Resolution to problem

[Jade13]

Yes; we tried "everything."

I was a bit embarrassed because this was my DIL's first cruise and the lack of service from the Shore Excursion center was a shock this time.

My DIL called for answers the night before about 5:45 as we were leaving for dinner and was told, "Oh, I thought (blank) had contacted you." (We'd heard that before, two times). My DIL said she was assuming her tour had been cancelled and was told, "Wel,l we still have 15 more minutes for someone to sign up."

Not one single time did they contact us; we always had to either call or go to their desk.

She again called them in the morning before heading up to LIDO and was told, "Your tour is full now, so it's a "go."

All they did was put her into a different tour.

 

 

I know there is an email for the Shore excursions department.

[Jade13]

Two years ago I emailed that a tour was terrible (terrible guide), said I wasn't asking for anything since it was a third party contract but told HAL this "tour" would work better as a do it on your own as that is what Celebrity did at the same port. HAL gave us the full amount in OBC for a future cruise. We will finally get to use it two years later.

[ookpik]

We were on the partcularly benighted Ryndam,out of Tampa 14 days to the S Caribbean.Getting ready for late seating dinner we lost ALL power and were becalmed for 8 hours in the channel. There was a "Left overs" buffet for us at the Lido. We subsequently skipped Puerto Rico (Compensated)

When we finally got going for some reason,the lower decks were flooded

I mean ..ankle deep in water! We lost power again and an engine about 12 hours later..just a myriad of disasters really.HAL compensated everyone generously;friends of ours(Deep in the water) had a total refund and new cruise and we (Really unaffected generally) received 60% off next cruise.

Had a great time really..friends had to stay in our suite til their room dried out and MOST people went with the flow,tho therer were quite a few wanted to be "Towed back" to Tampa!! Honestly! Isn't there an IQ test for passengers?:D

We have had no complaints really..when they know things are really wrong they try to fix. Just MO

[scottjeanne]

Most people complain about the service but I should make a comment on the wonderful service I recieved on HAL, when it was not even their responsibility.

 

We arranged our own air to Auckland from Chicago for a HAL cruise. We made it but our luggage did not. The ambassador waiting for all the HAL passengers arriving on their air flights took it upon himself to wait for our luggage and get it to the ship. Most of it made it, but one large bag did not. HAL gave us free laundry, free tux and shoes for the length of the cruise and a credit so my husband could buy some polo shirts and other necessities. (Needless to say it was his bag).

 

None of this was HAL's fault. We arrranged our own air. They could not have been more accomodating. It is the little things like this that do not get reported. Yes there are problems, but things happen. Most of the time, you make your own fun. Attitiude has a lot to do with how you perceive a trip.

[RevNeal]

HAL's shore-side services leave much to be desired; particularly when coming off a wonderful ship, staffed with wonderful crew, to be confronted with rude, inefficient, and incompetent shoreside staff can be a true shock ... kind of like being thrown into a pool of ice-water.

 

Mom and I disembarked the Zaandam in February after having enjoyed a wonderful cruise to Hawaii. We were sad to be going home, but also happy after a great ocean voyage and a wonderful few days cruising around paradise! We retrieved our luggage with the help of a porter and then proceeded to our bus for a transfer to the airport. If I had been on my own, I think I would have used a taxi from the pier in San Diego, however with mother I was concerned about luggage handling, so I decided to use the bus HAL provides for a nominal fee (roughly 80% more than a taxi). My mistake.

 

Our porter deposited us where the Redcoats told us we needed to be to load our luggage into the bus and board. We tipped the porter and then waited our turn.

 

We had just seen that our luggage had been loaded and were boarding the bus when we realized that there was no room left on the bus ... it was too full. Quite a few people, who had been behind us in line, had just dumped their bags with the bus driver and then boarded the bus and taken seats while we were doing what we were told to do and had waited until our luggage had been loaded. Hence, there were no seats for us and the Redcoat supervisor refused to make those who had failed to wait while the luggage was loaded get off. Instead, mother and I -- who had done as directed -- had to get off, supervise the removal of our luggage (while some of those on the bus had luggage still to be loaded!), then maneuver our bags to the next bus for loading. Here we waited in the line that had formed while we were waiting to board the first bus. By the time we were nearly to the point of loading we were informed that this bus was now full and we needed to go to the third bus. By this time I really am starting to get angry.

 

At the third bus -- to which we had been directed by the Redcoats -- we observed our luggage being loaded (as per-directions which other people were still ignoring) and boarded the bus. While waiting to depart we began chatting with some of our fellow passengers, only to discover that we were on the wrong bus. Yes, we had been directed to it for airport transfer, but this bus wasn't doing an airport transfer, it was doing a tour with arrival at the airport AFTER our scheduled flight departure.

