Dry Cleaning Warning - ms Noordam (March 2014)

[BruceMuzz]

Post deleted. There is no point in arguing with BruceMuzz. He knows for a fact that my stuff wasn't sent out for dry cleaning and that the cruise line warned me to never bring anything of value - especially clothing - onto a ship.

 

No need to argue the point.

 

I only know that no cruise ships - including HAL - offer real dry cleaning onboard.

 

Did HAL warn you about this?

I don't know.

Should they have warned you about this?

Yes.

Should you have known about this already?

Probably. It has been this way for many years now.

 

You might think of your ruined clothing as a "Not Paying Attention Tax".

Edited March 12, 2014 by BruceMuzz

[POA1]

No need to argue the point.

 

I only know that no cruise ships - including HAL - offer real dry cleaning onboard.

 

Did HAL warn you about this?

I don't know.

Should they have warned you about this?

Yes.

Should you have known about this already?

Probably. It has been this way for many years now.

 

You might think of your ruined clothing as a "Not Paying Attention Tax".

 

Y'know... Whenever you see someone start a post with "No need to argue..." and then proceed to make an argument, you really know all you need to about their reasoning skills.

[alwaysfrantic]

If the ship offers the service, the guest should have a reasonable expectation that it will work. If offered "Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning" I would expect to send a nice article and it come back still nice....just smelling better and not having wrinkles. They don't offer "Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning That Is Actually Wet And Only Send Items You Don't Care About." Seriously....who, other than someone who has had an article ruined or worked onboard, would think it was not safe to send an item to be dry cleaned??

[CowPrincess]

If the ship offers the service, the guest should have a reasonable expectation that it will work. If offered "Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning" I would expect to send a nice article and it come back still nice....just smelling better and not having wrinkles. They don't offer "Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning That Is Actually Wet And Only Send Items You Don't Care About." Seriously....who, other than someone who has had an article ruined or worked onboard, would think it was not safe to send an item to be dry cleaned??

 

Exactly!

[POA1]

If the ship offers the service, the guest should have a reasonable expectation that it will work. If offered "Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning" I would expect to send a nice article and it come back still nice....just smelling better and not having wrinkles. They don't offer "Environmentally Friendly Dry Cleaning That Is Actually Wet And Only Send Items You Don't Care About." Seriously....who, other than someone who has had an article ruined or worked onboard, would think it was not safe to send an item to be dry cleaned??

 

Thank you.

[POA1]

I wanted to post an update as soon as I heard from HAL about my tuxedo vest and sport coat that were damaged on the Noordam. Quick summary: They were sent out for dry cleaning but got washed and dried instead.

 

When we got home, I contacted the men's store where I buy my dress clothes when we're in Maine in the summer. (By law, casual clothing must be purchased from L.L. Bean. ;)) I reordered my tuxedo vest and gathered up my documentation on the jacket. The jacket was custom made, so I have to wait until we return to Maine in the summer to get it replaced. The vest arrived a few weeks ago.

 

I sent a letter to the Personal Property Claims Department at Holland America, along with the receipt for the replacement tux vest, and a letter from the men's store to document the cost of the jacket. The letter was sent to Seattle via certified mail, return receipt around April 10th. Holland America signed for it on April 14th.

 

We hadn't heard anything back after two weeks, so DW decided to call Seattle to see how things stood. The gentleman who answered the phone found our claim and told DW that the person who had been assigned the case was out of the office for a week or so. Within the hour I had an email from HAL telling me that they were going to apply a credit to the credit card we used for our shipboard purchases. The credit would be in the total amount needed to cover the documented loss and it is supposed to be applied in roughly two weeks.

 

While I am not happy to lose the jacket and vest, I think HAL handled things as well as can be expected. I know it would be great to get a speedy resolution right on the ship, but I understand that there are control processes and approval levels that any company has in place.

 

All in all, we are pleased with the way the situation looks to be resolving itself. The Neptune Concierge gave me the paperwork I needed. I was able to locate all the documentation I needed. (Save those receipts kids!) And it looks like my loss will be covered. Other than the fact the clothing store is 1,600 miles away - certainly not HAL's fault - things seem to have worked out well.

