profit."
That's really what what I posted boils down to. And it really applies to your whole business, not just your web presence.
Did you read what I wrote? I essentially pointed out that fact... making clear that it makes no sense to have an opinion about something for which we have facts.
This is all that matters: Ask yourself how the world has changed over the ten years. Do those changes follow the patterned described by the way you see things? Or do those changes follow the patterns described by how I've outlined things? It's as simple as that. Earlier someone highlighted how some of what I was saying paralleled what Orlando Ashford was saying about the future of the cruise line. It's certainly your prerogative to expect that some miracle will occur and suddenly reality will change so as to comply with your wishes. However, most likely, even though what I outlined is not my personal preference (something which I rarely talk about when we are talking about the cruise line's business), what I outlined is going to govern the way you're marketed to; what I outlined is going to govern what you encounter on your future vacations; and what I outlined above appealing to those with the latest devices, what you're going to encounter on your future visits to websites. You can go with your preferences, and be surprised and probably disappointed, and perhaps even upset. Or you can go with what I described, and be prepared, be ready to adapt, and expect what will be promised and therefore receive what you expect. Your choice.
Yes, I did read what you wrote, even though you use entirely too many words to make your point so your messaging frequently gets lost in your pontification. And you did say “erroneous opinion”. That makes no sense at all. Check your dictionary before you start spewing nonsense. And choose your words sparing.
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I respect your right to adopt an erroneous opinion......
You do realize that there is no such thing as an “erroneous opinion”. That’s somewhat of an oxymoron. By virtue of the fact that people are clearly stating their “opinion”, they do not need to justify themselves to you or explain how or why they arrived at the opinion they are stating. An opinion is simply “a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge”, much like all the posts you make.
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Isn't HAL the name of that computer in 2001 A Space Odyssey ?? He was a MESS also!
🤣🤣🤣
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When I found out that the trays had gone I bought myself a lightweight Lucite tray that also serves nicely as a suitcase divider. It came in especially handy to transport coffee and juice back to our cabin. It did elicit several positive comments from fellow passengers as well as Lido staff.
Another option if you don’t want to pack a tray, is to take the tray from under your ice bucket in the cabin. I use that to carry coffee and danish back to our cabin on the mornings I don’t want to wait for room service. And it works great to carry things to the cabin from the Neptune Lounge on those cruises where I swing for a Neptune Suite.
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:confused::confused: Sailing Noordam, Alaska August 5th. Looking for excursion recommendations for Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan. Nothing extreme but don’t want to just sit on a bus looking at scenery.
In Juneau, we loved the floatplane tour over Glacier National Park. It’s amazing to see it from the air. Then we landed by a remote lodge for a delicious salmon bake and a hike to a beautiful waterfall.
In Ketchikan, we enjoyed the all you can eat crab boil and boat tour to the crab pots. And we had time to tour Creek Street and pick up a little colorful history.
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On our recent Westerdam Hawaii cruise the limit was eight members to a team. We were a group of six travelling together but most teams were eight.
There was one team of eight next to us one day and we noted that a lady sitting alone over by the window was texting answers to the team. We only suspected at first but when she got up and went over to speak to them we called her out on it. She denied it but we noticed she stopped doing it after we complained.
Wow! Some people really take their trivia seriously! But I guess I can understand when there are such high value prizes at stake! LOL! 🤣🤣🤣
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Sorry to the “old timers” on this site, but some of these topics are new to those of us who have just joined the community. So feel free to pass them by if you’ve already exhausted your tolerance for providing input. 🍸🍸
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I concur....six is the magic number for the upper limit. On the Koningsdam and Nieuw Amsterdam they held trivia in the Billboard on Board lounge.
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I don't usually get sucked into these discussions, but really want to make a point: notwithstanding what BUU is posting, corporate management makes mistakes. That companies are still profitable, and still increase profit, does not mean that mistakes do not happen with, occasionally, reversals in approach or direction. Corporate management is also not infallible and all knowing through sophisticated methodology, etc. Rather, despite such sophistication, mistakes still do happen.
The B Schools are littered with case studies of mistakes made--for whatever reasons including executives not willing to speak up, "group-think", etc. Classic ones include "new coke"--remember that? Yet despite that being a mistake (with, arguably a good save when "classic" was brought back), coke was then and still is now a profitable company. Profits, again, however, does not mean a company is immune from doing something wrong.
Another example that many Canadians and some Americans will know is Target, and how it expanded into Canada...then, within 24 months of that, having squandered all the goodwill, the American parent bankrupted the Canadian entity and left Canada with its tail between its legs. Yet, so far as I know, Target remains as successful as any retailer can be in the age of Amazon--despite that whopper of a mistake.
What about HAL? Immune from mistakes? Well, how about the move some years back to remove the aft pools from the Veendam and Rotterdam? The plan was to put in wading pools in those classes of ships and add cabin space (thus, increasing revenue). When that plan attracted much negative feedback, and operational angst (like leaks, etc.) it was shelved. So, in other words, HAL reversed course and backed off its plan. Yet CCL has, as BUU has pointed out, still increased profits.
Again, however, we are not talking of profits. We are talking of a company that heeds feedback, especially consistent feedback, from multiple channels, and makes the necessary changes in response when in the "real operational world" what seemed like a sure-fire winner turns out to be a dud of an idea.
Regarding the website, notwithstanding those who defend it (for reasons unclear--perhaps as Ruth C stated, just to be contrary), it is likely a work in progress. The more people who have feedback to share about it, such feedback will benefit HAL and will benefit the rest of us. Consider delivery of feedback to be thus "enlightened self-interest".
Finally, notwithstanding statements about marketing departments and plans, how all these executives know better, etc., we all know that plans can go awry. Again, see the B School case studies of business examples of failures despite all the brilliant marketing and others in corporate planning--an older example that comes to mind is the Edsel. Do we not think that Ford did not market-test that vehicle and the concept thoroughly before blowing in those days ( late1950's for younger readers) millions on it--all which was flushed down the sewer.
Most businesses value customer feedback. The only exception that comes to mind is the airline bizz--anecdotal to be sure on my part. Yet leaving that industry aside, most businesses, big and small, appreciate customer feedback, especially if its reasoned and relevant. So, again, if you have feedback on the website, please do send it to HAL via the various direct channels to them.
In that regard, ignore those who say it does not matter, and that "they" know better. I believe that it does matter and that such feedback will be heard.
Safe and happy travels, all!
(this message was typed directly without use of voice recognition, but hopefully with some thought attached)
Very insightful! I really appreciated your very logical analysis and totally agree. Having worked for a company that continuously asked for customer feedback, I know that companies appreciate the feedback and do make changes based on what they receive. The only comment I would add is that the feedback needs to be specific and constructive versus whiny and vague. Simply saying “I don’t like it” is not sufficient or actionable, so if that’s all that is offered, we can’t expect any changes to be made. Otherwise, great insight!
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Dining Reservations
in Holland America Line
Posted
Depending on the length of your cruise, you could find it difficult to get the time/day you desire if you wait until you are on board. We usually make our reservations in advance (attempting to work around Gala nights in the MDR and our itinerary), then once we’re on board, we verify if it’s still the night we want and make changes if necessary. And we also love the Tamarind (even more than Pinnacle Grill), so if you’ve never eaten at the Tamarind, I highly recommend It!
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