HAL's website response to Zuiderdam inquiry

[Roz]

I'm posting this from San Diego where I'm scheduled to board Zuid tomorrow for the 4-day Coastal. I doubt HAL will cancel the 4-day, as the ship needs to reposition to Alaska. My return flight is from Seattle, so I need to get up to Vancouver. If I had to fly back home from SD, it would be majorly inconvenient and expensive.

 

Roz

 

P.S. The same poster who's reporting all the problems has been issuing edicts from the ship. The 4-dayers were told we need to eat in the Lido or our cabins on formal night, when in fact, there is no formal night since our cruise docs clearly state 4 smart casual nights. Apparently the captain died and left them in charge. :D We were also told our smart casual dress will ruin the ambience for those who boarded in Ft. Lauderdale. Geez!

[kazu]

I'm posting this from San Diego where I'm scheduled to board Zuid tomorrow for the 4-day Coastal. I doubt HAL will cancel the 4-day, as the ship needs to reposition to Alaska. My return flight is from Seattle, so I need to get up to Vancouver. If I had to fly back home from SD, it would be majorly inconvenient and expensive.

 

Roz

 

Have a good cruise Roz:) hopefully all the issues are resolved for yours;)

[Roz]

I'm eternally optimistic when it comes to cruising.

 

Roz

[Boytjie]

The only time ships get on the news is when they are sinking, stuck and need to be towed or passengers rescued.

 

Discomfort means nothing to the news. There are a lot more horrific things happening in the world (unfortunately)

 

You forgot about the media favorite: "Luxury cruise ship is sick!" (about noro virus outbreaks)

[kazu]

You forgot about the media favorite: "Luxury cruise ship is sick!" (about noro virus outbreaks)

 

oops - my bad;) how could I have forgotten that one:) Suffice it to say I've never seen non working toilets or air conditioning make the front page;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'm posting this from San Diego where I'm scheduled to board Zuid tomorrow for the 4-day Coastal. I doubt HAL will cancel the 4-day, as the ship needs to reposition to Alaska. My return flight is from Seattle, so I need to get up to Vancouver. If I had to fly back home from SD, it would be majorly inconvenient and expensive.

 

Roz

 

P.S. The same poster who's reporting all the problems has been issuing edicts from the ship. The 4-dayers were told we need to eat in the Lido or our cabins on formal night, when in fact, there is no formal night since our cruise docs clearly state 4 smart casual nights. Apparently the captain died and left them in charge. :D We were also told our smart casual dress will ruin the ambience for those who boarded in Ft. Lauderdale. Geez!

 

Not necessarily. We did a 7-day Alaska and the following 3-day coastal. Our docs showed the second night of the coastal as formal. People who took only the 3-day coastal had docs that said all nights were smart casual.

 

The solution was to make it "optional formal." That means either elegant casual or formal (or something in between) for the evening. This was a way to accommodate two groups of people who had been given conflicting information. Unfortunately, the CD did a very poor job of explaining it. In his announcement, he made it sound like "come as you are." I saw a young couple come to the MDR in cargo shorts and printed t-shirts. They were turned away because their dress was not elegant casual or formal or anything in between. I wondered if they hadn't changed for dinner because of the "anything goes" explanation from the CD.

[RedmondCruiser]

WOW:eek: I have been on a number of cruises on HAL including the Zuiderdam and not had issues either BUT just because we haven't had issues doesn't mean that everything is fine now. I appreciate Startwin taking the time and money to post and let us know what is going on.

 

These are regular posters who have very good integrity, love HAL and would have no reason or motive to post anything but what is actually happening. There is no question in my mind that there are serious issues on this cruise and the passengers have my sympathy.

 

Where I have a problem ( and probably not articulated well enough ) is having 540 cabins with no or diminished AC does not make sense to me. Entire floors with no toilets and out of order signs on much of the public toilets ? If they were having those catasrophic type failures on a Vista ship, then Seattle would be looking at some serious refunds. Lets see whats said when all depart. If I'm wrong then I'll be the first to admit it, but I don't think the sitiuation is that dire.

Add to this the fact that many people read these posts and come away with the feeling that the ships are going to h*ll in a hand cart. Some actually talk about not booking. I feel that those people are going to miss out on a fantastic vacation opportunity.

[cruz chic]

Add to this the fact that many people read these posts and come away with the feeling that the ships are going to h*ll in a hand cart. Some actually talk about not booking. I feel that those people are going to miss out on a fantastic vacation opportunity.

