Bad experience - Do you complain on ship or write Seattle or both?

[JaniceB]

On our recent Zaandam cruise we received very poor service at embarkation. I know from reading this board that this is not the norm, but it happened. We had reserved 2 cabins, one for us and one for our DD's. The cabins were assigned to one adult and one daughter. When we got to the front of the line she asks how many cabins. We told her 2. She told us that one group would have to wait and not check in with the first group. We told her it was all going to be charged on one credit card that only had my DH's name on it. I did not have one. She got very upset and finally agreed to let us go to the same check in person. She was very rude.

 

We then went to the check-in counter and the clerk could not find our stateroom. She said there was no such number on the ship. She got out a map and found the room and was annoyed. She then went to the area where the keys were kept and said that we had been upgraded. We didn't want an upgrade as we had booked a verandah and an inside cabin across from it. She told us the cabin number and I told her that wasn't an upgrade, it was still a CAT A and it was located on a different side of the ship from the inside cabin. She goes to a supervisor who explains that the cabin we had booked was out of service, due to a water leak. We ask if we could have a cabin on the same side as the girls, but none was available. She then proceeded to check us into the inside cabin. We stood at the counter for more than 30 minutes. We were in line for more than 1 hour, just to check in. The supervisor at one time even came back and said "Are you still here?" People beside us were checking in and leaving very fast. We then found out we would have to go to the main office on the ship to get the key cards for the correct rooms. We entered the ship and ask to go to the deck where the main office was located. The HAL crewmember was very rude. He wanted us to go the Lido deck. My DH tried to push the button on the elevator and the crew member pushed his hand away to push the button for us. Needless to say we were already on short fuses. My DH was not very happy with this treatment.

 

Lucky for us, the line at the main office was not long and we received our new keys without much of a wait. We then went to the Lido deck to get a drink. We definitely need one by this time. When we gave them our room number they said that was not our room. We gave them the number for the out-of-service cabin and got our drinks. This was not fixed until the next day. It would have been nice for the front office to tell us this or to have fixed the cabin number since they knew we would not be staying in it before we boarded.

 

To be continued.

[ekerr19]

JaniceB -

 

Sorry to hear about your experience at embarkation. It seems to me that more and more there are problems in this area. We just returned from the Volendam yesterday and I will share we had the worst embarkation ever - though it was not HAL's fault - it was completely mis-handled by HAL's FLL shore staff. I had the opportunity to share some of what occured and what might be done to help in the future with the Hotel Manager (who was just wonderful!).

 

I always use the comment cards and would write letters to Seattle. I will not harrass an Officer (especially in a social setting) over something he has absolutely no control - as some of our fellow passengers felt the need to do. If asked, I will give my honest imput and opinion, however.

[Time2sail]

I would complain on the ship to the management and would write a letter or letters to the corporate office. I have had to do this only once on a vacation (not a cruise)--switched hotels on us in Cancun because of overbooking.

 

So sorry that your cruise started with stress for you and your family--HAL, are you reading about this person being treated rudely? It should not be difficult for them to find out who the staff was and deal with this accordingly.

 

I look forward to your review. Hope the rest of your cruise was excellent:)

[JaniceB]

Second part

 

The front office knew we wanted to be near our girls. We were upset during the lifeboat drill because they were on a different life boat. This is to be expected when your cabins are bow and stern. We could have split up and each of us stayed in the room with a daughter, but we hadn't planned on this. We would have gotten one cabin for all of us if we hadn't wanted our own room. So we all stayed in our cabins and hoped we wouldn't need a lifeboat.

 

