The "Worsterdam"

[luv2travel06]

We had late dining table 46. People were leaving having eaten their meal (even dessert) before we got out entree. Our table mates were seasoned cruisers & commented on the poor service as well. They said the night we skipped wasn't any different. They missed the shows because we were still eating at 10PM.

That was pretty much our experience on the Zuiderdam until the supervisor got involved.

 

Although we did get superior service the night none of our tablemates were at dinner and it was just the two of us!

[cruz chic]

I was on the Westerdam in April. While I didn't have too many service issues in the DR I thought the service elsewhere was not good. When I mention it the cheerleeders rush in. Sometimes it just doesn't pay the say anything negative because someone will be waiting to jump on you. Frankly, I like to hear the good and bad.

[andeesue]

I appreciate your posting of the issues that affected your cruise enjoyment. Whoa, you waited a long time for dinner! That gets old really fast. The poor servers sound way overworked.

[DizzyDallasDi]

We always enjoy playing Quest and that was also missing on this cruise.

 

I've never seen Quest on a HAL ship. I thought that was a Royal Caribbean thing?

[Beebob1]

We were on the same cruise and seemed to fair the same. The Neptune lounge was (I really don't have a good word) for how crappy and such sorry service. It continued each day and worse by the end. DH spoke to the front desk and they informed him NL was "their" boss. So I intend to contact headquarters since he was put in a unpleasant postition. Amy and her crew in NL fall short of ALL others before.

[cyntil8ing]

We were also on this cruise and had some issues in the dining room too. I don't think we got out of there before 10:00 any night. Some of it was our lingering over coffee, but we did have long waits.

 

One night, I asked for a main course pasta dish to be served as an appetizer. I was told this wasn't possible as the kitchen made the appetizers and then switched over to make the entrees. I thought it rather odd an explanation, but it could explain delays.

 

We had breakfast in the dining room most days. There too, it was a long wait between ordering and receiving food, noticeably longer than I've ever experienced on other lines. If we wanted a non-leisurely breakfast, we went to Lido.

 

I also noticed that everything is still paper-based. I'm used to seeing servers entering our orders rather than writing them down on a pad and taking the pad to the kitchen.

 

We were very lucky in that we got along well with our table mates. We were at a table for six, but only one other couple ever showed up. They were great fun and we looked forward to meeting them for dinner every night. I would have been more annoyed at the slow service if we weren't having such a great time.

 

We also had delays with our room being made up. Two days that we know of, it was well after noon. I'm unsure what time our room was done when we were off the ship.

 

I enjoyed our cruise and picked it for the ports, but I was fairly unimpressed with my first HAL experience. I don't know that we'll try again.

 

We also took the Woodwind tour (in the afternoon). I highly recommend it too.

[ariawoman]

First of all, I'm sorry you were disappointed in some aspects of your cruise. It sucks when it doesn't live up to our expectations.

 

That being said (and I'm not a HAL cheerleader as I'm not line loyal lol) each cruise line will have it's downfalls. You mentioned one that you could have easily rectified on your own if you weren't receiving service (and no we shouldn't have to since we are paying good money but unfortunately sh*t happens). Next time you have silverware issues, grab an extra set from the Lido and then put it in the drawer of your cabin. When something arrives without the right utensils, you'll be set :-)

 

No, they shouldn't get away with not providing it and you should definitely mention the issue so it can be resolved, but in the meantime, your muffin or coffee won't be getting cold :-)

 

Just a thought.

 

I guess I'm a make lemonade out of lemons type, esp when my vacation is in the balance.

 

I had horrible service in the MDR on Celebrity this past october in the beginning of the cruise, so much that i really didn't think i'd return, but by the end, I had found a section where the waitstaff was awesome and fun, and we managed to sit there 4 nights in a row. Even with open/select/whatever it's called, you can try to get the same waiter :) Might help.

 

If you were assigned then that stinks. I might have overlooked that aspect.

 

Either way, hopefully your next cruise will be awesome, on whatever line you choose :-)

[Need to Know]

I was waffling about taking acruise on the Westerdam and you convinced me.

 

I would have asked for a large discount on my next cruise if I was required to ask for a buter knife when ordering room service. I can not believe the ship is still allowed to sail. The ship should be drydocked and the crew sent back to school for atleast six months to learn how to properly attend to the passengers.

 

You are a very patient and good hearted person to have only made your opinion known in a comment card. I still do not know how you endured such a trip.

 

I suppose it could have been worse, they may have forgotten the saucer with the coffee but this is bad enough.

[deer30084]

I appreciate your posting of the issues that affected your cruise enjoyment. Whoa, you waited a long time for dinner! That gets old really fast. The poor servers sound way overworked.

Yeah, and I bet you, just like me, don't return to a restaurant known for poor service.

[VermeulT]

Last but not least, twice we were given Tang at breakfast instead of 'fresh orange juice' as the sign said. I told the Lido manager and he said he'd look into it as fresh orange juice should have always been served.

Might you have gotten the Mango something juice? It was much more an orange-red than regular orange juice... and was somewhat Tang-like.

[deer30084]

I was waffling about taking acruise on the Westerdam and you convinced me.

 

I would have asked for a large discount on my next cruise if I was required to ask for a buter knife when ordering room service. I can not believe the ship is still allowed to sail. The ship should be drydocked and the crew sent back to school for atleast six months to learn how to properly attend to the passengers.

