Fixing the Oosterdam

[Tinknock50]

Sorry, dreaded WSOD resulted in repeated post.

 

Ted,

Most of the time that I get the WSOD, I find it is best to use the back button until you get back to the main page. I never use the refresh button because it tends to re-post.

 

When you get back to the main page, you can refresh and 9 times out of ten, when you click the thread you posted to, your post will be there. Your name may not show up as last post, but when you open the thread, your post will generally be there.

 

I still occasionally make a double post, but this method really helps cuts the frequency down.:)

 

Let me know if this helps.

[sail7seas]

I would think that those who have cruised numerous times before and have oodles of future cruises planned will look at this situation (shortened port times/possible cancellation) quite differently than those who will probably only take one cruise in their lifetime, because it's all they can afford.

 

Yes, Herb. You're right about that.

[Tinknock50]

I would think that those who have cruised numerous times before and have oodles of future cruises planned will look at this situation (shortened port times/possible cancellation) quite differently than those who will probably only take one cruise in their lifetime, because it's all they can afford.

 

Good point, Herb.

 

Because I cruise frequently, I wouldn't be devastated if I missed a port, or even if my cruise was cancelled. I have flexibility so it wouldn't bother me as much as someone who has cleared time and planned way ahead for his dream cruise.

[RevNeal]

Ted,

Most of the time that I get the WSOD, I find it is best to use the back button until you get back to the main page. I never use the refresh button because it tends to re-post.

 

When you get back to the main page, you can refresh and 9 times out of ten, when you click the thread you posted to, your post will be there. Your name may not show up as last post, but when you open the thread, your post will generally be there.

 

I still occasionally make a double post, but this method really helps cuts the frequency down.:)

 

Let me know if this helps.

 

What I do is back up to the most recent screen -- where I had written my post. But, instead of clicking "Submit Reply" I click on "Preview Post" and then scroll down to check the post listings to see if it had posted. That way I avoid duplicates.

[azsunshine]

I would think that those who have cruised numerous times before and have oodles of future cruises planned will look at this situation (shortened port times/possible cancellation) quite differently than those who will probably only take one cruise in their lifetime, because it's all they can afford.

 

Sorry but I don't see how you get this perspective. :rolleyes:

 

I have cruised in excess of 20 times, I am booked on the November 25th sailing, and all of my flight arrangments, thanksgiving arrangements with family, and transportation to an from airport have been arranged. This the 4th cruise to mexico, and I don't care if we miss a port, but I sure as hell want to know if the ship is sailing on that date, and if not allow me time to make other arrangements. I don't think it matters if it is a first cruise or your 50th cruise. We have a right to correct and accurate information from my perspective.

[herb]

Sorry but I don't see how you get this perspective. :rolleyes:

 

I have cruised in excess of 20 times, I am booked on the November 25th sailing, and all of my flight arrangments, thanksgiving arrangements with family, and transportation to an from airport have been arranged. This the 4th cruise to mexico, and I don't care if we miss a port, but I sure as hell want to know if the ship is sailing on that date, and if not allow me time to make other arrangements. I don't think it matters if it is a first cruise or your 50th cruise. We have a right to correct and accurate information from my perspective.

 

Maybe you misunderstood what I was trying to say.

 

What bothers me to no end is when people say "what's the big deal if you miss ports of call or if your port time is shortened etc. etc. etc. ..... you're on the ship".

 

For some of our cruise critic members THAT cruise may be the ONLY cruise they'll be able to afford ... ever.

[Tinknock50]

What I do is back up to the most recent screen -- where I had written my post. But, instead of clicking "Submit Reply" I click on "Preview Post" and then scroll down to check the post listings to see if it had posted. That way I avoid duplicates.

 

Sounds like that would work too.:)

[azsunshine]

Maybe you misunderstood what I was trying to say.

 

What bothers me to no end is when people say "what's the big deal if you miss ports of call or if your port time is shortened etc. etc. etc. ..... you're on the ship".