I think it was Tuesday that we received a call before our 6:15 dinner that our old cabin was fixed. They ask us if we wanted to move. My DH said yes. We told them we would pack after dinner and they said someone would help us move and bring a rack for our hanging clothes. After dinner our phone rang and the office wanted to know if we were packed. We told them 15 more minutes. We waited 45 minutes and no one showed up. We called the office and about 10 minutes later our cabin steward shows up. He is not happy and tells my husband why can't we wait, he has 3 more rooms to ready for the night. We would have waited till later if we had known, but the front office was bugging us. We told him that we were told he would be there 45 minutes ago. Not our fault. He leaves and brings back a dolly for the luggage, nothing for the hanging clothes. My DH and he proceed to the new cabin and when the cabin steward sees them he asks what they are doing. The cabin is not ready. My DH asks him to open the door and the carpet is wet out into the hallway. Now my DH is mad. We have missed a show, rushed around to pack and our cabin steward says to him this is funny. Now he is even madder. I think this was an English language problem. I hope he really didn't mean funny, but maybe strange. They bring the luggage back and my DH calls the front office. In the meantime an elderly couple comes to our door and wants to know when we are moving, because they are moving into our room. We tell them we are no longer moving and they ask us to move to their room. They are in the aft of the ship and the movement is bothering her. I feel terrible, but I decline. The office apologizes and we stay in our cabin. The mood in our cabin was not very good. We are both angry and our whole night is ruined. We decide to forgo unpacking and go to bed.

The next day we are in St. Thomas. Before our shore excursion we ask to speak with the manager. She was busy and we told them we would be gone most of the day. When we return we met with her and she took full responsibility for the mishap. She ask us what she could do for us. My DH ask her what she could do. Finally, she agreed to a shipboard credit and got us 2 clamshells at Half Moon Cay.

We did receive another phone call asking us if we wanted to move on Thursday evening. We declined.

My question is what do you think is fair compensation for the whole episode? Do you think we should write to Seattle even though we did receive a shipboard credit? I guess I will write to Seattle if everyone thinks we should have been compensated at a higher level.

Thanks for all your thoughts.

[Time2sail]

It was good that you were compensated for your inconvenience with a shipboard credit and clam shells at HMC. If that made you feel better, then I would be done with it. I guess someone removing my finger from the elevator button looms large with me--but maybe that was just a difference in cultures that this was done:mad:

 

Mistakes were made by HAL and everyone makes mistakes. It is how one responds to those that leaves that lasting impression--so, since I wasn't in your shoes, I can't say what they did or could do that would make you feel better. Perhaps the letter to corporate might spare the next cruiser the same treatment?

 

Still, hoping that your cruise was all better than the beginning.

[cruisejess]

Janice,

Which cabin had the water leak? We are sailing with our boys in two weeks on the Zaandam and have a Cat. A and an inside across the hall for our guys. I would not be thrilled with being that far away from my kids. I would write to HAL, and let them know about the situation. I don't know if you will be further compensated, but it's worth a shot. Kudos to you guys for staying calm and making the best of the situation!

[jhannah]

What a bummer! My feeling is that you should write to Seattle...not for additional compensation but simply to report your abysmal customer service experience. As a manager I would certainly want to know if any of my people treated customers this way. Something needs to be changed, but it won't get addressed if corporate isn't told about it. It seems like you have a great recitation in your posts about what happened. I would simply paste them into a letter to HAL. Good luck!

[dakrewser]

Fortunately, this was just exasperating for you. In coming years you can turn this into a good scenario for a Marx Brothers movie with you, DH, the two cabin stewards and the elderly couple all wondering back and forth with clothes on racks and in suitcases!

 

 

Still, this isn't how you want to spend your cruise.

 

I feel it's always best to speak to someone in charge as soon as possible after the problem occurs. The hard parts are (as my mother used to put it) "keeping a civil tongue in your head" and being sure you're talking to the right person. The third officer might be sympathetic, but there's not much he can do about the saltiness of the food in the dining room. Yelling at the cabin steward might be cathartic, but he probably won't understand what you're saying and he really can't authorize a move - or compensation.

 

THis is complicated when the people causing (or appearing to cause) the problem aren't actually HAL employees (like the embarkation people).

 

Still, you appear to have handled it well. The next step is to write a letter outlining everything that happened, and naming employees who both hindered and helped the situation. Send this to the home office.

 

If you're happy with the compensation you received, then let that part go. If you think you deserve a free or reduced price cruise - without the "musical cabins" - mention that in the letter.

[JaniceB]

Cruisejess,

 

The cabin with the leak was 6131. The cabin was fixed by the end of the cruise. It should not be a problem. The engineering department fixed the leak by Tuesday, but no one sucked the water out of the carpet and put a fan on it to dry. It might be a good cabin to have since the pipe was fixed and I am sure it got a good cleaning.

