Response to my letter to HAL regarding Voyage of Vikings

[Riversedge]

About a month ago I posted a letter I had written to Orlando Ashford regarding our experiences on the Voyage of the Vikings.  I was asked to post a response if I heard back from HAL.  This is the 3 page letter I got in return.  If you recall the letter,  I did not ask for anything of monetary value.  I just wanted to make them aware of things we were happy with and things we were not.  I’m not normally a letter writer but it would probably be a good thing if HAL’s head office heard from us more often.  Do I expect anything to change?  No.  But I was impressed that they addressed each of my concerns and didn’t just send a “sorry” canned response.  

Linda

[doublebzz]

It always pays to address one's concerns in writing.  In this case, a cabin upgrade and drink credit seems fair.

[VacationCharlene]

Hey Linda!

Thank You for posting HAL's reply regarding your concerns on this past VOV.  Bill and I were bummed to read how disappointed you two had been with the cruise, when WE had such a great time.  Actually, we enjoyed it so much that we are anxiously awaiting the 2021 VOV to show up so we can book!

There have been changes, for sure, as ALL cruise lines seem to be making cuts.  We agree that most people really miss the full blown entertainment "shows" the most. We TOTALLY agree that it is wrong for HAL to ask their guests to pay for shuttles into towns.  The $20 per person, each way, was ridiculous!! That was absurd for sure. Personally, we wish they had better options of beers on board and offered more of the local beers related to our cruise.

Glad to see you have another HAL cruise planned for next year and hope it is awesome!  Even though you did not ask for any compensation from your dissatisfaction, it IS nice that HAL offered you a few perks.  Bill and I hope to meet up with you guys on another cruise in the near future.  Keep in touch please.

Again, Thanks for following up with your recent post.  Hello to Ed!!!!

Happy sailing, Bill and Charlene

Edited October 26, 2019 by VacationingCharlene

[GeezerCouple]

Thanks for sharing this reply from HAL.

 

It is definitely more responsive than the canned "for anything/anyone" type of reply letter, even though it may or may not indicate any real reflection of how much attention they pay to the specifics.  It would be nice to think if they bother with letters like this, then they might at least give *some* serious consideration to the feedback they get.

 

I do hope the extras they've offered take the sting/annoyance out of your memories just a bit, even though it can't change your experience at the time.

 

GC

[Sir PMP]

I must say that this was a response that I expected from Hal in the old days, it was a very good response and it also tells me that certain changes they made, not for the better, are being looked at again, maybe they will go back to they way things were.

[canadianbear]

I agree with others this was a nice letter to receive and for them to offer what they did.  Hopefully improvements will be made because of you bringing it too their attention.  

 

Enjoy  your cruise in January!

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the follow up.

Hope you enjoy your next cruise.

[ski ww]

Thanks for your follow up. The only way to fix something that's broken is to let people know you have a problem. I also have written to head office about things I found that I wasn't happy with and I did get a letter back addressing my concerns. So other then filling out those post cruise surveys it does pay to let the head office know you're not happy. Hope you enjoy your next cruise.

[Riversedge]

Charlene and Bill, it was so great to meet you.  We are hoping that you are on a future cruise so that you can plan our shore excursions!  

 

We didn’t have a bad cruise; just felt there were a lot of things HAL could have done better.  I think those that primarily dined in the Lido had a different experience than us.  Our waiter and assistant were not good, but how can they be when they were so overworked.  We loved the ports and consider ourselves fortunate to have seen so much even tho we felt the onboard experience was lacking.  Missing the old HAL I guess.  We are looking forward to our next cruise and we’ll see if it’s our last on HAL.  Regardless, I hope we have a chance to sail with you again in the future. 

Linda

[Mary229]

I am not surprised.  Both times I constructively complained to HAL they responded graciously with conciliatory compensation.   
 

As much as I enjoyed the VOV and hope to go again they do need to improve that journey being sure the ship and staff is in top shape for this signature voyage 

[Lovely other]

Glad you got a positive response to your letter . Could I ask what email you wrote to please ?  I had some problems on my recent cruise that escalated to the point where I considered leaving the ship early. So far UK customer services are giving me the run around so I’d like to take it higher. Thanks 

[sevenseasnomad]

Thanks for sharing the response with us.  HAL has been most fair, both in their addressing your concerns and giving you category upgrade and perk.  I have only written corporate one time.  On our 2010 Zuiderdam cruise, my Autistic son was welcomed both by staff and guests to such an extent that he experienced a break-through and had a fabulous time, a first for him on a vacation, where normally we encountered such prejudice. 

