Wehwalt

2 hours ago, ghstudio said:

Per a meeting with the hotel director, HAL has decided that there will be no compensation for the Park West private use of the crows nest for 6 nights of our 11 night cruise….and he told me that the CEO is aware of the situation and agrees that no compensation of any kind is necessary.  I guess those of us involved (over 100 complaints, per a post on another forum) will see the reaction to our final comments on the cruise as well as letters sent directly to the HAL executives which may include future booked cruises cancelled as a result of this business decision that impacted our cruise. We always felt that HAL valued us as repeat and loyal customers….now we feel more like just a number on a spreadsheet.

Our regrets that you seem so focused on this one thing. It's a great cruise. Everyone we speak to is having a wonderful time, and the main regret seems to be that everyone has to get off in Athens because of the charter. We'd stay longer if we could. 25 days is not enough.

32 minutes ago, ski ww said:

Hopefully if all the people who are complaining about it here on CC also let HAL know how very unhappy they are about the closure of the Crows Nest, you think HAL will listen?? 

I would think HAL would go where the greater amount of revenue is, given the amount of debt they owe.

5 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

Let’s try to at least be accurate

 

the crows nest has been closed on the 19, 20, 21,23. And is scheduled to be closed on the 24 (today) and 26th.  It has been closed for the first three nights of the cruise and 5 of the first six nights of the cruise.  Those include the first night sail away time and the scenic departure in Naples passing mt Vesuvius …let me repeat THE CROWS NEST HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR FIVE OF THE FIRST SIX NIGHTS OF THIS CRUISE.  Just for the record, I was told by the manager of guest services last night that HAL will not be offering any compensation per his communications with HQ.  

I'm just going by the Navigator. If it's right, or wrong, I cannot say. We don't make a habit of going to the Crow's Nest at that hour, nor do we retain the daily programs. Enjoy the cruise. The itinerary is something, isn't it? And the weather.

It is not every night of the cruise. Looking through the Navigator App, on this 11 night cruise, embarking April 19, the Crows Nest is listed as closing at 4 pm on April 21, 23, 24 and 26, on the last of which it is scheduled to reopen at 8:30. Of course, the listed hours might change, but the Crow's Nest has already been open full time three of the first five nights of the cruise (it is night here now. Or almost).

Shore excursions, on the starboard side of the Crow's Nest, does remain open. I do not know how much of the area is open, but perhaps there is hope for the view lovers if not for the coffee aficionados.

12 minutes ago, mawvkysc said:

Is there somewhere else to get specialty coffee when the CN is closed off?

No. There is not. Of course the Neptune Lounge has its machine but that's for those living the suite life.

10 minutes ago, ski ww said:

Are there really that many people that buy paintings on board??

I cannot say. But when I went through the Deck 10 elevator lobby with the coffee at 3:50, there were five or six people waiting for the doors to the Crow's Nest to open.

DW sent me up to get coffee at a quarter to four. They closed the doors to the Crow's Nest behind me, and asked me to exit on the other side but that was blocked off by paintings so they let me out through the heavy doors.

8 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Not really. One still has to into account the context.

 

Other language in the contract might cover them that paragraph does not.

That could be, but if it's a question of arguing whether "any other reason" means that or something else, I know which side of the question I'd care to be arguing. No offense.

55 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Not quite. That paragraph pertained to health and safety. Someone being moved from a 3/4 cabin to a 2 is not unfit to cruise.

"or in the judgment of the Captain is advisable for any reason." It covers them. I suspect they wanted to make it more explicit, and whether or not this thread had anything to do with it is speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised. Why wouldn't they?

1 hour ago, Real NHDOC said:

The contract which they just revised to include this right.  When I booked my cabin they had NO SUCH CONDITION in the contract, as pointed out earlier in this thread.  So you're saying they can revise the agreement at any time and the guest is just stuck with whatever condition they choose to include in the contract?  Sorry, no.

 

In order to have a valid contract there has to be a "meeting of the minds" between the parties.  Would a typical consumer expect that the cabin they chose and paid for would only be "at the whim of the cruise line" to supply?  No, I don't think so.

This language from paragraph 4 has been there from before the change:

Carrier may without liability for refund, payment, compensation or credit, except as provided herein, disembark or refuse to embark You, confine You in a stateroom, quarantine You, restrain You, change Your accommodations or disembark You at any time if, in the sole opinion of Carrier, the Captain or any doctor, You or any minor or other person in Your care during the Cruise, Cruisetour, and/or Land Trip(s), are unfit for any reason for the Cruise, Cruisetour, and/or Land Trip(s), or Your presence might be detrimental to Your health, comfort or safety or that of any other person, or in the judgment of the Captain is advisable for any reason.

