Just off Eurodam, overcharge warning on Holland America!

[Two Boys Cruising]

Was your cruise a charter?

 

Yes, so that means the beverage package referenced above was not an option. At first it was, and we booked it in advance. Then 3 days before the cruise Holland America started calling everyone saying that it was a mistake and should not have been available on a charter and crediting back the charge.

[soccerpapi]

Since Holland America doesn't require a signature when purchasing drinks, one might assume that the 15 percent that service charge is fine with them and the bartenders and servers union as a gratuity.

 

Most additional tips are probably given in cash since there is basically no place to add a tip on the receipt that you are given when receiving your drinks. At that point, your transaction is complete.

 

If you had to sign each receipt, you may look at it more closely and if a error is made, hopefully you can address it at that time and be done with it.

 

soccer

[colbe]

I actually think it was the worst cabin of all my cruises.

 

Did you not get the cabin category that you paid for?

[Two Boys Cruising]

I actually think it was the worst cabin of all my cruises.

 

Did you not get the cabin category that you paid for?

 

Yes I was in the category for which I paid. Having seen the cabins of a number of friends, I am not sure how the question is relevant. They are very tired and desperately in need of overhaul. I was so surprised at the condition of the cabin, I looked up online to confirm that the ship hit the water in 2008 as it looked so much older.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry that you didn't like your cabin and had problems with over charges in the beverage department.

There have been a couple of times when we received bills that did not belong to us. I always look at the bills when they are given back to us and check them carefully and resolve any issues right then.

I also get a copy of our shipboard account about every 3 days and we have been charged with items we never used from the refrigerator -- and got those settled right away. Even had to call Seattle one time after we got home and I checked our final bill sent to American Express and discovered we were charged for items on the last day that we had not used from the refrigerator.

[sapper1]

After reading these comments I am very happy we purchase beverage cards. Even though they are not discounted, it is so easy to keep track of any drinks we buy. DH puts his name on the back of the card(s) and checks it is indeed his when the card is returned. Check the new receipt they give you, compare the balance to the old one and that's it. You only have to keep the current receipt and have no others to keep track of. Easy peasy!

 

I second this suggestion. This is what we do so there is not a proliferation of bar charges to sort through on the onboard account.

 

If you pre order the cards online they come with your name printed on them.

On our last cruise we used our cards up and had to purchase a couple onboard. I just used a hole punch to make our no-name cards look different so we always knew we were getting our cards back. Then we always checked the receipts to see what was charged as it happened.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[richwmn]

I have mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating here.

 

When the Point 0f Sale systems on HAL can not read the magnetic stripe on the back of your card, the system reverts to the last card read. Therefore, if they run my card and it doesn't read, the charges go to the previous card.

 

On a cruise a couple of years ago I got a drink at the Lido bar. I looked at the receipt and happened to notice the wrong name. It happened to be the person next to me that had ordered a drink at the same time. The bartender reversed the charge and tried mine again and it didn't read again - that's when we saw that his name came up again. If I hadn't noticed the name on the receipt it would have remained on his account - something to dispute later.

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

Hey neighbor! Ive had this happen on several cruises. At hotels also...it sometimes seems like the staff have had so many disputes that they assume that you are trying to rip them off. Not fun.

 

Friends and I are currently booked on Silhouette next year for 12 nights from Amsterdam...considering (likely) moving to Zuiderdam 11 nights from Rome... $1000 less and a better (IMO) itinerary...port intensive...thoughts?

 

We should have lunch sometime and talk cruises.

[Aquahound]

I agree with the point being made by the op. I'm not a fan of HAL's signature-less system either....not just for the errors made, but because you are forced to carry cash if you want to tip extra.

 

And what's with having separate cards for the beverage packages? Why can't they just just put it on your card like everyone else does?

[sapper1]

I have mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating here.

