A Question For Dutch By Association

[sealady1]

Good Morning,

After my 5/16 cruise on the Veendam, I emailed guest services about some problems that my husband and I had during the cruise. I have not received a reply to my email other than a standard reply informing me that they had received my email. I had stated in my email some serious issues that I feel need to be addressed by HAL. I will not go into them here but if you read my review, you will understand my concerns. Two of my friends, who were also on this cruise, wrote letters to HAL with their concerns. They have both received replies along with an offer of credit to be used toward a future cruise, if they so choose. I wrote my email before either one of them wrote their letters so why haven't I received any response? I am not looking for any credit because, although I plan to cruise again, I doubt that I will cruise with HAL. However, it would have been nice, not to mention good customer service if I would have received acknowledgement of my concerns. This just furthers my not so good impression of Holland America. Where's the "Signature of Excellence"??:confused::confused:

[swalm22]

Where we can read your review ?

Did you send your mail to the same person or department then your friends !

 

At least you should get an answer back.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I noticed that you mentioned that you e-mailed HAL and your friends wrote a letter. Obviously writing a letter seems to get better results.

Sealady1's review can be read at this link:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=67657

[sealady1]

Where we can read your review ?

Did you send your mail to the same person or department then your friends !

 

At least you should get an answer back.

Look in the member reviews section and click on Veendam where it asks for the ship. My review is titled "A Not So Good First Cruise Experience"

Thank you for your reply and, please let me know what you think of my review.

[sealady1]

I noticed that you mentioned that you e-mailed HAL and your friends wrote a letter. Obviously writing a letter seems to get better results.

 

Sealady1's review can be read at this link:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=67657

My next plan is to write a letter. It isn't even about getting any kind of credit from HAL. All I want is for them to acknowledge that there were some major issues with this cruise and that there are problems that need correcting, especially with the home city bus.

[wwaggone]

I just read your review and IMHO your concerns are minor. A great attitude will overcome these little inconveniences and it is unfortunate that you allowed them to ruin what appears to have been a great cruise for virtually everyone else.

[sealady1]

I just read your review and IMHO your concerns are minor. A great attitude will overcome these little inconveniences and it is unfortunate that you allowed them to ruin what appears to have been a great cruise for virtually everyone else.

A group of elderly people, on their feet waiting outside the terminal for what turned out to be hours, was not a little inconvenience. It was an ordeal for them. An expensive ordeal at that. That bus ride was not cheap!! The stress that my husband and I experienced while our luggage was missing was no little inconvenience either. Yes, it turned positive when our luggage was found but you weren't there to see how we were treated so dismissively by the port agents. If you read some of the other reviews, you would see that other people had issues too. And, no, I didn't let it ruin my cruise. I stated that I had a good cruise overall and I would like to cruise again in the future.

[Jade13]

An expensive ordeal at that. That bus ride was not cheap!! The stress that my husband and I experienced while our luggage was missing was no little inconvenience either. Yes, it turned positive when our luggage was found but you weren't there to see how we were treated so dismissively by the port agents.

 

Are the port agents hired by HAL here?

[sealady1]

Are the port agents hired by HAL here?

I don't know who employs the port agents but there were people with HAL name tags who were of little or no help to us in this situation. There was not one single person in that terminal who showed us the least concern for what we were going through. We were truly on our own.

[agabbymama]

Sealady1,

 

I'm sorry you had so many problems on your cruise, but it isn't just HAL that you will encounter these problems. I've sailed with Princess, Celebrity, NCL, RCCL, Carnival and HAL. The problems you encountered seem to me to be representative of today's society. There is no "Customer Service" anywhere anymore.

 

And it isn't even just the cruise industry. Airlines are terrible. I booked a flight that would get me from Los Angeles to Washington DC by a certain time to join a tour. Two months before the flight, the airlines changed the times of departure twice, so that we arrived in Washington 3 hours late. Had to wait until the next morning to meet our tour director and join the tour. I did call the hotel and inform them we would be late arrival. The airline did give me a certificate toward a future flight, but no apology. Just "That's the way it is". Another instance, is hotels. I booked and paid 6 months in advance for a room in San Juan with twin beds and late arrival. When we arrived at the hotel at 10:00 pm, we were given a room with a King sized bed. I called down and complained, to be told the hotel was full, because we arrived so late, there were no twin bed rooms available. That they would send up a cot. Which didn't arrive until I called down three more times, and well past midnight. We finally were given the twin bed room the next morning, when I went down to the desk to complain. So had to have all our stuff re-packed to be moved to the new room. No discount, no apology.

 

We are two older ladies that like to travel, and have learned to roll with the punches. But you have to be prepared for trip interruptions, things going awry, schedules not being met, strikes by train/air personnel, and even becoming ill. If you can't take things in stride and roll with the punches, then it might be best not travel. I don't think I've been on one trip in the last 25 years that everything has gone perfect!

 

Good luck on finding a future cruise/trip that is more to your liking.

[sealady1]

Thank you for your reply and for your honest opinion. My initial post was to ask DBA why it was taking so long to get a response from HAL. Honestly, I am not usually one to complain and I can easily roll with the punches but there were some major problems on this cruise, namely the long long wait for the bus to go home. This was especially hard for those poor elderly folks. HAL needs to be made aware of this one particular issue, if nothing else. I agree with you that customer service and genuine goodwill seems to be lacking in so many areas. IMHO, if HAL wants to remain a cut above the rest, then they need to step it up as far as customer service goes or else they will not be able to keep their standing as a premium cruiseline nor will they have repeat customers or be able to hang on to their loyal following.

