Longwood50

HAL, Masks required everywhere except when eating or drinking. Masks required while getting food in the Lido.

There were "inconsistent" placement of signs that said Line Starts Here. Some days and some stations yes, and on others no. However if you started on lets say the wrong side of the food station, you had no idea you were on the wrong side. There was no sign that said, line starts on the far side. So often you saw two queuing lines. One from the correct direction and one from the wrong direction. That is when confusion reigned since both groups of passengers thought they were correctly waiting in line. At time, more than once guests were advised their 5 to 10 minute wait was for naught and they should enter the back of the correct line. You are correct, not the wait staffs fault. Just poorly thought out administration by the ships personnel who were charged with how best to organize the lines in the Lido.

I have no idea, the leg before ours starting on Feb 14 was reportedly worse. After talking to guest relations a couple of times they asked if I would like to talk to a senior officer. Instead, they got me with the head of guest relations who confessed that the changes to the tender operations had not gone as planned but they were better than the prior segment where guests waited 2.5 hours to get on a tender. I was standing next to a ships officer on the Lido deck as he approached the counter for food and as he gazed left and right to see if he was cutting in front of someone he asked a guest if he was in the right line. I said to him, and you are confused? Think about the passengers. A simple sign with an arrow saying line starts here and a second sign indicating that the line started from the other end would have ended all that confusion easily. I felt genuinely sorry for the Lido service workers since they took the complaints from people who were waiting in line, and and times told to start again because they inadvertantly approached the serving area from the wrong time. The majority of time, the servers tried as best they could but if someone stopped to obtain food, others believing it to be the end of the line cut in because they didn't know where the food queue was suppose to begin. It honestly was like they were operating their first cruise and hadn't worked out any common sense procedures.

I just completed a trip on the Westerdam that was 27 days and it started in Singapore, went to Indonesia, returned to Singapore before heading to the Phillipines, Taiwan, and Japan. The first two pictures are of the "tender" operations. Anyone who had an independent tour was required to first go to guest relations, provide proof you had a shore excursion, then be put on a list, go to the tender ticket location, pick up your Priority tender operation and then meet prior to the tender. Now mind you despite having the priority tender ticket, at the meeting location, the representative would call out your cabin number to see if you were there. Needless to say, some guests were omitted. Required immigration applications, changes in docking schedules, meeting face to face on board with immigration officials, etc were sprung on the passengers last minute. In one case 4 pm the day prior to arrival, with the offer from the ship that they would allow you a "free phone call" to your tour operator to make adjustments for the now much later arrival at the tender port. Some guests without tender priority tickets did not have their floors called until 12:30 PM. Some guests on the leg prior to our start on March 14, said the wait for a tender was upwards of 2.5 hours. This had nothing to do with changes by the countries. The immigration officials were already on board from the prior country yet the requirement to meet face to face with them, provide your physical documentation in addition to uploading it was sprung on passengers literally the afternoon prior to arrival in most ports. This is the queue for "priority" passengers to go ashore This was the line at the meeting station for Priority Tender passengers as they waited to hear if their cabin had made the printed list. That is despite having a Priorty Tender ticket already in hand. This one one of the food lines in the Lido. The picture does not do it complete justice. You can't see people are also trying to queue in line from the other direction. So the poor wait staff had no idea who was actually in line. In some cases guests who waited patiently in a line were turned away by the wait staff who told them the line started on the other side. Two simple signs, Line Starts Here with an arrow and a second sign with Line Starts on the other side would have elimiated the confusion, the frustration of guests and as said, the poor wait staff who had to try and manage the situation that they did not create. Is everyone experiencing this on their cruises? This is now my 5th post covid cruise on 3 different lines and in 37 prior cruises I have never experienced such mass disorganization, lack of organization, and lack of communication. If this is now the "new norm" I am going to pause future cruises. One of the passengers on the leg prior to my embarkation in Singapore desribed it as follows. I WAS NOT ON A CRUISE I WAS ON A QUEUE.

They must not have done much. I just got off the Westerdam in Tokyo. Leaving Singapore on Feb 14 we were scheduled for a 4:00 pm departure we left at 10:30 pm no big deal THEY BLAMED THAT THE SHIP WAS BEING REFUELED AND IT TOOK ALL DAY. Now this same ship, made up that 6.5 hours and arrived in the first port Jarkata on time. One day at sea. Next port Boracay we got in two hours early. By contrast we left our last port Surabaya on time but instead got into Singapore hours late. The captain said it was due to "required maintenance" on one of the engines. Funny the ship just got out of dry dock for maintenance, then was able to make up 6.5 hours but 13 days later needed maintenance and had to crawl to Singapore. Now I don't know about how fast a large engine on a ship can be repaired but we were in port for less than 24 hours on a Saturday departing at Sunday at 4:00 PM and the remainder of the trip we made it to each port as scheduled. In truth the ship was fine in terms of condition. The operation of the ship was not. Tenders were a nighmare and all because the procedures were not worked out well. Some guests waited 2.5 hours for a tender. Some days the last passengers were not able to get off until 12:30pm. Not much of a shore experience when you depart at 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm. Food service lines in the Lido were like a Black Friday experience at a Walmart. No coordination. Guests could not tell where lines began or ended so it was pretty much a free for all.