 

When the Point 0f Sale systems on HAL can not read the magnetic stripe on the back of your card, the system reverts to the last card read. Therefore, if they run my card and it doesn't read, the charges go to the previous card.

 

On a cruise a couple of years ago I got a drink at the Lido bar. I looked at the receipt and happened to notice the wrong name. It happened to be the person next to me that had ordered a drink at the same time. The bartender reversed the charge and tried mine again and it didn't read again - that's when we saw that his name came up again. If I hadn't noticed the name on the receipt it would have remained on his account - something to dispute later.

 

That is very interesting. I have to make a trip to the front desk a few times each cruise to correct magnetic strip failure so it would be safe to assume that others do as well.

That makes the case for buying beverage cards even more compelling. Then bar charges on your room account will jump off the page at you.

Edited August 2, 2014 by sapper1

[sapper1]

I agree with the point being made by the op. I'm not a fan of HAL's signature-less system either....not just for the errors made, but because you are forced to carry cash if you want to tip extra.

 

And what's with having separate cards for the beverage packages? Why can't they just just put it on your card like everyone else does?

 

With the beverage card you get a print out of what you just bought and also the balance remaining so you can keep tabs on your account as you go. It saves having to keep receipts other than your last beverage card receipt. You don't have to spend ages sorting out a myriad of bar charges on your lengthy room charge print out. It just makes life easier.

 

As for a tip, 15% is automatically added to your bar bill to cover that. For your regular bar steward who has made your visits enjoyable, an envelope discreetly passed on the last night is always appreciated.

[cbr663]

<snip>

 

When the Point 0f Sale systems on HAL can not read the magnetic stripe on the back of your card, the system reverts to the last card read. Therefore, if they run my card and it doesn't read, the charges go to the previous card.

 

 

So the system is designed to fraudulently overcharge? And HAL is okay with cheating its passengers? A POS that cannot read a card should display "Error" or "Cannot Read Card", and stop. Doesn't the POS have a clear understanding of when a transaction ends?

 

Imagine going to the grocery store and finding out that the grocery store did this - charging your credit card for someone else's groceries. I would never shop at that store again.

[Two Boys Cruising]

I have mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating here.

 

When the Point 0f Sale systems on HAL can not read the magnetic stripe on the back of your card, the system reverts to the last card read. Therefore, if they run my card and it doesn't read, the charges go to the previous card.

 

On a cruise a couple of years ago I got a drink at the Lido bar. I looked at the receipt and happened to notice the wrong name. It happened to be the person next to me that had ordered a drink at the same time. The bartender reversed the charge and tried mine again and it didn't read again - that's when we saw that his name came up again. If I hadn't noticed the name on the receipt it would have remained on his account - something to dispute later.

 

Oh, very interesting! Thank you for posting. At least we know there is a legitimate reason that this happens and not the fault of the employee. IMHO, that should then be a programming correction made by HAL as it is a serious flaw.

[Two Boys Cruising]

Hey neighbor! Ive had this happen on several cruises. At hotels also...it sometimes seems like the staff have had so many disputes that they assume that you are trying to rip them off. Not fun.

 

Friends and I are currently booked on Silhouette next year for 12 nights from Amsterdam...considering (likely) moving to Zuiderdam 11 nights from Rome... $1000 less and a better (IMO) itinerary...port intensive...thoughts?

 

We should have lunch sometime and talk cruises.

 

Great idea on lunch, I do travel a lot though so difficult to catch me in town. Not sure I could add much to your cruise planning. Having done many Celebrity and loving them, and having done only one HAL and being highly disappointed, the above move would be a hard sell for me. Still, it was only one cruise, and for the right price and the right itinerary I cannot say I would never try HAL again. Although another thread on this board about "Are the changes temporary or permanent" would lead me to not try HAL again until I see a number of threads posting the other way.

[Boytjie]

I am going to assume that you were on the Atlantis charter on the Eurodam in the Baltic.