"For any reason" covers a lot. For whatever reason, they made it explicit.

4 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

There is contractual obligations and then there is the fact that consumers will leave them if they stick them in a bad room after they carefully selected a particular placement particularly in light of the fact that they charge extra to make that choice.  I think they are only left with selling everyone a guarantee then doing a bidding/upsell near sailing to profit from those who want better placement.  

That is the tightrope they have to walk. After all, Holland has immense power over its passengers. Covid proved that. They can change your cabin, yes, but doing so may offend you as a customer, especially since you may have paid extra to select that cabin.

1 hour ago, Real NHDOC said:

If the cruise line offers a 3/4 cabin to 2 they should honor that offer.  That's a contract.  Offer, acceptance, consideration. 

No, actually the cruise line is offering passage according to the conditions of its contract. That contract allows Holland to change your room. One of the terms and conditions of the contract is that the contract is the complete understanding between you and HAL. So you being told you'd have a certain cabin is not part of the contract.

According to Monday's program (for Civitavecchia), the Crow's Nest Bar is open until 10 pm. 

31 minutes ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

It only takes a moment to write a complaint on the Navigator app, and that feedback goes up the chain as well. Send one daily. Get everyone who wants to use the Crows Nest to send one as well. In addition, go to the art showing. Buy a specialty coffee. Enjoy it as you look anywhere but at the art.

DW went up to the Crow's Nest on the Oosterdam an hour or so ago (a little after three) to get us coffee to go. She relates that most of it is curtained off and you can't even walk fully around the bar and there are rows of chairs behind the curtains. I also heard that Parke West has a considerable group on board.

Possibly the Crow's Nest closure is part of the reason why the Captain opened the bow in Villefrance yesterday. I did not hear if he has done the same today in Livorno.

We have been informed from President's Club members that there are a number of people with 1400 days who have not been invited because some portion of those nights were as travel agent representatives, lecturers, or similar. However, those people are still well taken care of.

Despite the presence of the ten-euro round trip shuttle, the two of us took Uber from the cruise terminal to downtown for 8.97 going (thank you Carolina) and 7.94 returning (thank you Fahim).

Also we received some taxes and fees back on our ship account. Do you know anything about that?

5 hours ago, rcs931 said:

 

Another tip, we have a south facing balcony which is in full sun most of the day. Temp ok, mid 60s F and of course steady breeze,  but I fell asleep out there and got sunburned on the second day, so if you need shade think about north facing side.

We are on the ship and have a port balcony so it's been shaded almost all the time. Really, on a TA I would not consider a balcony on the sunny side.

There's also threads on the Celebrity board, and also RCCI, where it was met with the same suspicions you and I mentioned. Also Jamaica as a port of call. 

4 hours ago, Bostonjetset said:

I don’t want to make assumptions but this post is a bit suspect. That exact same thing (word for word other than name of cruise line) was posted to the Princess page and the Carnival page. 

Also Celebrity, RCCI (where it was met with a great deal of suspicion) and Jamaica port of call.

The OP posted almost identically to the Holland America and Carnival boards. The motivation to do such is uncertain, but may have to do with the 21st century connotations of the word "plantation", which are negative. I could be wrong. But I would take care.

A question to those who may know--what happens to service dogs in the event of an evacuation?

18 hours ago, Khlela said:

Their comment was pretty clear. If you were to continually follow someone around a ship it absolutely can be considered harassment and the person being followed could try to pursue legal action if they wanted. If someone was following me, not matter the reason, I would feel scared and threatened and likely immediately go to cruise staff explaining it as such. I am certain the cruise ship would not side with the individual who is making assumptions and wanting to follow someone around. 
 

No one is following anyone around. That was something invented by one poster and used to label anyone who disagreed with them, even changing their post after they have been replied to. You and another poster have somewhat gleefully leapt upon what no one ever proposed to do. Check the thread. It's something invented by people who have taken a most definite position in this thread. And that position is not mine.

I welcome well-informed discussion based on the law as it applies to cruise ships, as we were given by a greatly respected cruiser much earlier in this thread. Instead, we are given posts by some here which don't really seem intended to inform, but to disinform, not to forward the debate but to shut it down, posts in anger, not in sense. Too bad.

On Oosterdam at present they will not make the drinks in the travel mugs but prepare them in the paper cups and give them to us to pour into the mugs, which seems something of a waste. Unless you tell them very specifically, they will put tops on the paper cups too.

Regarding the power, while having no outlet and only one USB port by the bed is a bit inconvenient, especially given our recent memories of the Zuiderdam, the number of outlets on the vanity is more than sufficient because we utilize one of the European outlet for my laptop with an adapter, and the other 220V outlet is occupied by the power converter we brought for use in Europe.

We had an excellent view of the helicopters departure from our balcony.