Be careful what you ask for. That is exactly the direction they are walking us all towards. What you fail to take into consideration is that you are a "captive" customer. They will be able to charge whatever they want for items on the menu. One only has to look at the prices at Disneyworld for a lousy Mickey Burger when you as a customer have no other choice on where you dine.

That is correct. I had a person who I met on a shore excursion. He did not like the entree's in the MDR so instead ordered each of the 5 appetizers on the menu. No Charge. I ordered a salad and soup in the Pinnacle. So in addition to the $46 including tip the meal cost me I got charged $8.26 more for the soup per person. Maybe they think they are being "smart" but I for one will now decline the Pinncle. On the other hand maybe I will bring in my soup or salad from the MDR into the Pinnacle and see if anyone gripes. LOL

Yes it is on the menu. How many of you go through the menu prior to going to the restaurant. One way or another extra appetizers such as cup of soup cost with the "grautuity" which was also paid for in the MDR $8.26. In the MDR Lobster upcharge was $15 for two 5 ounce lobsters. I guess I was mistaken when I thought my $39 plus 18% meant I had paid for a "special" dinner with selections enhanced from what I already paid for in the MDR with my cruise fare. Never again. If I want a "better" meal I will upcharge in the MDR. Also the Canneleto, and Tarmirind "specialty restaurants" in my opinion had menu selections that were inferior to the MDR menu. Additionally, putting table cloths on a section of the Lido Buffet and labeling "specialty dining" reminds me of the phrase putting lipstick on a pig to try and make it look beautiful.

Currently on the Westerdam. Like most cruise lines you are starting to see additional charges for items that once were included. However, this one shocked me. We dined in the Pinnacle. The cost is $39. 00 extra per person plus 18% gratuity. Now if you order a delmonico steak it is an extra $20 and a lobster an extra $15.00. I thought the reason for the upscale dining was to get the more expansive and better quality meal in the first place. I then noticed a bill of $16.52 on my statement, and when I inquired I was told it was because we ordered both a salad and soup which are two appetitizers. The notice of the extra $7 per appetizer plus 18% gratuity is buried in the small print, at the bottom of the menu that I found later. Now mind you for the same $15.00 I could upgrade my meal in the Main Dining Room and get lobster and I could order 5 appetizers if I wanted to at no additional charge. So exactly what do you get for your "upgrade" except for the upgraded bill.

I am on a Holland America cruise and have about $2900 in on board credits. More than what I will possibly use for dining or shore excursions. I have read where people said you could go to casino use the credits to gamble then cash in. My Navigator account says non refundable and can not be used in casino Has anyone been on a recent HAL cruise or is this just a scare to keep people from going into the casino with onboard credits. I am a cynic and have learned to ask and verify. Thank You

I am on a Holland America cruise and it says Boracay but I understand the tender port is Caticlan. I believe the Boracay port is very small. Do the cruise ships anchor in Caticlan and tender to Boracay or do they tender to the Caticlan Jetty Port?

The ship's transfer from the cruise port to the airport is full. I know that unlike other cruise terminals you don't have the parking area that typically has lots of taxi's from the cruise port. Can anyone suggest where after you depart the cruise in Sydney you go to catch a taxi or make arrangments for an UBER to pick you up. I would try the train but we will each have 1 large suitcase plus a carry one and I would thinnk that to be quite a hassle.

Is the bus just waiting at the cruise terminal. I saw nothing online to pre-book it.

I am wondering for those who have cruised in Sydney before the approximate cost of a taxi from the Airport to the Cruise Port. I see online those offering shuttles/taxis for upwards of $185 AUD and one as low as $85 Aud. The sheet I got from princess says taxi service to the port is about $40 AUD. Should I book ahead or just grab a taxi at the Airport?

As I stated, I had a problem about 3 years ago that Guest Relations refused to address. I got the office of the president at Holland America and very quickly they resolved the matter. So getting to the right people does make a difference. My current problem with Princess was also resolved. After going through several different customer relations personnel at Princess one was willing to help and resolved the issue. Having worked for major companies, I know that situations can be resolved so long as you don't attempt to deal with people who either don't know how to correct the problem, or only have limited authority to resolve the situation. Too often employees find it easier just to say no than be an advocate for you.