 

You are a very patient and good hearted person to have only made your opinion known in a comment card. I still do not know how you endured such a trip.

 

I suppose it could have been worse, they may have forgotten the saucer with the coffee but this is bad enough.

 

Yep, it coulda been worse. I was patient the first time I didn't get silverware from room service. The second time deserved to be vocalized dontchya think? And yes, I let'em have it on the comment card. That's what it's for. Was I to say rah rah HAL!!? or was I to tell the truth?

[VermeulT]

We were on the same cruise and seemed to fair the same. The Neptune lounge was (I really don't have a good word) for how crappy and such sorry service. It continued each day and worse by the end. DH spoke to the front desk and they informed him NL was "their" boss. So I intend to contact headquarters since he was put in a unpleasant postition. Amy and her crew in NL fall short of ALL others before.

 

I know they're not always the same people - but I had Kay & Faye in the NL on the Westerdam 11/13 & 11/20 and they were nothing but wonderful. They were both changed out? interesting....

[deer30084]

We were on Westerdam for 15 days ending in mid November and really have no complaints on service in the MDR or room service. We had the open sitting which worked wonderfully for us. Perhaps the OP will be more specific and let us know what sitting they had for dinner or whether they had open sitting. We didn't notice unusual workloads for the waiters in our area of the dining room.

Table 46, 8 p.m. seating. Assigned seating. Ya know, come to think of it, if I just waited and showed up at 9:30 p.m. maybe all would have been well!

[bebob]

I'm sorry-I don't know how to get a quote here but 2 comments were directed towards my prior post. On my prior 4 HAL cruises, Quest has always been played but I think it is called Sea Quest. It is exactly the same as Quest on Royal Caribbean and a highlight for my husband, daughter and I. We were so surprised that it was not on the schedule this past week. The Tang was Tang-there was no mango juice mentioned. The Tang first came with the room service breakfast when I checked off 'Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice' and it was in the Lido buffet. The Lido Manager said they had subsituted it for a little bit that morning because the juice squeezer machine had broken but it was up and running and all fake juice was to have been taken off the buffet immediately.

[san diego sue]

If you are late, they lock you out. If they are crappy bringing your dinner in a timely fashion, you just sit there and wait.

 

That's why we do anytime dining. If we get a bad server, next night someone else.

By the way, after every cruise the fixed dining waiters then go to anytime dining room, and switch with those waiters.Don't know if this is still done on HAL, since I haven't cruised HAL in the past two years.

Princess does it with their waiters.

[sakana]

Wow, I can't believe how mean some people are in this thread. For what it's worth, I appreciate candid reviews. I'm on the Westerdam in 2 weeks, and forewarned is forearmed, as they say!

[Copper10-8]

I've never seen Quest on a HAL ship. I thought that was a Royal Caribbean thing?

 

Sea Quest was played on HAL ships right before the CD would do his/her disembarkation talk on the last sea day. It's the game where they ask for black teeth (a comb), an olive, a ladies bra and a bunch of guys would get on stage in their underwear to retrieve their pants for extra points. The Atlantic vs The Pacific,, Haven't seen it being played for a while (years) though;)

[cruisinjudy]

I have played Sea Quest on HAL but you are right it was quite a while ago, back when they had The Great Pretenders!

[deer30084]

Wow, I can't believe how mean some people are in this thread. For what it's worth, I appreciate candid reviews. I'm on the Westerdam in 2 weeks, and forewarned is forearmed, as they say!

Sometimes the truth hurts.

[Copper10-8]

I have played Sea Quest on HAL but you are right it was quite a while ago, back when they had The Great Pretenders!

 

Who are the Great Pretenders..............or are you talking about a bunch of plates or platters in the Main Dining Room;)

[Beebob1]

I know they're not always the same people - but I had Kay & Faye in the NL on the Westerdam 11/13 & 11/20 and they were nothing but wonderful. They were both changed out? interesting....

 

When we entered the staff didn't even look our way much less greet. This was the same when leaving. If we called the NL "how may I help you" I asked to make sure I was calling the NL. When we asked for a tray to be removed maybe an hour later someone would come. Twice we gave up and called the front desk. Staff of the NL allowed it to show they were bothered by guest.

[cruisinjudy]

I think the Great pretenders was the first name given to the lip sync show. Then it was named Rockin' Rolldies?

Or was that totally tongue in cheek? I mean your comment, Copper!

[Copper10-8]

I think the Great pretenders was the first name given to the lip sync show. Then it was named Rockin' Rolldies?

Or was that totally tongue in cheek? I mean your comment, Copper!

 

Your brain obviously functions better than knuckledragger mine! Good job! I don't even remember those names:o

[kazu]

Yep, it coulda been worse. I was patient the first time I didn't get silverware from room service. The second time deserved to be vocalized dontchya think? And yes, I let'em have it on the comment card. That's what it's for. Was I to say rah rah HAL!!? or was I to tell the truth?

 

Just an fyi that I discovered. The comment cards are only used on the ship to review things. They don't go to Seattle (HQ) nor are your thoughts shared with them. If you haven't done so already, you might want to write or email Seattle with your issues.

[KirkNC]

Sorry the cruise was not up to your expectations. I think HAL and all lines are walking a fine line on staffing versus service. We have had a few meals over the years that took a while, maybe not a hour and a half but it felt like it.

 

Kirk