[Taxguy77]

We had problems with hotels 55 years ago, nothing has changed. Don't forget car rentals (Don't get me started).:eek:

Disembarkation has been a mess on every line I've sailed, and coming back to the states by air isn't much better.

Just remember Murphy's Law and live through it.:cool:

[kazu]

Thank you for your reply and for your honest opinion. My initial post was to ask DBA why it was taking so long to get a response from HAL. Honestly, I am not usually one to complain and I can easily roll with the punches but there were some major problems on this cruise, namely the long long wait for the bus to go home. This was especially hard for those poor elderly folks. HAL needs to be made aware of this one particular issue, if nothing else. I agree with you that customer service and genuine goodwill seems to be lacking in so many areas. IMHO, if HAL wants to remain a cut above the rest, then they need to step it up as far as customer service goes or else they will not be able to keep their standing as a premium cruiseline nor will they have repeat customers or be able to hang on to their loyal following.

 

First of all I don't know if DBA can answer this. He is an employee of HAL and does his post to help people. He doesn't speak for HAL.

 

However, if you really wanted DBA's opinion, why didn't you just go to his thread and post your question? Asking him to troll all the HAL postings to me is asking a bit too much.

 

He is here to answer questions. Not to be the spokesperson for HAL.

 

if he can he will and if he can't, he doesn't, understandably.

 

probably I'm not helping, but hope I am explaining as I understand it.

[kazu]

ok, to try to understand, I read your review. I'll probably be flamed for this but I don't get it!!! You're complaining about an iron when probably 80% of the cruise lines and cruise ships don't provide laundry services or irons?????????????

 

Most cruises, there is no iron. You pay for pressing. Might solve your problems. A bit more expensive though.

 

Also, keep in mind that irons carry a fire risk for the ship so they are set at certain ways for safety reasons. (KK are you with me on this?)

 

I know it's your first cruise and you had things built up in your mind (we all do), but there are moments that you have to wait or hurry up and wait.

 

If you were waiting for your room until 2 then we weren't leaving until 5. So, really, you just could have waited if you didn't want to be 'herded'.

 

Life is simple and you make your choices.

 

I realize that this is your first cruise but you have to realize the massive organization to have everyone in place in time. It is a wonder in making.

 

I am not belittling your experience, but there has to be some reasonabality here. and I don't think it's unreasonable to wait. If you want a drink or service you can just go to the bar. Or wave your hand for service. Sorry.

 

Try another cruise line and you will be very dissapointed (unless you are going to luxury) and then you will see what service is.

 

Just my opinion.

[DutchByAssociation]

I was able to find sealady1's information and correspondence when speaking with our Guest Relations staff. I have sent her a private email with my response to the matter.

[tamsocal]

We have had our luggage temporarily misplaced post- cruise on Princess. Was not in the designated area to pick it up w/ our other pieces- filled out the claim form and went off to catch our flight- we spent the most time we could looking for it but was not worth missing a flight over. They called us 3 days later to tell us they had found it & shipped it fed ex to our home.

Also had a piece of luggage temporarily misplaced on Carnival-- It was my MIL luggage- medium size black wheelie luggage. It was suspected based on the events of that am & location where it turned up that another cruiser inadvertently took it then realized that it was not their black luggage & didn;t return to the right area, didn;t tell an agent-- just left it in a corner for us to enjoy our scavenger hunt. Never thought to place blame on the cruiselines-- it happens and didn;t seem worth the energy to allow it to stress us. although not a great way to end a cruise these bumps in the road do happen. Fortunately we were greeted by many caring with the cruiselines that helped us in our baggage search & rapidly assisted w/ claim forms so we wouldn't be delayed-- would agree that unpleasantness from the staff would make a not so optimal situation become a nuissance for me

[tamsocal]

PS -- now no more black luggage for us-- all luggage has fabric tied to the handle. Duck or thomas the train, or Lightning McQueen, etc giant luggage tags, etc on them so people notice quickly that it is not theirs! Just bought a new luggage set w/ crazy neon fabric-- not my favorite-- but not going for style after our luggage search-- just wanting it to be there when we go to retreive it

[cruz chic]

I'm sorry that you think your cruise had a lot of issues. It sounded like the typical stuff you encounter on any cruise or vacation for that matter. I think you will find the same issues on any cruise line.

[swalm22]

I read your review and I'm sorry to tell you I'm agree with kazu.

However you made a great review, thanks for that.

We luky never have any problems with cruises or any other travel but that's maybe because we avoid the risk of rush hours. Travel of any kind ask for a good preparation, think on what can get wrong in the first place, try to find a solution before it happens and be alway's calm, friendly and reasonable. I don't want to say things can never get wrong if you follow this advice but it can help to make things more smooth and less frustrated, because it can happen to all of us.

 

I feel very sorry for your bad experience, and hope this will not your last cruise. Just think back on the nice things which was good and enjoy your after cruise. Planning your next and you will find out not all is bad.

 

I hope my reply has some value for you and wish you a wonderful next cruise.

[TracieABD]

Princess lost my luggage in Copenhagen. I filed out a claim form and headed for the airport.

About a week later, I received a call from Princess saying that my luggage was found (actually, it never left the ship-- it decided it liked the Baltic so much, it would go around one more time...:p)!

 

Princess sent me the luggage to my doorstep.

Best part:

I did not have to pay the baggage fees to get it on the flight! I breezed through customs! and I did not have to lug it around various airports!

Lemons and lemonaide!!!:)