 

Early on in this thread I stated that, "They always say that excellent customer service kicks in when things go wrong." On that account, Holland America gets good grades.

[alwaysfrantic]

Great update. I'm so glad they are fixing a problem they created. Good outcome.

[CowPrincess]

Thanks for "closing the loop" -- the update is appreciated!

[serendipity1499]

Thanks for letting us know.. Happy to hear that HAL came through & reimbursed you the full amount..

[erewhon]

Thanks for the update, am pleased that HAL will reimburse you.

 

Did you have to give them your credit card number again, or was it still in their records??

[POA1]

Thanks for the update, am pleased that HAL will reimburse you.

 

Did you have to give them your credit card number again, or was it still in their records??

 

I believe that they are processing a refund against previous charges. That can typically be done 60 to 90 days after a transaction. When we process refunds for our business, we don't have to retain the card information. We can post a refund against the old transaction data. You've probably experienced something similar if you have returned something you bought on a credit card.

 

Unless you are issuing credit that exceeds the charge amounts, you don't typically need the card again.

Edited May 1, 2014 by POA1

[paluni]

I sent out a pair of rayon pants. It was my fault they came back with one leg three inches longer than the other. I said laundry, it should have been dry cleaned. Fortunately I sew, so I evened the legs when I got home. Then I had one of my favorite blouses laundered. Lime green and white. The lime was dull, the white was dingy and dark when it came back. I could never wear it again. So I am happy to do my own laundry, except for things that don't matter like socks and underwear. I assume they are tossing mounds of laundry together in a big washer. Can't take the care like you would with your own laundry.

[TiogaCruiser]

We're on the Veendam which I understand does have a self serve laundry. For a 10 day trip we would do a laundry only once as we take enough clothes for 5 days. And, how long does it take to do a load of laundry, a couple of hours at most? Considering that quite a few people have had problems with sending their clothes out to be washed, at least when you do your own you know it's done right and everything comes back.

 

I did a single load on three separate occasions. Each time it took less than an hour. I set my watch to remind me to move the load to the dryer and them to collect it, and went off to do something else. On other (shorter) cruises I have just taken something to read to the laundry. It really isn't a big deal to run a load for me.

[chengkp75]

Generally, BruceMuzz and I are in agreement, but I've just recently read this thread, and thought I'd clarify something. I'm not sure what Bruce was referring to as "true dry cleaning" unless this refers to the old use of carbon tetrachloride. No one, shoreside or shipboard uses carbon tet anymore. The most common chemical used for dry cleaning, whether on ship or land, is "perc" or perchloroethylene. This is still considered "dry cleaning", since the definition means any process that does not include water, but uses chemical solvents. As I've said, this is the same chemical used in the corner dry cleaner in your home town.

 

Perc is still a highly toxic chemical. We had a perc spill where a hose on one machine broke. We had to evacuate the laundry, shut down the ventilation, outfit the fire teams in hazmat gear and SCBA's, and set up a decontamination station for all materials used to clean up the spill. It ain't fun stuff to handle, and the storage and use is highly regulated, checked by both USPH and USCG.

 

I will say that your local dry cleaner will give you better advice on whether or not the process will remove stains or damage fabrics than the ship's laundry will, so it should still be a case of buyer beware.

Edited May 1, 2014 by chengkp75

[S1drfl]

HAL is slowly getting there. Very glad to hear they're making good on the tux.

 

We're recently off the NA TA. Standard laundry form lists choices of LAUNDRY and DRY CLEANING, the latter broken down into Press Only and Clean/Press. However, the welcome to the Neptune Suite letter included the following benny: "Complimentary laundry, wet cleaning and pressing services." Bolding added by yours truly.

 

Services to be provided need to be clarified so consumers can make an informed choice/gamble.

[POA1]

However, the welcome to the Neptune Suite letter included the following benny: "Complimentary laundry, wet cleaning and pressing services." Bolding added by yours truly.

 

Services to be provided need to be clarified so consumers can make an informed choice/gamble.

