Club Orange cancelled by HA two days before cruise

[kentuckycruiser]

We booked our cruise four or five months ago via a PCC and paid for CO for ourselves and the children's room. Last evening, about 36 hours before we board in Copenhagen, we received an email that CO was oversold, and it was taken away from our reservations.

 

They offered to refund the cost of the CO plus $50 per person OBC. I am very disappointed as now I need to scramble when on board for other dinner reservations.

 

We are 3 star and cruise about once or twice a year. 

 

I have never heard of this happening but haven't kept track of recent travelers. 

[kentuckycruiser]

If anyone has a contact number I would appreciate it, our PCC has vanished. I also just checked our account and I assumed the "refund" would be $350 per stateroom but it is $151 for one room and $296 for the other, so that makes zero sense. The refund is showing on our balance statement for the cruise purchase. 

 

Is this something I can discuss with someone onboard the ship? 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Give Holland a call ..

[kentuckycruiser]

3 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Give Holland a call ..

Sigh.....

[d9704011]

16 minutes ago, kentuckycruiser said:

Sigh.....

Try  Ships Inventory at 1-888-628-8107 or 206-626-7381.

[cbr663]

1 hour ago, kentuckycruiser said:

If anyone has a contact number I would appreciate it, our PCC has vanished. I also just checked our account and I assumed the "refund" would be $350 per stateroom but it is $151 for one room and $296 for the other, so that makes zero sense. The refund is showing on our balance statement for the cruise purchase. 

 

Is this something I can discuss with someone onboard the ship? 

 

I would try Ship Inventory as that is the department that manages CO.  You may have more luck for a successful resolution with them than on the ship.

 

CO was oversold on our sailing last Nov also.  I was surprised that they oversell it, but I guess they consider it like fares and figure some people simply won't show up and sail.  We were on the Koningsdam with the separate CO dining room and it lead to poor service in the dining room.

 

[REOVA]

Once onboard guest services will wash their hands. Needs to be resolved with Corp office beforehand. If it wasn't on a Pinnacle Ship, I wouldn't be upset but since on NS ask for more OBC to cover more nights in Pinnacle Grill dinners. 

[TiogaCruiser]

Is CO sold as an add on online or only via phone call?

[tupper10]

3 hours ago, kentuckycruiser said:

We booked our cruise four or five months ago via a PCC and paid for CO for ourselves and the children's room. Last evening, about 36 hours before we board in Copenhagen, we received an email that CO was oversold, and it was taken away from our reservations.

 

They offered to refund the cost of the CO plus $50 per person OBC. I am very disappointed as now I need to scramble when on board for other dinner reservations.

 

We are 3 star and cruise about once or twice a year. 

 

I have never heard of this happening but haven't kept track of recent travelers. 

Corporate contacts are available on the elliott advocacy web site- I would send an email to all of them with your concerns and the resolution that you want for the removal of CO.  

[kentuckycruiser]

1 hour ago, cbr663 said:

 

I would try Ship Inventory as that is the department that manages CO.  You may have more luck for a successful resolution with them than on the ship.

 

CO was oversold on our sailing last Nov also.  I was surprised that they oversell it, but I guess they consider it like fares and figure some people simply won't show up and sail.  We were on the Koningsdam with the separate CO dining room and it lead to poor service in the dining room.

 

Do you have a number for ship inventory?

[Alberta Quilter]

28 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Is CO sold as an add on online or only via phone call?

Only directly with HAL, not online.  Which is why this makes no sense.  I'm really sorry to hear of this issue, OP.  Not what one wants to have happen right before departure.  Please keep us posted of any resolution.

[vinonme2]

3 minutes ago, kentuckycruiser said:

Do you have a number for ship inventory?

Try 1-888-628-8107  or   1-206-626-7381

[kentuckycruiser]

8 minutes ago, vinonme2 said:

Try 1-888-628-8107  or   1-206-626-7381

Thanks I missed your earlier post. Sitting at AMS airport now waiting for office to open. 

[TiogaCruiser]

Having booked it so long ago (4-5 months), clearly your booking is hardly likely to be the one that oversold it… so why should you be the one to lose it?

 

That really stinks. Wishing you success in getting it back.

[sunviking90]

If you can’t get a resolution from ship’s inventory, I would plead ignorance, and show up at the CO dining room. Or, present your keys at guest services when you embark and ask why they are not the right colour.. 36 hours before sailing?? And you’re in transit? They can’t expect you even to have received the email in a timely manner. 