 

For some of our cruise critic members THAT cruise may be the ONLY cruise they'll be able to afford ... ever.

 

Oh I see what your were trying to say. I did misunderstand. sorry

[fcorey]

Right now, HAL probably doesn't have all of the answers and can't say exactly what is going to happen. Based on comments that have been reported from those onboard, they are attempting to cut away the damaged windings. IF they can do this, they MAY be able to repair the wiring and energize the windings to one of the two tandem sets of windings that make up the pod. IF they can do that, they will have an operational pod, albeit only at partial power capability, and they could run in that configuration for several months. Notice the IF's and MAY's. How can anyone make a statement about what they are going to do until the damage assessment is complete? This is a previously unknown type of failure. There is no history to look at and say "OK, this is how we fix it." There are also questions about how quickly parts can be made available, and where, that cannot be fully answered until the full extent of the damage is determined. Every day that goes by, they are likely coming closer to answering these questions, but it is doubtful they are there yet. We need to be patient and let the engineers and the mechanics do their work.

 

Grumpy, well said, your explanation of the "repair" is probably the most plausible. I had asked an office about the conditions down in the pod itself. Apparently the melting made quite a mess.

 

Sail, I asked Mr. Deering at our CC get together about consequences of cancelling a cruise. He said if there was any way to avoid doing that they will because of the high costs, logistic issues, and bad PR.

 

Herb, I can see your point. My perspective was that we were onboard when it occurred and they made the best of the situation and tried to compensate us. This was only our second cruise. My wife having not really taken to them on our honeymoon I was hoping to win her over with this trip. Then boom, azipod up in smoke. I was fully expecting to get word Sunday that we would be turning around and limping back to San Diego. That didnt happen, we lost one port, Puerta Vallarta, would have been nice to see it, but at least we got to have a great vacation aboard. Thats the chance you take with a cruise. What if it was a hurricane that changed our itinerary and not engine failure? Things can happen, but I'll be darned if i'm going to let them ruin my vacation!

[barbon2]

Re the person who questioned the dinner seating. In our documents for the Dec. 2 sailing, there is a notice re the new dining policy. If you are confirmed during the times of either 5:45 or 6:15 you can come to the Vista dining room at any time between 5:30 and 6:00 pm. If you are confirmed for 8:00 or 8:30 you can arrive anywhere between 8:00 and 9:00 pm. You will be seated at your assigned table no matter what time you arrive.

Barbara

[sail7seas]

Sail, I asked Mr. Deering at our CC get together about consequences of cancelling a cruise. He said if there was any way to avoid doing that they will because of the high costs, logistic issues, and bad PR.

That's about what one would 'suppose'. :) It would cost 'big bucks' to cancel a cruise. Not something any cruise line is quick to do.

 

BTW......Mr. Deering is not currently on OSDM. But he'll be back.

[fcorey]

That's about what one would 'suppose'. :) It would cost 'big bucks' to cancel a cruise. Not something any cruise line is quick to do.

 

BTW......Mr. Deering is not currently on OSDM. But he'll be back.

 

I had heard that, I think Lisa mentioned it. I dont know how you people stay on top of this stuff :D I think she said that he was on another ship, Volendam maybe? While Oosterdam was doing the charters.

[Boatdrill]

I have cruised in excess of 20 times, I am booked on the November 25th sailing, and all of my flight arrangments, thanksgiving arrangements with family, and transportation to an from airport have been arranged. This the 4th cruise to mexico, and I don't care if we miss a port, but I sure as hell want to know if the ship is sailing on that date, and if not allow me time to make other arrangements. I don't think it matters if it is a first cruise or your 50th cruise. We have a right to correct and accurate information from my perspective.

 

Yes, of course you do.

 

And part of travelling well is being flexible. If your plans are that tight and you need to know with 100% certainty if the ship is sailing or not, then perhaps you ought to consider doing something else. That would save you from being disappointed and affecting your holiday.

 

Just an idea....