Why, is HAL only sailing one ship right now:confused:. Feel free to spend your money on any ship you like. I work far too hard and my vacation days are precious so I will not be spending time on the Zuiderdam any time soon.

[DAllenTCY]

We can all agree that the cutbacks over the last few years do make a difference in the cruise experience, most noiceable in the dining room and down the line from rooms/bathrooms, to shore excursions, to airport meet and greet, etc.

Do you still get your money's worth....I say "Yes". I can survive without caviar in the MDR, imported cheeses in the Lido, fresh flowers in public areas, and brand new carpets.

I have the option to pay 3 to 5 times more for those things, but I don't wish to. It is called a "vacation" and I intend to relax and enjoy the fact that I'm not working and I have a pool, a gym, fresh ocean air, a chance to meet interesting people, and so on.

Anyway, we will find out about the "problems" on the MS Amsterdam and the MS Zuiderdam that have been posted in the last few days.

I'll be sailing on Sunday on the A and Lisa is cruising tomorrow on the Z. If any of the posted worries are factual, you at CC will be the first to know.

David

P.S. I'm already looking forward to watching TV without political ads every 5 minutes!

[496and706]

As they say in the media, "If it bleeds, it leads."

[CowPrincess]

 

>SNIP<

 

Anyway, we will find out about the "problems" on the MS Amsterdam and the MS Zuiderdam that have been posted in the last few days.

I'll be sailing on Sunday on the A and Lisa is cruising tomorrow on the Z. If any of the posted worries are factual, you at CC will be the first to know.

David

P.S. I'm already looking forward to watching TV without political ads every 5 minutes!

 

So are you suggesting that if you and laffnvegas don't report plumbing and or AC problems, none exist? Or are you suggesting that you'll survey all pax?

 

What one person experiences on a cruise can be substantially different from what another experiences. On a recent cruise our dinner mates had no AC for 3 or 4 days. We had AC. Does that mean our dinner mates were misrepresenting? I don't think so.

[sail7seas]

We can all agree that the cutbacks over the last few years do make a difference in the cruise experience, most noiceable in the dining room and down the line from rooms/bathrooms, to shore excursions, to airport meet and greet, etc.

Do you still get your money's worth....I say "Yes". I can survive without caviar in the MDR, imported cheeses in the Lido, fresh flowers in public areas, and brand new carpets.

I have the option to pay 3 to 5 times more for those things, but I don't wish to. It is called a "vacation" and I intend to relax and enjoy the fact that I'm not working and I have a pool, a gym, fresh ocean air, a chance to meet interesting people, and so on.

Anyway, we will find out about the "problems" on the MS Amsterdam and the MS Zuiderdam that have been posted in the last few days.

I'll be sailing on Sunday on the A and Lisa is cruising tomorrow on the Z. If any of the posted worries are factual, you at CC will be the first to know.

David

P.S. I'm already looking forward to watching TV without political ads every 5 minutes!

 

 

 

To avoid political ads, stay away from two stations aired on all HAL ships....... CNN and FOX News. :)

 

[DizzyDallasDi]

You forgot about the media favorite: "Luxury cruise ship is sick!" (about noro virus outbreaks)

 

Your post put a really scary thought in my mind -- how awful would it be to have noro in a cabin without A/C or a working toilet. :eek::eek::eek:

[DAllenTCY]

Have any of those posting complaints indicated the stateroom by number? If so, why not? The generalities of the plumbing and A/C complaints is not helpful to getting any problem fixed. One week it's the Maasdam, Noordam, the next week it's the Ryndam....etc.

My own opinion is that guests tend to complain excessantly, because the industry on a whole tends to offer substantial future cruise discounts as a "solution". Once you've received a discount, you want a bigger one, and you'll find a way to "earn" it. It's addicting.

It starts with the "We're sorry" bottle of champaigne, then free specialty restaurant dinners, and then hundreds of dollars of OBC or discounts on a future cruise. I know what I'm talking about....my previous posts are consistent in this regard.

If Lisa and I are aware of a particular cabin problem, then we can ask if it has been resolved. Wouldn't you do the same?

 

David

[RedmondCruiser]

Why, is HAL only sailing one ship right now:confused:. Feel free to spend your money on any ship you like. I work far too hard and my vacation days are precious so I will not be spending time on the Zuiderdam any time soon.

 

One ship ?? sorry but you lost me. They ran three ships on the Panama Canal repositioning. The Zuiderdam, Amsterdam and the Statendam. They are now keeping enough ships in the Pacific, year round, to fill out the cabin space for Alaska. I would go on the Zuiderdam again in a heart beat.