 

Thank you. That's new, because the Neptune Suites welcome letter on the Noordam on February 28th still said dry cleaning. So did all the sheets you use to send out your clothes.

 

Most importantly, the Holland America website still says "Complimentary laundry, pressing and dry cleaning throughout your cruise" under NS amenities.

 

The problem I had was that my items went through the regular laundry and dryer even though they were sent out for dry cleaning - as listed on the sheet.

 

I'm not sure what the whole "wet cleaning" part of this thread is about. Both the new and the old dry cleaning processes used liquid solvents. There is a wet cleaning process - using actual water in a computerized, low temperature machine. If that's what the ship is using, that should be communicated clearly, early, and often. Quite a few dry clean only items will be ruined by that process. I always considered the dry cleaning to be one of the great Neptune Suite perks. Needless to say, I don't any longer. I view it as an emergency only, to be used with great caution suite perk. (It falls just below the glass of sparking wine on the perk-o-meter. ;) )

 

To reiterate, I think HAL handled the situation well. Mistakes happen, but they're going to make good, according to their email. Everything was handled professionally. While I was definitely annoyed on the last evening of the cruise, it didn't ruin my vacation.

[NMLady]

I doubt they'd cover replacement cost. The most would be depreciated value of original cost so I'd be interested to know what they actually do refund you when the refund is finally processed.

Edited May 1, 2014 by NMLady

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the update,

[POA1]

I doubt they'd cover replacement cost. The most would be depreciated value of original cost so I'd be interested to know what they actually do refund you when the refund is finally processed.

 

They gave me the amount in the email. Neither of the items was very old, so it covers replacement. Depreciation never entered the conversation.

 

I'll let you know if the amount ends up being different from what is in the mail message, but I don't expect it to be.

[POA1]

Thanks for the update' date='[/quote']

 

You're welcome. I think the matter was handled as well as can be expected, so I wanted to give an attaboy where it was due.

 

Just goes to show that these things can be resolved after you leave the ship. No screaming, yelling, or gratuitous violence needed. :D

[BruceMuzz]

Since dry cleaning is included as a perk for paying for the suite - and they have a dry cleaning plant onboard - I think it's pretty reasonable to expect it to be done well. After all, food is included and we're not all bringing on our own meals.

 

Your mistake is assuming that cruise ships have a dry cleaning plant onboard.

They do not.

 

You should use your SEO to investigate the reasons why ALL the major cruise lines removed dry cleaning plants from their ships many years ago - and substituted a more eco-friendly wet cleaning system that unfortunately does not work well with all fabrics.

[chengkp75]

Your mistake is assuming that cruise ships have a dry cleaning plant onboard.

They do not.

 

You should use your SEO to investigate the reasons why ALL the major cruise lines removed dry cleaning plants from their ships many years ago - and substituted a more eco-friendly wet cleaning system that unfortunately does not work well with all fabrics.

 

Can't speak for HAL or other lines, but I do know that as recently as 2008 (is this many years ago?), NCL still had perc dry cleaning machines.

[BruceMuzz]

Can't speak for HAL or other lines, but I do know that as recently as 2008 (is this many years ago?), NCL still had perc dry cleaning machines.

 

I think NCL was just about the last one to get rid of those machines. The perchlorethylene chemistry used in those machines was highly carcinogenic - and deadly to sea life.

[chengkp75]

I think NCL was just about the last one to get rid of those machines. The perchlorethylene chemistry used in those machines was highly carcinogenic - and deadly to sea life.

 

Just e-mailed the Chief on the POA. They still have the perc machines, but the new wet cleaning machines are in a Honolulu warehouse waiting for a time to install.

[POA1]

Can't speak for HAL or other lines, but I do know that as recently as 2008 (is this many years ago?), NCL still had perc dry cleaning machines.

 

I found a press release from HAL talking about how they were going to be installing wet cleaning machines. The release was from late 2013 which doesn't qualify as many years ago.

 

In any case, we have a nice link roundup coming with links from a host of cruise line web sites. Want to take bets on how many are still explicitly calling it "dry cleaning?"