[azsunshine]

Please share with me why you think I need to do something else? Because my plans are inflexible? No, because I made my plans based on cruising on the 25th, and as I said, if that is not going to work, tell me what is happening so I can make other plans. I am not inflexible, and I do not need to be doing something else. please rest your black robes judge.

[San Diego Cruzer]

Yes, of course you do.

 

And part of travelling well is being flexible. If your plans are that tight and you need to know with 100% certainty if the ship is sailing or not, then perhaps you ought to consider doing something else. That would save you from being disappointed and affecting your holiday.

 

Just an idea....

 

I don't think anyone is expecting 100% certainty, but I think we expect honest and forthright responses from HAL regarding the ship we have booked on, it's condition, etc.

 

I know that I book our cruise based in large part on the ports we will visit. We certainly understand if weather changes something since that is out of HAL's control, but something mechanical is not.

[HalFan]

Here's the second reply from HAL when I disputed their assertion the the azipod is fixed:

 

Thank you for your e-mail. Yes, the Oosterdam is offering the "as you wish" dining on one level. Those that prefer their scheduled dining will still have this as well on the other level.

As for the aziopod malfunction, there was only one sailing that was affected and was fixed when it came into port on Oct 13, 2006. Holland America Line has not been advised of any other sailings that has been affected by the aziopod.

The Jan 13, 2007 sailing is sailing as scheduled. Your dining for the 8 pm on the upper level has been confirmed. Hopefully this clarifies things a little better.

Please feel free to contact us again.

 

 

So either this agent (a different one than sent me the first reply) hasn't been informed of the problem or HAL is still not coming clean about the problem. Why don't they at least admit there is a problem and they'll let us know as soon as possible what they are going to do and an estimate of when the azipod might be fixed.

The clarification about dining options is helpful. So you'll be able to get a fixed dining table on the upper level, early or late, and the lower level will be flex.

I'm with azsunshine and SDCruzer. I just want the facts so I can make an informed decision whether I want to take this cruise.

[AZjohn]

If your plans are that tight and you need to know with 100% certainty if the ship is sailing or not, then perhaps you ought to consider doing something else.quote]

 

Are you kidding me:eek: ???????????

[sail7seas]

While everyone here is getting all uptight and upset, the cruisers on OSDM are having a total blast.

 

Yesterday they had a Hurricane Party all over Lido Deck. Because of the storm and missing the port, instead of the usual glass of champagne in the dining room with dessert, they ran a Party someplace around mid day. (I always think it nice when they offer us the complimentary glass of champagne).

 

They had the bands playing, mid ship and aft Lido, free drinks, even a special Hurricane Drink.

 

So, please, let's give HAL a little more credit. They really are not our enemy. We choose to book our cruises with them and they do their best to provide the best product they can for what we are willing to pay.

 

Sure they can give more......do we want to pay more?

 

Machines break. Azipods break. The cruise went forward and that bunch of cruisers got a great cruise.

 

That Hurricane Party sounds great to me.

 

They'll disembark this group and the next group will board and they'll 'start all over again' doing the best they can to give us the best cruise.

 

I like to hear a little excitement about the great parts of being on a ship...... if we can't roll with a few changes of plans on a cruise, how well can we deal when life tosses us a real hardball?

 

I for one applaud the crews and sincerely thank them.

 

(Yes.....Mr. Deering is, for the moment, on Volendam but will be returning shortly to Oosterdam.)

 

 

 

[fcorey]

While everyone here is getting all uptight and upset, the cruisers on OSDM are having a total blast.

 

Yesterday they had a Hurricane Party all over Lido Deck. Because of the storm and missing the port, instead of the usual glass of champagne in the dining room with dessert, they ran a Party someplace around mid day. (I always think it nice when they offer us the complimentary glass of champagne).

 

They had the bands playing, mid ship and aft Lido, free drinks, even a special Hurricane Drink.

 

So, please, let's give HAL a little more credit. They really are not our enemy. We choose to book our cruises with them and they do their best to provide the best product they can for what we are willing to pay.

 

Sure they can give more......do we want to pay more?