 

I simply wanted them to know how much I appreciated their kindness in dealing with my son.  We had scheduled another cruise in 2011.  When corporate wrote back, they indicated that on our next cruise we'd receive something "special."  Yes, indeed, we did.  First, someone met us at the prier and walked us through check-in and into the suite/upper Mariner waiting area.  At the time we weren't even 2-star yet.  Right before, they called for embarkation, this same person escorted us to the gangway and told us to board the ship.  We felt really special, but the goodies kept coming. 

 

Our cabin had a lovely fresh flower arrangement with a bottle of wine, free spa treatments, free sodas for our son, VIP treatment for the Front Desk, which meant we never stood in line the few times we used this service.  We were invited to a couple of parties that regular cabin passengers don't receive an invitation for and a free shore excursion.  We were floored at their generosity.  

 

I'm glad everything turned out well for you and hope your next cruise meets expectations better than what you experienced on VOV.

Edited October 26, 2019 by sevenseasnomad

[Riversedge]

1 hour ago, sevenseasnomad said:

Thanks for sharing the response with us.  HAL has been most fair, both in their addressing your concerns and giving you category upgrade and perk.  I have only written corporate one time.  On our 2010 Zuiderdam cruise, my Autistic son was welcomed both by staff and guests to such an extent that he experienced a break-through and had a fabulous time, a first for him on a vacation, where normally we encountered such prejudice. 

 

I simply wanted them to know how much I appreciated their kindness in dealing with my son.  We had scheduled another cruise in 2011.  When corporate wrote back, they indicated that on our next cruise we'd receive something "special."  Yes, indeed, we did.  First, someone met us at the prier and walked us through check-in and into the suite/upper Mariner waiting area.  At the time we weren't even 2-star yet.  Right before, they called for embarkation, this same person escorted us to the gangway and told us to board the ship.  We felt really special, but the goodies kept coming. 

 

Our cabin had a lovely fresh flower arrangement with a bottle of wine, free spa treatments, free sodas for our son, VIP treatment for the Front Desk, which meant we never stood in line the few times we used this service.  We were invited to a couple of parties that regular cabin passengers don't receive an invitation for and a free shore excursion.  We were floored at their generosity.  

 

I'm glad everything turned out well for you and hope your next cruise meets expectations better than what you experienced on VOV.

 

 

What a touching story.  I’m so glad you shared it with us.  HAL was so generous and gave you memories to last a lifetime. 

[sevenseasnomad]

1 minute ago, Riversedge said:

 

 

What a touching story.  I’m so glad you shared it with us.  HAL was so generous and gave you memories to last a lifetime. 

Yes, they were, and thank you.  But the most wonderful memories came from seeing our son accepted as a person rather than viewed as an oddity.  I cried so many tears of joy during that cruise.  At one point, when I saw him by the pool with some 20 and 30-somethings who just accepted and welcomed him into their group, I started back through the Lido, and I was crying.  I can't tell you how many staff and officers stopped and asked if I was okay.  I smiled and explained that everything was almost perfect, and I was crying tears of joy.  I'm sure they thought I was a very strange woman.  Those experiences are one reason my son will only sail HAL.  We tried other lines prior to landing at HAL, and all of those cruises were disasters.

[puppycanducruise]

9 hours ago, sevenseasnomad said:

Yes, they were, and thank you.  But the most wonderful memories came from seeing our son accepted as a person rather than viewed as an oddity.  I cried so many tears of joy during that cruise.  At one point, when I saw him by the pool with some 20 and 30-somethings who just accepted and welcomed him into their group, I started back through the Lido, and I was crying.  I can't tell you how many staff and officers stopped and asked if I was okay.  I smiled and explained that everything was almost perfect, and I was crying tears of joy.  I'm sure they thought I was a very strange woman.  Those experiences are one reason my son will only sail HAL.  We tried other lines prior to landing at HAL, and all of those cruises were disasters.

 

Thank you for sharing your story.

I got teary eyed reading it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for sharing the letter you got from Seattle.

 

It is always a good thing to let Seattle know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong.  And hopefully some good will come of it.  Changes can always be made.

[knittinggirl]

Thanks for posting the response.

 

What's Orlando Ashford's Mailing address?  I thought I would get some response after my end of cruise evaluation, but nothing.

