Club Orange cancelled by HA two days before cruise

[Roz]

This whole situation is bad. I'm sorry this happened to you and your family.  The so called compensation is hardly adequate. 

[KAKcruiser]

Maybe like someone suggested, ask to speak to the Hotel Manager once you get onboard.  Maybe he can still get you into CO.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

28 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

Maybe like someone suggested, ask to speak to the Hotel Manager once you get onboard.  Maybe he can still get you into CO.

I honestly do not think this will do any good at all. Ship Hotel Services can do nothing what was done previously. Their biggest problem is about 70% of the Inventory/Revenue Department calls are now answered by very untrained overseas call center employees. The OP really needs to talk with someone that actually works in Seattle in the Inventory/Revenue department. They are still open another 3 hours and about this time in the afternoon is when the Overseas center signs out. They really need to call that number between 4 and 5 Pacific time and speak with inventory at 1-888-628-8107

[kentuckycruiser]

6 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I honestly do not think this will do any good at all. Ship Hotel Services can do nothing what was done previously. Their biggest problem is about 70% of the Inventory/Revenue Department calls are now answered by very untrained overseas call center employees. The OP really needs to talk with someone that actually works in Seattle in the Inventory/Revenue department. They are still open another 3 hours and about this time in the afternoon is when the Overseas center signs out. They really need to call that number between 4 and 5 Pacific time and speak with inventory at 1-888-628-8107

Spoke with Ship Inventory (little English), then his manager, then the Resolution Desk. Also emailing with PCC dept. 

I’m an attorney so somewhat knowledgeable about how to handle matters but no one budged. Really unfortunate.

We called the number above but possibly that is now routed elsewhere.

[oaktreerb]

We have experienced Club Orange a few times.  It fills up with diners early and you may have to wait for a table.  On the Koningsdam a line would form outside the CO door about 15-20 minutes before the door opened.

 

 If I were in your situation I would go to the dining room maitre’d, explain what happened and choose the best table on the open dining level.  I would ask to have that table every evening at your chosen dining time.    That way you are creating your own fixed dining experience.  An oversold Club Orange is a problem for diners and waiters.  You should keep your staterooms at the agreed upon CO upgrade price.  You  need to be credited for the CO charge and given some OBC.

 

Now you can call a HAL rep for a current copy of your Booking Conformation.  That may show what they have done on their end.

[kentuckycruiser]

2 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

We have experienced Club Orange a few times.  It fills up with diners early and you may have to wait for a table.  On the Koningsdam a line would form outside the CO door about 15-20 minutes before the door opened.

 

 If I were in your situation I would go to the dining room maitre’d, explain what happened and choose the best table on the open dining level.  I would ask to have that table every evening at your chosen dining time.    That way you are creating your own fixed dining experience.  An oversold Club Orange is a problem for diners and waiters.  You should keep your staterooms at the agreed upon CO upgrade price.  You  need to be credited for the CO charge and given some OBC.

 

Now you can call a HAL rep for a current copy of your Booking Conformation.  That may show what they have done on their end.

I think the fixed open seating time can work well. I assume that is what we will end up doing. 
 

so I showed spouse some of the suggestions and he’s down in hotel lobby calling again. At this point I’ve given up and the hot hotel room is not helping matters. After midnight here in Copenhagen. 

[KAKcruiser]

I hope you are successful but if nothing works, try to make the best of it and have a great cruise.  But when you get back, I would send a letter and demand to be compensated for at least the upcharge on the cabin.

[cccole]

Wow.  Hal dropped the ball and has not stepped up to the plate to make things right.  It seems like there are more threads lately on rooms, services, and upgrades paid for that HAL decides they do not want to honor. It is actually shocking.  I'm sure you will have a great cruise but Hal really should make sure that you do.  JMO. Cherie 

[Haljo1935]

9 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. 

That was going to be my question for you until you said you received some amount of credit - what did they do about the charge for the cabin upgrade?

I've never heard of this and am sorry it's happening to you.

[tupper10]

We had an issue that was not resolved by the HAL telephone staff and I contacted corporate by email using the email contacts listed on the Elliott site.   I got a response and a satisfactory resolution. I strongly suggest that you do this prior to boarding the ship.  

[bajae]

Correct me if I have this wrong, but those in the Neptune Suites get club orange benefits, correct? If so, maybe there were some later bookings in the NS with 3 or 4 guests that pushed the CO numbers higher than planned for so they needed to reduce numbers somehow. 

[bennybear]

Yikes I’m sorry to hear this! I hope that Seattle can make things right for you. 
We booked CO, and now I’m nervous because we don’t have our new cabin number on the big box itinerary.  
 

@LAFFNVEGAS thanks for the insight about the off shore.  I had the strangest conversation  with guest services,  earlier this week when two unexpired refunds for FCD showed up without being requested.    The agent was nearly rude, insisted I’d called and it happened after 10 pm.   She curtly told me it couldn’t be escalated further, I asked her to investigate.   Methinks I’ll call back during your recommended hours!  

[vinonme2]

On 5/31/2024 at 8:49 PM, tupper10 said:

We had an issue that was not resolved by the HAL telephone staff and I contacted corporate by email using the email contacts listed on the Elliott site.   I got a response and a satisfactory resolution. I strongly suggest that you do this prior to boarding the ship.  

What/where is the "Elliott" site?  

Thank you.

[tupper10]

Just google Elliott advocacy . I can’t post a link on cruise critic.  