Edited May 31 by sunviking90

[Ellencruise]

Could have been an AI generated error email!

[kentuckycruiser]

5 minutes ago, Ellencruise said:

Could have been an AI generated error email!

Both of our accounts received it. Plus per my second post each of our accounts is showing a credit but less than cost is CO. I wonder if they ended up charging us for the upgraded Cabin selected with the CO. 

[Alberta Quilter]

1 minute ago, kentuckycruiser said:

Both of our accounts received it. Plus per my second post each of our accounts is showing a credit but less than cost is CO. I wonder if they ended up charging us for the upgraded Cabin selected with the CO. 

Oooh, that would burn my butt if they did that!  Sure hope you get the full credit, if you truly cannot get CO, and keep the upgraded cabin. After all, it's not like you overbooked it yourself.  They made the error; they need to fix it in a way that is acceptable to you.

[TiogaCruiser]

2 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

If you can’t get a resolution from ship’s inventory, I would plead ignorance, and show up at the CO dining room. Or, present your keys at guest services when you embark and ask why they are not the right colour.. 36 hours before sailing?? And you’re in transit? They can’t expect you even to have received the email in a timely manner. 

And of course, have your receipt ready 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

2 hours ago, kentuckycruiser said:

Both of our accounts received it. Plus per my second post each of our accounts is showing a credit but less than cost is CO. I wonder if they ended up charging us for the upgraded Cabin selected with the CO. 

Sadly I think this is what did happen with not getting the full refund but that would have been the computer adjusting the price. I will say this is VERY Wrong on Holland America's part.

[KAKcruiser]

How can you trust them with anything when they do things like this?  If CO was oversold, maybe they should still have accommodated them.  How much difficulty would it be to have a few extra people?  And, if they were charged for the upgraded cabin, that would be just unbelievable.  I agree that this should be straightened out with corporate before the cruise.

[sunviking90]

Let us know how this works out for you. If guest services can’t do anything on the ship for you (it’s not their fault after all)ask for the hotel manager. 🤞🏻 

Edited May 31 by sunviking90

[Iamthesea]

How old are your "children"?  If young, perhaps that is why you were cancelled before others were.  Or maybe because it was a booking for 4 persons versus 2. 

 

For whatever reason, I do think you deserve more in compensation.  Not necessarily OBC, but I would like to see a few extra meal offers for specialty dining.  As far as your stateroom goes, if there is no space available in the standard veranda staterooms for HAL to demote you, they should comp your upgrade.

 

I also wanted to add that CO sells out very quickly, so HAL could have cancelled you because you were among the last to book.  For our recent cruise we booked CO over a year out, as many frequent HAL and Club Orange cruisers do.  CO had become very popular!!!   Last year, we tried to book CO about 9 months out and it was sold out.  We were able to get on a waiting list and 2 spots opened up 3 months out.

Edited May 31 by Iamthesea

[kentuckycruiser]

Spent several hours on the phone getting transferred from one person to the next. Zero resolution. We are getting reimbursed about $480 of the $700 cost of CO. Was told by one person it was probably due to the room upgrade. (So much for us getting to “keep the upgrade”) Plus getting $50 per person OBC. Everyone was adamant that we are not entitled to anything more. Very discouraging. A lot of language barriers with most departments. 
Our PCC has disappeared. Probably with our $220. 🙄

[kentuckycruiser]

53 minutes ago, Iamthesea said:

How old are your "children"?  If young, perhaps that is why you were cancelled before others were.  Or maybe because it was a booking for 4 persons versus 2. 

 

For whatever reason, I do think you deserve more in compensation.  Not necessarily OBC, but I would like to see a few extra meal offers for specialty dining.  As far as your stateroom goes, if there is no space available in the standard veranda staterooms for HAL to demote you, they should comp your upgrade.

 

I also wanted to add that CO sells out very quickly, so HAL could have cancelled you because you were among the last to book.  For our recent cruise we booked CO over a year out, as many frequent HAL and Club Orange cruisers do.  CO had become very popular!!!   Last year, we tried to book CO about 9 months out and it was sold out.  We were able to get on a waiting list and 2 spots opened up 3 months out.

Our children are 18 and 20. We have one veranda and one inside room so two bookings and two full payments for CO.

Edited May 31 by kentuckycruiser