[Riversedge]

The address I used was:

 

Orlando Ashford

Holland America Line

450 Third Avenue West

Seattle, WA 98119

 

I doubt they reply to the end of the cruise evaluation.  My husband and I both gave them low marks in many areas and didn't get a response from that.  Who knows who actually looks at the survey.  I feel that snail mail is better than email.  At least it sits on someone's desk until they deal with it.

 

 

[rjbean4]

Wow was this nice to read. I sent  letter of complaint after our 04-05 holiday cruise on the Rotterdam because of quite a few problems we had  and I certainly did not get a response like this. The experience we had was so bad that at that point we just decided not to cruise on the Rotterdam any more and since then we have stuck to this. 

 

I have already noticed one change that I am certainly not happy with since our last cruise and it involves the unlimited Coke Freestyle machines that are on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. It now looks like when one person in a cabin wants to get it others in the same cabin now also have to. So its like other drink packages. Up till when we were on the Nieuw Statendam over the Holidays last year I could get the unlimited Cup for the Coke Freestyle machine as I do like to have some and make  some of the different flavors. They are making very difficult for people to get these type of packages when maybe one person wants to get on package and another person in the cabin wants to get a different one.  We will be back on the Nieuw Statendam in December for the Holidays again and looks like I wont be able to do my unlimited Cup for the machine as I have seen on line that this can be purchased ahead of time but says that everyone in the cabin has to get it. For us this just doesn't work so no more.

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 minutes ago, rjbean4 said:

Wow was this nice to read. I sent  letter of complaint after our 04-05 holiday cruise on the Rotterdam because of quite a few problems we had  and I certainly did not get a response like this. The experience we had was so bad that at that point we just decided not to cruise on the Rotterdam any more and since then we have stuck to this. 

 

I have already noticed one change that I am certainly not happy with since our last cruise and it involves the unlimited Coke Freestyle machines that are on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. It now looks like when one person in a cabin wants to get it others in the same cabin now also have to. So its like other drink packages. Up till when we were on the Nieuw Statendam over the Holidays last year I could get the unlimited Cup for the Coke Freestyle machine as I do like to have some and make  some of the different flavors. They are making very difficult for people to get these type of packages when maybe one person wants to get on package and another person in the cabin wants to get a different one.  We will be back on the Nieuw Statendam in December for the Holidays again and looks like I wont be able to do my unlimited Cup for the machine as I have seen on line that this can be purchased ahead of time but says that everyone in the cabin has to get it. For us this just doesn't work so no more.

 

Unfortunately, people have probably abused the packages by only one person buying the package but two using it. I'm not accusing you of doing this, but I'm sure some people do.

 

[sevenseasnomad]

35 minutes ago, rjbean4 said:

 

We will be back on the Nieuw Statendam in December for the Holidays again. . .

Off the thread topic.  Have you joined our roll call?  If not, come on over and join.

 

Now, back to the thread topic, everyone, . . . .

[rjbean4]

33 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Unfortunately, people have probably abused the packages by only one person buying the package but two using it. I'm not accusing you of doing this, but I'm sure some people do.

 

Yeah I'm sure this could be what caused the change and as it is the cost of this has gone up at least $2 per day since it first came out on the Koningsdam.  It gets to the point that its a lot of Soda per day to consume to make it worth it and a lot of what isn't good for us to begin with.

[rjbean4]

6 minutes ago, sevenseasnomad said:

Off the thread topic.  Have you joined our roll call?  If not, come on over and join.

 

Now, back to the thread topic, everyone, . . . .

Oh thanks for the info. I didn't know there was one but then again i haven't looked. 

 

Mom and I were on  N.S. for 18 days Last Christmas & New years and also the 4 night ahead of the Christmas cruise. Haven't cruise since as the 2 that we had booked for this month were both canceled as we were going to do one or the other.

[knittinggirl]

Riversedge mentioned missing laundry, so this had me wondering.  How do passengers fill out the laundry form?  We just put the number of each type of item, but I'm wondering if we should put some additional description.  It may help to put the color and type of item, so we can refer to it later if needed.

 

On Royal Caribbean, we got some free laundry, and we ended up getting another passenger's laundry.  But we did get our clothes back before the end of the cruise.

[Tbay]

I take pictures of my laundry. Never had to use them, but I would have a record. It's also helpful to have a picture of your suitcase, in case it goes missing.