[DAllenTCY]

And the Westerdam which is repositioning, too.

David

[jcrandle]

Your post put a really scary thought in my mind -- how awful would it be to have noro in a cabin without A/C or a working toilet. :eek::eek::eek:

 

Running gag from 40 years ago .... "Pay toilets in a diarrhea ward!"

[Taxguy77]

If you are expecting HAL to answer your question in a forthright manner then I hope that you are not holding your breath.

 

HAL is no different than all other cruise lines. Do you really expect them to acknowledge an issue? What you will get is hundreds of words from what is referred to as a 'drawer statement'.

 

Written by Customer Service, reviewed by Sales, PR, and Legal. Then distributed to the front line CSR's and management with specific instructions not to deviate in any way from the prepared text. It will say absolutely nothing.

 

Very similar to going to the desk on a cruise with an known problem only to hear the age old tune 'oh, that is the first time that we have heard of this issue'.

 

Acknowledging a problem (or as some like to say an issue, or a concern) implies a duty to either resolve the problem or provide some compensation, or both. No cruise line want to go there. Besides, it is very contradictory to those glossy brochures.

 

So true!

Those who can't get elected write the responses until they learn to say a lot of words adding up to No Comment.

[Taxguy77]

oops - my bad;) how could I have forgotten that one:) Suffice it to say I've never seen non working toilets or air conditioning make the front page;)

 

You're forgetting the Carnival towed to San Diego last year, the Costa without power and Azamara Quest.

Of course the Quest had some power and was not towed until after pax arrived at a port.

[cruz chic]

One ship ?? sorry but you lost me. They ran three ships on the Panama Canal repositioning. The Zuiderdam, Amsterdam and the Statendam. They are now keeping enough ships in the Pacific, year round, to fill out the cabin space for Alaska. I would go on the Zuiderdam again in a heart beat.

Now you've lost me. I think we are talking about the Zuiderdam here, aren't we? Good for you, go ahead and take the ship. Maybe you have lots of free time and money. I don't care to burn mine up on something I don't enjoy. Just because you want to do it does that mean we all have to?

[Copper10-8]

We can all agree that the cutbacks over the last few years do make a difference in the cruise experience, most noiceable in the dining room and down the line from rooms/bathrooms, to shore excursions, to airport meet and greet, etc.

Do you still get your money's worth....I say "Yes". I can survive without caviar in the MDR, imported cheeses in the Lido, fresh flowers in public areas, and brand new carpets.

I have the option to pay 3 to 5 times more for those things, but I don't wish to. It is called a "vacation" and I intend to relax and enjoy the fact that I'm not working and I have a pool, a gym, fresh ocean air, a chance to meet interesting people, and so on.

Anyway, we will find out about the "problems" on the MS Amsterdam and the MS Zuiderdam that have been posted in the last few days.

I'll be sailing on Sunday on the A and Lisa is cruising tomorrow on the Z. If any of the posted worries are factual, you at CC will be the first to know.

David

P.S. I'm already looking forward to watching TV without political ads every 5 minutes!

 

Hey David; have a great time on Amsterdam:)

[DAllenTCY]

Thank you Copper .....I'm going to be 10-8 on Sunday.

 

David

[Copper10-8]

Thank you Copper .....I'm going to be 10-8 on Sunday.

 

David

 

Roger that!;)

[GeriatricNurse]

Why, is HAL only sailing one ship right now:confused:. Feel free to spend your money on any ship you like. I work far too hard and my vacation days are precious so I will not be spending time on the Zuiderdam any time soon.

 

 

Isn't the Statendam also on your list too? ;)

[FrankNJ]

Have any of those posting complaints indicated the stateroom by number? If so, why not? The generalities of the plumbing and A/C complaints is not helpful to getting any problem fixed. One week it's the Maasdam, Noordam, the next week it's the Ryndam....etc.

My own opinion is that guests tend to complain excessantly, because the industry on a whole tends to offer substantial future cruise discounts as a "solution". Once you've received a discount, you want a bigger one, and you'll find a way to "earn" it. It's addicting.

It starts with the "We're sorry" bottle of champaigne, then free specialty restaurant dinners, and then hundreds of dollars of OBC or discounts on a future cruise. I know what I'm talking about....my previous posts are consistent in this regard.

If Lisa and I are aware of a particular cabin problem, then we can ask if it has been resolved. Wouldn't you do the same?

 

David

 

Our room , 6087 , on Zuiderdam cruise of Mar 9 , had no Air conditioning !

Hope this report is official enough .