 

Beverage consumption RSVP and Atlantis cruises (as are some other charters) is much higher than on regular cruises and fast service is always expected (and demanded) and that is why you will see extra bar service around the parties, outside on deck. So there are a lot of cards flying around and maybe why signatures aren't required. But you do get a receipt that you can verify against your statement. I have been on 6 RSVP charters on HAL - three of them on the Eurodam - and have had very few issues with incorrect charges on my account. One time at a party they gave my partner somebody else's card by accident but that issue was quickly resolved.

 

The cruise lines will not sell unlimited drinks packages for RSVP or Atlantis cruises; they tried it on an Atlantis cruise on Celebrity once and alcohol revenues dropped a lot (consumption did not!).

 

On our MSC Divina cruise they sold beverage packages where you would get coupons to exchange for drinks instead of charges to your card. As an example, you could get a package that gave you 7 times 15 coupons. It worked well after they ironed out a few kinks the first day or so; on regular cruises the waiters would sometimes write what was ordered on the back of the coupon slowing down the process. Once they had it down to "order, exchange coupons, take drink" beverage service sped up. There were some that did not like the coupon system and there were mishaps (like getting into a pool with a book of stamps in your swimsuit pocket).

 

Regarding the unlimited drinks packages on MSC: while the MSC website allowed you to pre-purchase that package, RSVP repeatedly said that the option was not available and to not buy it online; some people still went ahead and bought it anyway. The sales were nullified.

 

I have sailed on the Eurodam three times and it is my favorite HAL ship. The last time I was on it was in February 2013 and I have always enjoyed the ship. I have not seen a terrible cabin - and I have been inside anything from an inside to the penthouse.

[cruz chic]

I have mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating here.

 

When the Point 0f Sale systems on HAL can not read the magnetic stripe on the back of your card, the system reverts to the last card read. Therefore, if they run my card and it doesn't read, the charges go to the previous card.

 

On a cruise a couple of years ago I got a drink at the Lido bar. I looked at the receipt and happened to notice the wrong name. It happened to be the person next to me that had ordered a drink at the same time. The bartender reversed the charge and tried mine again and it didn't read again - that's when we saw that his name came up again. If I hadn't noticed the name on the receipt it would have remained on his account - something to dispute later.

Thx for repeating this. I don't recall reading this before so I appreciate it.

[Hlitner]

We are fine with not having to sign receipts. But what is really poor about HAL is your lack of ability to easily check your onboard bill. On many lines such as RCI and Celebrity you can simply check your bill (any time) on your cabin TV and make sure all the charges are truly yours. On Princess there are a few kiosks where you simply swipe your cruise card and the machine prints out a copy of your statement. But on HAL, you have to go to Guest Relations, sometimes wait in a queue, and then wait for them to print out a statement. Because this is somewhat of a hassle most folks tend not to do this very often and therein lies the problem.

 

Hank

Edited August 2, 2014 by Hlitner

[cruz chic]

I don't think I've ever waited more than a minute or two at the front desk unless it's the last day of the cruise. By contrast, the last time I was on celebrity every wait was at least 20 minutes or more. Good thing you can see your bill on the tv or you'd you staring there for hours.

[Two Boys Cruising]

I am going to assume that you were on the Atlantis charter on the Eurodam in the Baltic.

 

Beverage consumption RSVP and Atlantis cruises (as are some other charters) is much higher than on regular cruises and fast service is always expected (and demanded) and that is why you will see extra bar service around the parties, outside on deck. So there are a lot of cards flying around and maybe why signatures aren't required. But you do get a receipt that you can verify against your statement. I have been on 6 RSVP charters on HAL - three of them on the Eurodam - and have had very few issues with incorrect charges on my account. One time at a party they gave my partner somebody else's card by accident but that issue was quickly resolved.

 

The cruise lines will not sell unlimited drinks packages for RSVP or Atlantis cruises; they tried it on an Atlantis cruise on Celebrity once and alcohol revenues dropped a lot (consumption did not!).

