Interesting Billing Errors on the Amsterdam

[Windsailer]

I was recently on a cruise on the Amsterdam and upon returning home discovered the following.

 

1. I noticed that HAL charge posted to my credit card was higher than the charge on my final statement. That's happened on 3 of the 6 HAL cruises I've been on.

 

2. More interesting was that HAL charged us $12 pp per day for the Hotel Service Charge even though we were not in a Neptune or Pinnacle Suite, we were in a BB verandah, now named a Vista Suite. We should have been charged $11.50 pp per day. The main reason I raise this is that with the re-naming of the Verandah cabins to suites this error might become more common.

 

Guess I'll go back to having the Front Desk print out a statement every couple of days so I can sort this out while on board.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The BB categories on the R and S class ships are considered "suites" -- thus you are charged the $12 Hotel Service Charge.

[Windsailer]

This is from an online chat I had with HAL:

"Customer: Is the Vista Suite (BB) on the Amsterdam considered a "suite" for tipping purposes? So it's $12.00 per day rather than $11.50?

Customer: I thought the $12.00 per day suites were the PS, SA and SB.

Larry: it applies to neptune suites, pinnacles suites

Customer: So if I was chaged $12 pp per day for a Vista Suite that would be incorrect?

Customer: Yes? No?

Larry: the category your in is $11.50"

[sunviking90]

We have been charged more every time we have been in a (now called) vista suite. I read it somewhere, so I wasn't surprised. The customer service person you spoke to must have been mistaken, but you could probably hold them to it. Personally I wouldn't query a tip.

[Mumsysailor]

Thanks for the information. It hadn't occurred to me that the change of names might lead to this confusion. I'll be checking our account carefully on our trip in a couple of weeks.

 

Mumsy.

[happyglobetrotter]

I was recently on a cruise on the Amsterdam and upon returning home discovered the following.

 

1. I noticed that HAL charge posted to my credit card was higher than the charge on my final statement. That's happened on 3 of the 6 HAL cruises I've been on.

 

2. More interesting was that HAL charged us $12 pp per day for the Hotel Service Charge even though we were not in a Neptune or Pinnacle Suite, we were in a BB verandah, now named a Vista Suite. We should have been charged $11.50 pp per day. The main reason I raise this is that with the re-naming of the Verandah cabins to suites this error might become more common.

 

Guess I'll go back to having the Front Desk print out a statement every couple of days so I can sort this out while on board.

 

The correct charge for a verandah is $12 a day. Verandahs are called verandah suites or vista suites and as such command higher hotel charges (suites = $12 pp).

 

As for the final charge on your statement, maybe you used something in the bar or made purchases on the last evening.

 

We were never charged more than our final statement on over 60 HAL cruises.

[Mumsysailor]

The correct charge for a verandah is $12 a day. Verandahs are called verandah suites or vista suites and as such command higher hotel charges (suites = $12 pp).

 

.

 

We've only ever been charged $11.50 pp per night in a Verandah VA, VD.

 

Mumsy.

[RetiredMustang]

We've only ever been charged $11.50 pp per night in a Verandah VA, VD.

 

Mumsy.

 

This is part of the confusion in cabin names, and perhaps is partly why HAL decided to change what they are called to try to sort it out.

 

The VA and VD class cabins are indeed verandah cabins on Vista and Signature ships. They are not counted as "suites" and do not, for example, result in double days counted for Star Mariner purposes.

 

On the smaller ships (Maasdam, Veendam, etc. - including Amsteram mentioned by OP), the class A, B, and BB cabins were once called verandah cabins, and then became verandah suites, and now Vista suites. These are considered "suites" for tipping and double days for Star Mariner counting.

 

Dave

[localady]

We've only ever been charged $11.50 pp per night in a Verandah VA, VD.

 

Mumsy.

 

Those are veranda cabins, not Vista Suites.

On the smaller ships (like the Zaandam and Amsterdam) all verandas are now "suites" and will be charged $12.00.

The VA-VZ cabins on the Vista class ships are not called suites and would be charged $11.50.

By renaming the veranda cabins on the smaller ships, they increased the per-day service charge for them also.

[taxmantoo]

$0.50 a day? :rolleyes: No comment :rolleyes:

[Windsailer]

"As for the final charge on your statement, maybe you used something in the bar or made purchases on the last evening."

 

No, we didn't. Thanks to cc advice from several years ago, I keep all the receipts.

 

Re the Vista Suite issue, I suppose I'll see if we get the extra Mariner days for being in a "suite".

[Mumsysailor]

...

On the smaller ships (Maasdam, Veendam, etc. - including Amsteram mentioned by OP), the class A, B, and BB cabins were once called verandah cabins, and then became verandah suites, and now Vista suites. These are considered "suites" for tipping and double days for Star Mariner counting.

