Zuiderdam experience an anomaly?

[bayjoens]

After several RCL and Princess cruises, we were looking forward to experiencing the HAL, having heard they were a cut-above the others. We took advantage of a great deal for a short segment of a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco. Other passengers were on board from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale and I am glad I was not one of them.

 

We were disappointed because the ship felt old and tired. The cabins weren't all that well laid out or appointed. The crew was very friendly for the most part. We left our used towels on the floor so they would be replaced, as instructed by the signage in our cabin. Our steward just picked them up, folded them and put them back in the bathroom. We called and asked for replacements, which they brought but didn't take the dirty ones which we have removed and again placed on the floor for clarity. This time we put them outside our cabin door. Yes, our mistake!!! But the crew member who knocked on our door was very rude about it. We could have been informed of our mistake with more courtesy.

 

The food was definitely better than the RCL food we had recently but it not as good as expected. I ordered and was served a lovely cheese plate but they gave me packaged saltines with it. Really?

 

At the spa, I was given a robe to change into for my treatment and although clean, it was very ragged and the belt was in grey and shabby. The massage table's legs were uneven and wobbled during my treatment. When I told the masseuse, she said nothing could be done. Oh well.

 

Also the "On Location" daily bulletin on one of the days had the day wrong. It was titled SUNDAY, instead of MONDAY, but the date was right. Later we saw that they corrected this by sticking a label over the mistake. There was also another slight typo in it. None of this is life-changing but it felt like lack of attention to detail and unprofessionalism.

 

I've always heard such great things about HAL. Was this an anomaly or fairly typical of the line? I know it was a repositioning cruise and not full, but shouldn't consistency and attention to detail, no matter what the destination or passenger attendance, be something worth striving for?

[Boytjie]

My guess would be that it was a bit of an anomaly, though maybe not so much for short cruises that are notoriously not a perfect reflection of the cruise line. I have read that of various lines, not just HAL; we did a 4-day cruise on QM2 and while we had a marvelous time, some people did complain that it was not the same as a longer cruise.

 

Them not replacing the towels on the floor is unacceptable, but dropping them in the hallway is a bad idea as it can cause an obstruction for people passing by, especially those with mobility issues.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Boytjie

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree -- I think it was just an anomaly.

About the towels -- many years ago we tried RCI (before they came along with their Mega ships). We also put our dirty towels on the floor and the cabin steward would just pick them up from the dirty floor and put them back on the rack. After a couple of days we went to the front deck to report this. Also he would never fill the ice bucket and we would constantly have to call for ice. Back then, they had regular bed spreads -- he removed ours the first night and we never saw them again. He put the pillows in the middle of the bed -- strange.

Never sailed on them again.

[cbr663]

In our experience, it is fairly typical of the line. I have also read others commenting on the general overall shabbiness on the line and poor service. I have also read others commenting on errors being found in the On Location publication.

[DaveOKC]

After several RCL and Princess cruises, we were looking forward to experiencing the HAL, having heard they were a cut-above the others. We took advantage of a great deal for a short segment of a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco. Other passengers were on board from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale and I am glad I was not one of them.

 

We were disappointed because the ship felt old and tired. The cabins weren't all that well laid out or appointed. The crew was very friendly for the most part. We left our used towels on the floor so they would be replaced, as instructed by the signage in our cabin. Our steward just picked them up, folded them and put them back in the bathroom. We called and asked for replacements, which they brought but didn't take the dirty ones which we have removed and again placed on the floor for clarity. This time we put them outside our cabin door. Yes, our mistake!!! But the crew member who knocked on our door was very rude about it. We could have been informed of our mistake with more courtesy.

 

The food was definitely better than the RCL food we had recently but it not as good as expected. I ordered and was served a lovely cheese plate but they gave me packaged saltines with it. Really?

 

At the spa, I was given a robe to change into for my treatment and although clean, it was very ragged and the belt was in grey and shabby. The massage table's legs were uneven and wobbled during my treatment. When I told the masseuse, she said nothing could be done. Oh well.

 

Also the "On Location" daily bulletin on one of the days had the day wrong. It was titled SUNDAY, instead of MONDAY, but the date was right. Later we saw that they corrected this by sticking a label over the mistake. There was also another slight typo in it. None of this is life-changing but it felt like lack of attention to detail and unprofessionalism.

 

I've always heard such great things about HAL. Was this an anomaly or fairly typical of the line? I know it was a repositioning cruise and not full, but shouldn't consistency and attention to detail, no matter what the destination or passenger attendance, be something worth striving for?

 

Last Fall we were on a Coastal like yours for 5 days on the Statendam. Like others have stated already, the service (and a few other things) were not as good as we normally experience on a 7 day or longer HAL cruise.