 

On our MSC Divina cruise they sold beverage packages where you would get coupons to exchange for drinks instead of charges to your card. As an example, you could get a package that gave you 7 times 15 coupons. It worked well after they ironed out a few kinks the first day or so; on regular cruises the waiters would sometimes write what was ordered on the back of the coupon slowing down the process. Once they had it down to "order, exchange coupons, take drink" beverage service sped up. There were some that did not like the coupon system and there were mishaps (like getting into a pool with a book of stamps in your swimsuit pocket).

 

Regarding the unlimited drinks packages on MSC: while the MSC website allowed you to pre-purchase that package, RSVP repeatedly said that the option was not available and to not buy it online; some people still went ahead and bought it anyway. The sales were nullified.

 

I have sailed on the Eurodam three times and it is my favorite HAL ship. The last time I was on it was in February 2013 and I have always enjoyed the ship. I have not seen a terrible cabin - and I have been inside anything from an inside to the penthouse.

 

As you can see from my long signature list, I'm pretty versed in Charter cruising. You are correct that there is a lot more volume, thus a lot more potential for error. But the no signature thing is not just for the charter, as evidenced in above postings.

 

As for the drink package, they do offer it periodically on charters. In February this year it was offered on South America. The contract for the charter dictates a alcohol minimum or the charter company must make up the difference, thus the sometimes it is offered but most of the time it is not.

 

It's great that you enjoy Eurodam. We all have our cruise preferences, and we all defend our choices fiercely. It is interesting to read these threads and just watch, and I'm guilty of it as well. :-)

[andrewhuston]

Things have certainly changed. All cruises before, 2009 back, all I did was tell server room number and no card to swipe.

 

From now on, I will stand at the bar to order drinks, and watch the bartender swipe my card.

 

After all, I'm not dependent on being waited on by a waiter.

Edited August 2, 2014 by andrewhuston

[Boytjie]

As for the drink package, they do offer it periodically on charters. In February this year it was offered on South America. The contract for the charter dictates a alcohol minimum or the charter company must make up the difference, thus the sometimes it is offered but most of the time it is not.

 

Unlimited packages? That is now what Rich Cambell told us on the last RSVP cruise. Once only.

 

[Oh, I never looked at your signature ;)]

Edited August 3, 2014 by Boytjie

[sail7seas]

Unlimited packages? That is now what Rich Cambell told us on the last RSVP cruise. Once only.

 

[Oh, I never looked at your signature ;)]

 

 

I've noticed the length of the signature.

Impressive, Really LONG list. :) :D

 

Interesting post about the system's default if a magnetic strip isn't read.

I can't recall ever hearing that but something to file away someplace in the my mind. I'm not careful about reading slips I expect to be small. Need to be more attentive.

 

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

PLEASE always check you bill ..

[Cindy]

After reading these comments I am very happy we purchase beverage cards. Even though they are not discounted, it is so easy to keep track of any drinks we buy. DH puts his name on the back of the card(s) and checks it is indeed his when the card is returned. Check the new receipt they give you, compare the balance to the old one and that's it. You only have to keep the current receipt and have no others to keep track of. Easy peasy!

 

That is very interesting. I have to make a trip to the front desk a few times each cruise to correct magnetic strip failure so it would be safe to assume that others do as well.

That makes the case for buying beverage cards even more compelling. Then bar charges on your room account will jump off the page at you.

 

We also purchased beverage cards on our two HAL cruises. We liked the convenience and not having to keep up with a bunch of receipts. The cards worked like a dream on our Noordam cruise, but we had a lot of problems on the Westerdam. Several times one of us was told we couldn't use the card for a special or a drink of the day. That made no sense to us because the card wasn't discounted -- it should have been just like using any pre-paid card anywhere, or a straight-up charge to our on-board account.