[SUESEABE]

https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/holland-america/

[NCTribeFan]

This is very concerning.  I always add CO when I book, and I typically book very early (just booked Nov 2025 and Jan 2026 cruises).  I booked my 17 nights on K'dam for next January in Dec 2023, and included CO, but changed my booking to 24 nights.

 

I noticed about a week ago that the balance due for that sailing on HAL's website was more than I had on my spreadsheet (I'm a CPA and I keep EVERYTHING on spreadsheets).  When I called my PCC to book the two new sailings for 2025 & 2026, I told her I thought when I'd changed my booking, they charged me for my CO cabin upgrade.  She put me on hold, got a supervisor, and came back to tell me I was exactly right, and it had been corrected.  I did not receive a new invoice, but the correct balance due now shows in my account.

 

I would be very unhappy to lose CO on a 24-night Pinnacle-class sailing.  I got very spoiled having the separate CO dining room last spring when on Rotterdam for 26 nights.  

 

I would try talking to Guest Services once on board and ask for the Hotel Manager. You absolutely should be refunded the entire CO fare.  I hate when people automatically tell anyone with any sort of problem to contest it on their credit card, but I would consider it in this case, if you can't get resolution.  

[SilvertoGold]

23 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

This is very concerning.  I always add CO when I book, and I typically book very early (just booked Nov 2025 and Jan 2026 cruises).  I booked my 17 nights on K'dam for next January in Dec 2023, and included CO, but changed my booking to 24 nights.

 

I noticed about a week ago that the balance due for that sailing on HAL's website was more than I had on my spreadsheet (I'm a CPA and I keep EVERYTHING on spreadsheets).  When I called my PCC to book the two new sailings for 2025 & 2026, I told her I thought when I'd changed my booking, they charged me for my CO cabin upgrade.  She put me on hold, got a supervisor, and came back to tell me I was exactly right, and it had been corrected.  I did not receive a new invoice, but the correct balance due now shows in my account.

 

I would be very unhappy to lose CO on a 24-night Pinnacle-class sailing.  I got very spoiled having the separate CO dining room last spring when on Rotterdam for 26 nights.  

 

I would try talking to Guest Services once on board and ask for the Hotel Manager. You absolutely should be refunded the entire CO fare.  I hate when people automatically tell anyone with any sort of problem to contest it on their credit card, but I would consider it in this case, if you can't get resolution.  

The question is: if HAL refunds the whole CO fare, does the customer want to lose the ungraded cabin along with it as well?

[Alberta Quilter]

8 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

The question is: if HAL refunds the whole CO fare, does the customer want to lose the ungraded cabin along with it as well?

If the customer cancelled CO, I agree they should either pay for the upgraded cabin or lose it.  But in this case, it was HAL's error to overbook.  I think the customer should get to keep the upgraded cabin AND the OBC, AND get a full refund for the cost of CO.  Or, at least, increase the OBC amount to cover the cost of the upgrade and give a full refund of the CO cost.

[TiogaCruiser]

10 minutes ago, Alberta Quilter said:

If the customer cancelled CO, I agree they should either pay for the upgraded cabin or lose it.  But in this case, it was HAL's error to overbook.  I think the customer should get to keep the upgraded cabin AND the OBC, AND get a full refund for the cost of CO.  Or, at least, increase the OBC amount to cover the cost of the upgrade and give a full refund of the CO cost.

Agreed- it on HAL 

 

HAL made the mistake and HAL needs to fix it. HAL has just created a bigger issue.

[SilvertoGold]

2 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

If the customer cancelled CO, I agree they should either pay for the upgraded cabin or lose it.  But in this case, it was HAL's error to overbook.  I think the customer should get to keep the upgraded cabin AND the OBC, AND get a full refund for the cost of CO.  Or, at least, increase the OBC amount to cover the cost of the upgrade and give a full refund of the CO cost.

Probably right. I wonder how often HAL overbooks. The Westerdam in Japan overbooked 50+ cabins and had to buy pax out. Very generous compensation with a choice of which buy-out to take. Possibly in the current case HAL might have asked the pax if he wanted to keep the upgrade or go back to the original and get full refund of the CO but with more OBC. There are many ways for HAL to deal with this allowing the pax to soem chocie in the matter.

[iceman93]

I've had minor customer service issues with HAL in the past (nothing even close to what happened to the OP), and they bent so far over backwards to right the wrong that it's part of what cemented my loyalty to HAL over the years.  I know that customer service in all industries and particularly hospitality has declined rapidly since "the unpleasantness of 2020", but hearing the OP's tale here really bothers me.  HAL screwed up--no matter how, which doesn't really matter--and they should be not only apologizing and fully refunding the OP, they should be offering additional compensation (doesn't have to be cash, by the way) to do what they can to make it right.

Edited June 2 by iceman93

[sunviking90]

I imagine OP has boarded by now. It would be nice to know if they were able to get the situation resolved. 🤞🏻 

[cccole]

I hope OP is enjoying his family cruise and will think about CC when they return.  I'm as anxious as anyone to know what happened but OP just needs to enjoy the cruise.  JMO. Cherie

[Tampa Girl]

19 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/holland-america/

 

I'm not so sure about the Elliott company, either.  They gave the street address for HAL, but no city.

[SUESEABE]

@Tampa Girl

Corporate Office is in Seattle.

 

Holland America Line

450 Third Avenue West

Seattle, WA 98119 USA.