 

Since your cruise was only 3 days, it does not surprise me that things were "not up to par". I have found that on a "not routine" cruises the crew seem to be less efficient and/or organized. Hopefully this was part of your issues.

 

Please give HAL another chance (on at least a 7 day) as we have found them to be a great line.

 

DaveOKC

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree -- I think it was just an anomaly.

 

About the towels -- many years ago we tried RCI (before they came along with their Mega ships). We also put our dirty towels on the floor and the cabin steward would just pick them up from the dirty floor and put them back on the rack. After a couple of days we went to the front deck to report this. Also he would never fill the ice bucket and we would constantly have to call for ice. Back then, they had regular bed spreads -- he removed ours the first night and we never saw them again. He put the pillows in the middle of the bed -- strange.

 

Never sailed on them again.

 

 

Sorry -- meant to say "desk".

[freestyling]

This truly does not sound "normal" for HAL. I have heard on various forums that cruiseline standards seem to move south with short itineraries. This IMHO is unacceptable as well. It does seem however when I have 1 or 2 below expectation incidences that I notice many "little" things. Perhaps this is just human nature or my particular problem:). I have to watch myself and remember I'm here to relax and enjoy.

[ger_77]

 

Also the "On Location" daily bulletin on one of the days had the day wrong. It was titled SUNDAY, instead of MONDAY, but the date was right. Later we saw that they corrected this by sticking a label over the mistake. There was also another slight typo in it. None of this is life-changing but it felt like lack of attention to detail and unprofessionalism.

quote]

 

I spent the last 26 years working in an office where we put out a newsletter every 2 weeks; 4 of us worked on it and all read it before it went out. You would not believe how often a minor typo (wrong day and/or date) would slip by, even after we had all apparently done our job with it. I would forgive the typo's, as they have to get the paperwork out to the passengers as quickly as possible and don't have the luxury of time for a lot of proofreading.

 

Regarding the towels - no, that was just wrong to place them back on the rack. A little more tact could have been used when the steward spoke with you about leaving them in the hallway, though. If speaking with the steward about replacing the towels didn't work, I would have called the front desk and asked to speak to the head of the Housekeeping Dept.

 

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[take us away]

Sorry about your anomalies on your cruise. We have not seen these as consistent issues but we do not do short cruises like yours so we also recommend you try a longer cruise before you discard HAL from your options list. Typos bother me, as they do you, but then I remember that the majority of staff have English as a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) language and the volume of paperwork that the ship cranks out on a daily basis. Stuff happens!

[Roz]

Overall shabbiness of the line and poor service - not sure where this comment is coming from. Ships are always clean and well maintained, and service is good to excellent, in my experience.

 

I will say that things fall off a bit on shorter cruises. I've taken 3 Pacific Coastal cruises from San Diego to Vancouver, and 1 4-day cruise round trip from Seattle. Obviously the ship didn't become shabby in 4 days, but the service and food levels weren't exactly up to HAL's usual standards. I've been criticized by some for stating this, and told my expectations were too high for a short cruise. I don't understand why food and service at the end of Panama Canal can't be as good as at the beginning. Some people use the short cruises as testers, to see if they want to take a longer one on the same line. HAL doesn't necessarily put their best foot forward. I had talked up HAL to my sister, and she was somewhat disappointed in our 4-day cruise on the Amsterdam. If it weren't for the fact that we were in a Neptune suite, it would have been less than a stellar cruise.

 

Regarding the typos, I agree with the previous poster about English not being the first language of most of the crew. I saw the same thing in the Fun Times on my recent Carnival cruise to Alaska.

 

Roz

Edited October 1, 2014 by Roz

[voyageur9]

You would not believe how often a minor typo (wrong day and/or date) would slip by, even after we had all apparently done our job with it. I would forgive the typo's, as they have to get the paperwork out to the passengers as quickly as possible and don't have the luxury of time for a lot of proofreading.[/size][/font]

 

typos, no apostrophe, it's plural, not possessive

and, I agree, typos should be forgiven

Edited October 1, 2014 by voyageur9

[Linda&Vern]

In our experience, it is fairly typical of the line. I have also read others commenting on the general overall shabbiness on the line and poor service. I have also read others commenting on errors being found in the On Location publication.

Can I ask when the last time you cruised HAL was and which ship. Can you tell us about your personal experience. You seem so anti-HAL that I'm surprised you even bother posting here. A printing error or typo in the ship's activity publication seems like a pretty far reach to even comment on - especially if it wasn't even your experience. I'm just trying to better understand your posts.

[igraf]

Don't feed the trolls.....

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

Can I ask when the last time you cruised HAL was and which ship. Can you tell us about your personal experience. You seem so anti-HAL that I'm surprised you even bother posting here. A printing error or typo in the ship's activity publication seems like a pretty far reach to even comment on - especially if it wasn't even your experience. I'm just trying to better understand your posts.