 

Machines break. Azipods break. The cruise went forward and that bunch of cruisers got a great cruise.

 

That Hurricane Party sounds great to me.

 

 

Thanks Sail , you beat me to it ;)

 

as for the customer service person's reply they probably just dont know and dont want it to appear that way. I've had stuff like that happen before. I've had some shipboard staff tell me that they ususally hear more from this board than they are told by the line. So lets cool tempers and see what happens. Maybe we'll here from someone on the Jazz cruise or the cruise ending tomorrow with better info.

[sail7seas]

 

It is absolutely true that I have had crew people say to me they learned something here on this Board before they heard it through official channels.

 

 

 

[jhannah]

 

It is absolutely true that I have had crew people say to me they learned something here on this Board before they heard it through official channels.

 

 

 

Pretty sad, huh? But this is true throughout the corporate world. When I was "there" I learned many things via the grapevine. It helped me anticipate management's next move! ;)

[sail7seas]

I think sometimes it's a "need to know' thing. While the particular person may work for HAL, they may not have an urgent necessity for the info ASAP. No reason for them to not know it or be told, it's just an 'until it filters down' circumstance.

[Tinknock50]

Pretty sad, huh? But this is true throughout the corporate world. When I was "there" I learned many things via the grapevine. It helped me anticipate management's next move! ;)

 

I think thats what we are seeing here in post after post.......we wish HAL were different and better at delivering information to their customers.

 

Certainly a worthwhile wish.

[grandma bev]

While everyone here is getting all uptight and upset, the cruisers on OSDM are having a total blast.

 

Yesterday they had a Hurricane Party all over Lido Deck. Because of the storm and missing the port, instead of the usual glass of champagne in the dining room with dessert, they ran a Party someplace around mid day. (I always think it nice when they offer us the complimentary glass of champagne).

 

They had the bands playing, mid ship and aft Lido, free drinks, even a special Hurricane Drink.

 

So, please, let's give HAL a little more credit. They really are not our enemy. We choose to book our cruises with them and they do their best to provide the best product they can for what we are willing to pay.

 

Sure they can give more......do we want to pay more?

 

Machines break. Azipods break. The cruise went forward and that bunch of cruisers got a great cruise.

 

That Hurricane Party sounds great to me.

 

They'll disembark this group and the next group will board and they'll 'start all over again' doing the best they can to give us the best cruise.

 

I like to hear a little excitement about the great parts of being on a ship...... if we can't roll with a few changes of plans on a cruise, how well can we deal when life tosses us a real hardball?

 

I for one applaud the crews and sincerely thank them.

 

(Yes.....Mr. Deering is, for the moment, on Volendam but will be returning shortly to Oosterdam.)

 

 

 

 

Well said, Sail 7!! Flexibility and a sense of humor will get you through most anything!

We're packing to embark tomorrow, but doubt if anyone on jazz cruise will have time to e-mail the boards. We hardly have time to sleep a bit, music is so good. Our main problem is the wildfires now, which are 5 miles from our home, so we might be leaving a day early! Made quick trip to safe deposit box and we're ready to evaucate in 10 minutes! So, you see, there are other concerns besides the azipod - let the cruise line handle those!

Bev

[lovedogs]

 

It is absolutely true that I have had crew people say to me they learned something here on this Board before they heard it through official channels.

 

 

 

 

Hmmm, perhaps the personnel at customer service should read this board as well so as to understand the "mixed messages" and "mis-communication" that I have received regarding those of us who sailed on the October 7th Oosterdam cruise (which was a blast despite the fact that we missed a friend and family reunion in Puerto Vallarta). Does ANYONE have any idea when we will be issued the 25% discounts that were promised in the letter? I called and was given the run-around. One woman was very rude and said only my travel agent would be able to find out - that "she wasn't allowed" to give out any information!

 

We are scheduled to cruise in February and that discount will come in very handy. I love H.A. and all the great crew on board, but the staff who man the lines could use some lessons in tact.

 

O.K. done bitching now. If anyone knows, please reply.

 

Thanks and have a great weekend.