 

Dave

 

Does that mean we'll get double days in a BB on the Zaandam? If so, that's worth the extra 50c per day. :) To be honest I don't begrudge paying $12 pp per day anyway.

 

Mumsy.

[localady]

"As for the final charge on your statement, maybe you used something in the bar or made purchases on the last evening."

 

No, we didn't. Thanks to cc advice from several years ago, I keep all the receipts.

 

Re the Vista Suite issue, I suppose I'll see if we get the extra Mariner days for being in a "suite".

 

That is the up-side, you will get double days for your Vista Suite, I did in January this year.

[localady]

Does that mean we'll get double days in a BB on the Zaandam? If so, that's worth the extra 50c per day. :) To be honest I don't begrudge paying $12 pp per day anyway.

 

Mumsy.

 

Yep, you will receive 14 Mariner days for your 7 day cruise in a Vista Suite... :D

[RetiredMustang]

That is the up-side, you will get double days for your Vista Suite, I did in January this year.

 

And I got double days last year on Maasdam in a Vista suite "B" class cabin.

 

Dave

[Mumsysailor]

Yep, you will receive 14 Mariner days for your 7 day cruise in a Vista Suite... :D

 

Thanks Sher, do you know if we get days for the land portion of our cruise tour?

 

Mumsy.

[localady]

Thanks Sher, do you know if we get days for the land portion of our cruise tour?

 

Mumsy.

 

You sure do! But not sure if they too are double, quite possibly not.

15 days!!!!! :D:D:D

[Tampa Girl]

Those are veranda cabins, not Vista Suites.

On the smaller ships (like the Zaandam and Amsterdam) all verandas are now "suites" and will be charged $12.00.

The VA-VZ cabins on the Vista class ships are not called suites and would be charged $11.50.

By renaming the veranda cabins on the smaller ships, they increased the per-day service charge for them also.

 

But they were called "suites" before they were renamed "Vista". Previously, they were called "Veranda Suites."

[Typhoon1]

Guess I'll go back to having the Front Desk print out a statement every couple of days so I can sort this out while on board.

 

A definite must. We stop by the fornt desk each evening to pick up an updated print out.

[startwin]

The correct charge for a verandah is $12 a day. Verandahs are called verandah suites or vista suites and as such command higher hotel charges (suites = $12 pp).

 

As for the final charge on your statement, maybe you used something in the bar or made purchases on the last evening.

 

We were never charged more than our final statement on over 60 HAL cruises.

 

No, VD etc verandah cabins pay the $11.50 a day. I guess now it depends on if they have re-classified some of the verandahs on some of the ships. We just upgraded on one of our cruises from a VD - which would be $11.50/day, to an SY which will be $12/day.

[localady]

But they were called "suites" before they were renamed "Vista". Previously, they were called "Veranda Suites."

 

Can't explain it, but it appears to be the new policy. The Vista cabin will be treated as "suites", and the veranda cabins on the Vista classes and up, will not.

You will receive 2 Mariner day credits per day in a Vista suite as well as pay $12.00 for your daily gratuity per person.

[pms4104]

From the FAQs on HAL's site: "The daily Hotel Service Charge for suites is US$12.00 per guest per day, and US$11.50 per guest per day for other staterooms. (The charges are subject to change without notice)"

 

So, if a stateroom is identified, on any ship, as a suite of any type, the daily HSC is $12.00/person ... and the person on the website chat clearly was wrong. The OP was not overcharged, but given incorrect info by a Seattle employee.

 

As for being charged after the fact for items not purchased/consumed, it has happened several times to us ... and HAL has rescinded those erroneous charges and issued a credit. Only once did the Seattle person imply that I simply didn't remember drinking the bottled water left in our cabin:rolleyes:

[cruz chic]

The correct charge for a verandah is $12 a day. Verandahs are called verandah suites or vista suites and as such command higher hotel charges (suites = $12 pp).

 

As for the final charge on your statement, maybe you used something in the bar or made purchases on the last evening.

 

We were never charged more than our final statement on over 60 HAL cruises.

 

You are lucky. Maybe it depends on how much you spend. It's happened to me at least 3 times. The worst was a mini bar charge for $75 after I debarked. Since I'm 4 star that's $150. Needless to say it wasn't valid.

[JamesEM]

I all ways get print out of my account every two or three days to make sure of the accuracy of my billing statement, that way you avoid a lot of problems later.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I always get a print out every 3 or 4 days just to make certain that we get our shipboard credit, to make certain that we get our loyality discounts(we have had to fight for them several times) and just to make certain there are no charges that aren't ours.