 

 

 

I forgot to mention that we did enjoy the cruise despite all that happened. We were looking forward to having our DD's across the hall from us for convenience. As a matter of fact, I had to change the cabin number after booking because I checked the floor plan and found that the inside cabin door didn't open on the same side as our cabin. I guess I should have switched our cabin to the other side.

 

Dave,

Quote "Fortunately, this was just exasperating for you. In coming years you can turn this into a good scenario for a Marx Brothers movie with you, DH, the two cabin stewards and the elderly couple all wondering back and forth with clothes on racks and in suitcases!"

This is very funny!

 

 

 

 

I am planning to write a review very soon. I am leaving on Sunday for a work trip and have been very busy since I just returned home on Monday.

[bepsf]

Folks keep mentioning that the check-in personel arent HAL employees.

 

 

Who's employees are they if not HAL's?

[rkacruiser]

Brian,

 

It is my understanding that the people on the pier who do check-in and oversee the disembarkation at the pier are employees of the Port Agent. Since that firm is hired by HAL, certainly Seattle should be informed if the Port Agent's employees are not doing the proper job.

[ekerr19]

Folks keep mentioning that the check-in personel arent HAL employees.

 

 

Who's employees are they if not HAL's?

 

They are contracted out - like all other service employees on HAL. The spa, casino, shops, even the internet guy or gal are all employed through a third party.

 

In my mind, the embarkation folks should be direct HAL employees. Most know nothing about the ships or any other important issue or question you have while embarking. We encountered the worst yet on our recent Volendam cruise. I started to ask one woman a question about the embarkation lines and she just cut me off with, "I just collect the immigration forms, honey"... which doesn't exactly instill alot of confidence, imo.

[fllcruiser]

Did you agree with the hotel manager that the onboard credit and clam shells were fair compensation? If so I would aknowledge in your letter to Seattle that you were compensated, but just wanted them to be aware of the details of your unfortunate situation.

[JaniceB]

I guess my question is what is fair compensation? We have been trying to figure that out. Is it the value of a day on the cruise? We thought embarkation was terrible, but it was only a few hours out of the day, but our mood changed from excitement to disappointment. How do we get that back? The other incident stayed in our minds the rest of the trip. We finally got back in the cruise mood on Thursday, no one can change what happened and we tried not to dwell on it, but the fact is we had a 7 day vacation that was not what we expected. I just wanted to know how much compensation, if any other cruisers would expect. I have read posts from people that had to wait until they returned from their cruise to write Seattle and then to get a credit for the next cruise that they don't even want to take. I feel very fortunate that we received some compensation immediately. All the things that happened put a damper on our vacation, but we still enjoyed other aspects of our cruise.

[ekerr19]

Things happen on all cruises.

 

Our embarkation was a complete nightmare for most of the pax - we consider ourselves lucky to have been somewhat unscathed by it, and certainly didn't let it bother us - but I will tell you, there were hundreds of angry and very unhappy people. It was a situation out of HAL's control, but people wanted compensation for being inconvienced none the less.

 

I really hate to say this - but I don't know that any more compensation of any sort is called for in your case. HAL made an effort to accomodate you - but unfortunately the problem with the cabin occurred. I would be disappointed if I had to be further away from my kids, but in the end, why let it continue to bother you? The whole snafu with moving sounds more than irritating, but it's happened to me in hotels more than once.

 

You received some type of compensation and at least had someone to listen to your complaint - why not just focus on the postitive aspects of the cruise and chalk the rest up to "unfortunate, but not the norm..."

[BoardwalkBabe]

Janice,

 

I would send the letter anyway. You can make a notation as to what the compensation was that was offered, but make it clear that you are disappointed in how it was handled and the unprofessionalism that you encountered. You do not have to ask for anything more if you do not want to, but in my experience, you'll at least receive a professional response if you write the letter.

[localady]

Janice-

 

I am so sorry to hear about your "bad start" to your cruise.:( We had probably the fastest embarkation we have ever had, it seems such a shame you had that bad experience. I understand what you mean about putting a damper on things. Please don't give up on HAL or cruising, because what happened to you wasn't the norm, just really bad luck. This was definately one of our favorite ships.