 

So ... mom and I got up and got off the bus and supervised the unloading of our luggage. I "had words" with a Redcoat supervisor that were not fun, for it turned out that because we had taken the time to board this particular bus, the last of the direct early buses for the airport had already left. Yes, he agreed that he had told me to board the wrong bus, but there was nothing he could do about it. We would have to arrange our own transport to the airport.

 

So ... with me so angry I'm about to have a stroke ... mother and I gathered our luggage, piggy-backed them with straps to each other so that we could transport them some distance, and began to walk from the very back of the pier to the front, where the Taxi line was located. Here we waited a good 30 minutes until we got to the front and were able to load into a taxi for the transfer to the airport. We arrived in time, but exhausted and unhappy.

 

I wrote HAL a physical letter upon return home expressing my extreme displeasure at the failure of shoreside services and demanding a refund on the pier-to-airport transfer. The first response from HAL was a form letter stating that refunds were not possible for those who missed their transfers. I wrote a second letter detailing, again but more briefly, the circumstances which caused us to miss our bus. This time the response was not a form letter but in the form of a short note stating that they would "look into the matter."

 

Around April 10th I noticed a refund from HAL Seattle on my American Express Card for an amount equal to two airport transfers. And, a week ago, I received notification that my request for a reimbursement was being honored. I hadn't asked for anything else, but a written apology for the errors made by shoreside staff would have been nice.

[bulgargirl]

We had a very bad dinner and even worse service in Caneletto last week; our table and another table of four both came in right at 5:30 and they were enjoying their desserts and we still didn't have our entrees. The restaurant was almost empty and the waiters were just standing around talking. One looked up, saw us and his jaw dropped; he took off running and brought us our dinners..............cold, pasta sticking together, etc.

Also, they list "gelato" as a dessert; it's NOT gelato, it's sorbet..........a vast difference. MY GS ordered the vanilla gelato and it was vanilla ice-cream.

The next day I went to the Front Desk and she wrote down everything I said. (I'd asked for the Hotel Mgr. but she said I had to go through them.)

They were very appreciative that I'd come to them so they could solve the problem immediately. I received a nice telephone call and a bottle of Merlot! Then, we received chocolate strawberries as well.

They really DO want to know..............and the sooner the better.;)

 

 

That's awesome compensation for a bad dinner. I would be happy with that too! They listened! They gave me wine and chocolate strawberries! :)

[kyriecat]

RevNeal,

 

That's a horible way to end a cruise! Your poor mother! I can't believe that so many people were boarding the bus without verify their luggage was also onboard. Maybe I'm just cautious, but I wouldn't leave my luggage just sitting around and assume it will be loaded. It also seems like it would have been easier for HAL to ask someone whose luggage wasn't loaded yet to take the next bus than to unload yours. Very poor service from HAL especially since you missed your bus because you were following their directions. In 20/20 hindsight, you probably should have had your mom board the bus and save your seat while you made sure the luggage was loaded. Water under the bridge now.

 

I'm glad HAL finally refunded your money, but you're correct that a letter of apology was also in order. It seems companies of all types are reluctant to offer apologies. About the best you get is a "mistakes happen" comment. :rolleyes:

[chrismch]

I had a noise problem from the area above us on a 14 day cruise on another cruiseline that made it hard for my DH who is a light sleeper to sleep. We did the calls and asked to see a guest relations supervisor and then took a video of the problem noise which we showed to the staff. As we had the problem in picture and sound they couldn't ignore it. So then they made an offer of compensation for cruise credit which was minimal and we countered.Of course they said they would have to call corporate which we advised them to do. They finally had it resolved about 3 days before the end of the cruise to our satisfaction. However, to make sure it wouldn't go away we asked for it to be put in writing. They did and about a month after the cruise we got the compensation in writing from corporate for our next cruise. So my best advise is to have it handled on the ship asap and get it in writing.

[JORAY]

Greg+

a.k.a. "The Bombastic Reverend

 

We had the same type of problem in NY -- only was I stand in line at the second bus to put bags under the bus and the wife got on -- The next thing was the driver closed the bottom door and started to get in bus -- I was told there was no room for the last bag -- I pointed he had 3 of the 4 & my wife was on bus -- He got out of the bus and open another bottom door & put our last suitcase in it. I never did figure out what he was doing as the second bottom door he open was empty and the bus was only 3/4 full.

 

Ray