[1of4]

Sounds like it was a bit of a miss. that is too bad as we really like HAL and after trying two other main stream lines we look at HAL's itineraries first.

 

Towels being put back is not acceptable, as you said. But a word with your cabin steward probably would have been better than putting them outside the door. Perhaps even placing them outside the bathroom door in your cabin would have been better if you didn't see your steward or, as others have said, a call to the front desk.

 

The other things you listed are nothing I would notice, probably. I would have asked the spa to fold some paper and put it under the table's leg if the noise was inturrupting your session. I would have reported it to the spa manager too.

 

I have never take a short cruise as I have heard the staff are just too rushed. I would like this was the case for you. We are about to embark on our longest cruise yet so I hope that I don't find the same.

 

Hope you find a longer itinerary to sail to really enjoy your vacation, whatever line you choose.

[igraf]

The towel problem was inexcusable and against HAL policy. You could have either complained (stick) or explained to the steward what you wanted along with a small gratuity (carrot). Sounds like they were short-handed on the small cruise segment.

 

You could have quickly shimmed the short table leg with anything on hand. Sometimes you just have to take care of a something yourself. I have been known to make temporary modifications in my stateroom!

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

...We left our used towels on the floor so they would be replaced, as instructed by the signage in our cabin. Our steward just picked them up, folded them and put them back in the bathroom. We called and asked for replacements, which they brought but didn't take the dirty ones which we have removed and again placed on the floor for clarity. ..

 

...The massage table's legs were uneven and wobbled during my treatment. When I told the masseuse, she said nothing could be done. Oh well.

 

...

Edited October 1, 2014 by igraf

[Linda&Vern]

Don't feed the trolls.....

 

igraf

 

You know what ... as soon as I hit submit that thought crossed my mind also. :eek:

 

.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Linda&Vern

[hrhdhd]

In our experience, it is fairly typical of the line. I have also read others commenting on the general overall shabbiness on the line and poor service. I have also read others commenting on errors being found in the On Location publication.

 

Be glad you haven't spent time employed as a proofreader; the errors are plentiful and hard to overlook.

 

Saying they don't have a lot of time to proofread is nonsense. They reuse many of the articles for each sailing (e.g., the introduction of the captain and the cruise director) and could easily hire a freelancer to read those before they are used. (I'll do it! ;))

 

I rarely, if ever, find a mistake in the New York Times update, and they operate on a one-day turnaround as well.

[cbr663]

Can I ask when the last time you cruised HAL was and which ship. Can you tell us about your personal experience. You seem so anti-HAL that I'm surprised you even bother posting here. A printing error or typo in the ship's activity publication seems like a pretty far reach to even comment on - especially if it wasn't even your experience. I'm just trying to better understand your posts.

 

My last cruise on HAL was April of this year on the Volendam. It was an Alaskan cruise. You can read my review of that cruise here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=254932.

 

A little research and it could be found. There was little need for the personal attack.

[Roz]

I didn't read Linda&Vern's post as a personal attack against you. A legitimate question was asked.

 

Roz

[cbr663]

<snip>

I will say that things fall off a bit on shorter cruises. I've taken 3 Pacific Coastal cruises from San Diego to Vancouver, and 1 4-day cruise round trip from Seattle. Obviously the ship didn't become shabby in 4 days, but the service and food levels weren't exactly up to HAL's usual standards. I've been criticized by some for stating this, and told my expectations were too high for a short cruise. I don't understand why food and service at the end of Panama Canal can't be as good as at the beginning. Some people use the short cruises as testers, to see if they want to take a longer one on the same line. HAL doesn't necessarily put their best foot forward. I had talked up HAL to my sister, and she was somewhat disappointed in our 4-day cruise on the Amsterdam. If it weren't for the fact that we were in a Neptune suite, it would have been less than a stellar cruise.

 

 

I agree that it is unfortunate. Our very first HAL cruise was a 4-day repositioning from San Diego to Vancouver many years ago aboard the Veendam. My DW had previously cruised with Princess and was not interested in returning, so we decided to try this short cruise as a tester. It was a wonderful cruise. We often talk about even now, all these years later. We don't remember many details about it, but we do remember having a wonderful vacation and thoroughly enjoying it. Those shorter, tester cruises can make a difference between a loyal cruiser and one who never returns.

[Mary Ellen]

We recently cruised with a friend who had done a Panama Canal cruise to California that continued up the coast to Vancouver. She said 'never again' would she include the short segment up the coast. The entire 'vibe' of the ship changed. So, yes I would say the cruise you took wasn't typical for HAL.

 

That said, I've sailed on the Zuiderdam once and have no plans on doing another cruise on her. I generally don't care for that class of the HAL ships, in part because the cabins are better on the older ships. That ship just had too many issues all around.