 

If I were you, I would send a concise letter to HAL and see what they say. All of that frustration of packing/unpacking seems to stem from a lack of communication among staff and is probably worth noting. Truly it put a damper on your first cruise experience. I'd hate to see it be your first and last cruise (and hopefully HAL feels the same way)...........:cool:

[richnorto]

Janice, We had the same experience with embarktion - must have been the same line director! I just told her flat out that we were all going to the same desk at the same time as I had to sign the cc and was carrying all documents! Didn't wait for a reponse, just brushed past her! We got to the counter and were told the same thing - I told the counter lady the same and had no problem. The embarktion personnel we dealt with had poor or no personalities - except the nice man with the metal detector at the gate. I'm sorry your experience was worse! We just wanted to get on the boat and looked at it as typical airport type beaurocracy proceedure - something to get through to start a vacation!:( Being so far from the girls was probably a hassle when meeting up! We were 4 doors down from our children and I just stopped by or knocked when passing by! They always called our cabin - constantly!!!! I'm thinking now I'm glad I wasn't closer as I was in on every discussion/disagreement!;)

[ryansmemom]

Dear Janice,

 

Sorry you had such a difficult time on your first cruise. On my last cruise, I also had an embarkation nightmare. The shore personnel were rude and incompetent resulting in a juggernaut and people with physical handicaps being forced to climb flights of steps instead of being allowed to board the ship at ground level. My husband and I along with many others were subjected to unnesessary hassles with paperwork and other problems. We have found the shore people to be very difficult at times.

 

We enjoy our cruises on HAL. They are, of course, not perfect. Whenever we have a problem that we feel is serious enough that we cannot overlook, we always find that seeking out the person with the highest authority on board in the particular department is the best course of action. We have spoken with Guest Relation Managers, Hotel Managers, Head Waiters, Chief Officers and yes Captains when necessary. We have written letters to these people and asked for appointments. We have always been very civil. We have always received some satisfaction. We have not always been able to get everything we wanted. We have always gotten explainations.We have always been given some "extras" on board as compensation, ranging from a bottle of wine to dinner with the Captain. We have been treated with respect. When we meet with these people, they usually tell us to express our concerns to the head office in Seattle. They supply us with the name of the person and the address. They make it clear thar they are in business to satisfy their customers. We have never asked for any sort of financial compensation for our difficulties, but that is just the way we are. We have never felt the need to do so.

 

Based on the advice I was give, here is some advice for you. Think about what happened to you and explain it calmly to the people at HAL. Tell them what you think they should have done, given the situation. Solve the problem for them. Tell them exactly what would have made this work for you. Perhaps they needed to find 2 new cabins for you and your kids that were near each other, right away. I am serious. They inconvienced you, other people may have been accomodating to help you with your problem. Tell them everything they could possibly have done. They really do want happy customers. They most important thing is the tone that you use when you tell them these things. Respect leads to respect. Anger and rancor leads to defensiveness and blockades.

 

Then think about what you really need to make you feel better about this. This is very personal. There is no right or wrong answer. HAL cannot know what you want unless you tell them. They do compensate people with credits, etc. If that is what you feel you need, tell them so and how much. They cannot know what you don't tell them. Just be polite about it.

 

Just remember, no one can read your mind. They had no way of knowing that the arraingements they made would be unacceptable to you at the time. That does not excuse their rude behavior at all. However, make sure they know what you want now. Make sure they know what they did that was wrong. And make sure they know what they should have done the first time.

 

Good Luck

 

Linda

[shipcafe]

On our recent Zaandam cruise we received very poor service at embarkation. To be continued.

 

Embarkation / pier staff are not shipboard employees of Holland America Line. If an occurrence happens while on board, challenges should be reported to the Guest Relations Manager / Front Office. If something is being reported any time after the cruise, it should be sent to Customer Relations in Seattle.

[DisneyDestroyer]

We also had pretty bad service on the Oosterdam. We waited until we got off the ship so I could type up a letter. I sent one to Seattle and one to the ship's captain, and another to my travel agent who forwarded it on to his HAL contact.

 

However, it's been almost 2 months with no responses. If we don't get one by mid-April I'll post the letter for y'all to read.