 

There is no excuse for the towels nor the rude behavior by the crew when the OP (inappropriately) put the used towels out in the hall.

 

The daily program (now On Location) that sadly isn't an anomaly. We've noticed many errors over the years in those. One cruise there were so many it was funny. One of the errors was it listed the wrong Captain (this was several days into the cruise).

 

IMO the short 'intro' cruises really don't give a proper feel for any cruise line. My brother and SIL won't consider Princess because of a very poor experience on a 1-nighter from Vancouver to Seattle.

[sp2]

 

You could have quickly shimmed the short table leg with anything on hand. Sometimes you just have to take care of a something yourself. I have been known to make temporary modifications in my stateroom!

 

igraf

 

Really? I don't think anyone should have to jump off the massage table (most likely while not clothed) and start looking to shim the table leg themselves.

 

Massages are expensive onboard ship; I think there should have been more effort made by the staff to fix the problem in this case.

[littlelulu01]

We were on the same cruise and I did not feel the typo detracted from our experience. I did not even notice it. The information for the day was otherwise accurate.

 

I think the majority of passengers were on board for the duration. I was told 400 passengers were debarking in San Francisco, and many of those debarking had been on for the Alaska portion as well as the three night repositioning. It seemed to me that the three day journey was only for a few passengers and the hurried service was not evident that one might find on a typical repositioning cruise where the majority of passengers would debark after the three days.

 

I was not impressed with the spa but it was not due to the quality of the robes. The robes I had were fine. I just didn't like the spa area compared with other ships we've been on.

 

We also thought the food was very good in comparison to other lines, dining room service good, staff attentive. Met many wonderful positive people and also had the misfortune of conversing with a few passengers whom had nothing to do but complain. I stopped being polite when this would occur and just walked away rather than continue listening to negative commentary.

[kjw869]

After several RCL and Princess cruises, we were looking forward to experiencing the HAL, having heard they were a cut-above the others. We took advantage of a great deal for a short segment of a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco. Other passengers were on board from Vancouver to Fort Lauderdale and I am glad I was not one of them.

 

We were disappointed because the ship felt old and tired. The cabins weren't all that well laid out or appointed. The crew was very friendly for the most part. We left our used towels on the floor so they would be replaced, as instructed by the signage in our cabin. Our steward just picked them up, folded them and put them back in the bathroom. We called and asked for replacements, which they brought but didn't take the dirty ones which we have removed and again placed on the floor for clarity. This time we put them outside our cabin door. Yes, our mistake!!! But the crew member who knocked on our door was very rude about it. We could have been informed of our mistake with more courtesy.

 

The food was definitely better than the RCL food we had recently but it not as good as expected. I ordered and was served a lovely cheese plate but they gave me packaged saltines with it. Really?

 

At the spa, I was given a robe to change into for my treatment and although clean, it was very ragged and the belt was in grey and shabby. The massage table's legs were uneven and wobbled during my treatment. When I told the masseuse, she said nothing could be done. Oh well.

 

Also the "On Location" daily bulletin on one of the days had the day wrong. It was titled SUNDAY, instead of MONDAY, but the date was right. Later we saw that they corrected this by sticking a label over the mistake. There was also another slight typo in it. None of this is life-changing but it felt like lack of attention to detail and unprofessionalism.

 

I've always heard such great things about HAL. Was this an anomaly or fairly typical of the line? I know it was a repositioning cruise and not full, but shouldn't consistency and attention to detail, no matter what the destination or passenger attendance, be something worth striving for?

 

No, this is certainly not the type of service we've seen on 16 HAL cruises, including the Zuiderdam in May. The stewards have always replaced the towels if we left them on the floor, or on the shelf under the sink.

 

I was on a short repo cruise on HAL a few years back, and I can assure you, it certainly was not representative of the longer cruises that we've taken on this line. I've read in the past on CC that cruisers are taking the one-day (overnight) cruise from Seattle to Vancouver or vice-versa, as they want to experience the cruise line. Not possible.

 

On HAL, you won't find the chrome and the glass, rock climbing walls, hairy chest or belly flop contests nor a lawn on their ships. Hopefully, that never will happen to this 140-year old cruise line.

[cbr663]

<snip>

 

I was on a short repo cruise on HAL a few years back, and I can assure you, it certainly was not representative of the longer cruises that we've taken on this line. I've read in the past on CC that cruisers are taking the one-day (overnight) cruise from Seattle to Vancouver or vice-versa, as they want to experience the cruise line. Not possible.

 

 

It is most unfortunate that that is the case. I can certainly appreciate that it would be a huge leap of faith for someone to book say a 30 day cruise after experiencing a less than stellar 4 day cruise.