Need advise..problem with Eurodam booking

[rucruisn2]

We booked a VT cat on the Eurodam with our TA. She checked with HAL and was told the verandah size was 90 sq ft. After reading these boards (great help!) I learned the verandah size was actually much smaller. So I called HAL, spoke to ship board services and found out the balcony is for standing only, probably 1 person. No chairs. This is not what we wanted. So I called the TA to switch to a VF cabin. She put us in one with no bathtub and solid steel railings on the balcony. Again, no good. We were told the only thing left was to upgrade for another $200.00. We feel that because we were give miss information by HAL, we should not be penalized. They should know the sizes of balconies, that is their job, and if they make a mistake, they should correct it. Are we wrong? What should we do? Appreciate any help.

[Growler]

The outcome of this will probably depend very much upon how personable your TA is........if they value your custom, then I'd guess a quiet word with them might get you the solution you desire, but it's only a slim chance at best.

 

If you have any documentation that you provided to the TA up front, indicating that you wanted a balcony for 'sun lounging' on sea days, then that would probably help too.

 

Unfortunately (and please don't shoot the messenger here), it's simple breakdowns in communication like this that seem to cause the most stress, and over time i've learned that shelling out the small difference (is $200 really going to be significant in the overall cost of your holiday?) is a lot less stressful than arguing the toss for weeks with incalcitrant corporations.

(You'll also get exactly what you want, and that will make a big difference when you're actually on your cruise)

 

Whatever happens, I hope you find an acceptable solution, and I'm praying that you've got a good TA who appreciates your past and future custom!

 

Tim

[Growler]

Just had another thought! If your VT booking is for a cabin on the Observation deck (cabins 11001-11010) then forget upgrading for $200 - rent a private cabana for the duration of your cruise! No distance at all from the cabins, and hot and cold running maids/butlers to boot!

 

You might even be able to get your TA to book one of these as an on-board gift!

[Northshorecruisers]

Sorry to say, I don't rely on what people tell me and do my own research when it comes to cabin selection. I don't book a cabin unless I have a deck plan and layout of the cabin in front of me.

This is a new cabin config for HAL. I'm sure there's not much info out there on it - although I did find a pickture on the Eurodam blog at HAL.

I've never been quoted the size of a verandah on HAL. I'm always given the overall size of the cabin including verandah.

See what your TA can do - maybe they can speak with their HAL rep and at least get you on a list for a cabin you'd enjoy more if someone cancels last minute. But be prepared to pay to upgrade to a cabin. Since this is a new ship for HAL, they won't have any problem filling cabins with people who are willing to pay.

[jhannah]

I agree with Growler ... pay the $200 and upgrade. Fighting the situation will cause you much more than $200 in grief and stress. It was bad information. Happens all the time. Just go around it and get ready to enjoy your cruise!

[rucruisn2]

Just had another thought! If your VT booking is for a cabin on the Observation deck (cabins 11001-11010) then forget upgrading for $200 - rent a private cabana for the duration of your cruise! No distance at all from the cabins, and hot and cold running maids/butlers to boot!

 

You might even be able to get your TA to book one of these as an on-board gift!

 

Thanks for the suggestion, what are the private cabanas and where are they located? We like the balcony for breakfast in the morning or a glass of wine while getting ready for the evening. Would a cabana be suitable for this?

[rucruisn2]

I also want to mention that when we first booked, we had a choice of cabin locations. Now we don't. Had we been given the correct information at the beginning, we would have booked a cabin to our liking (as we thought we had). I just feel like were being given a bait and switch almost.

[brucory]

If you dont want to pay the extra, is it possible to get a guarantee? You would end up no worse than where you are now, and could end up somewhere a whole lot better....for free.... :D :D :D

[cferro514]

I agree with Growler ... pay the $200 and upgrade. Fighting the situation will cause you much more than $200 in grief and stress. It was bad information. Happens all the time. Just go around it and get ready to enjoy your cruise!

 

I am in agreement. I would pay the added price for the cabin. You do not need the added stress to spoil your vacation.

[jhannah]

Thanks for the suggestion, what are the private cabanas and where are they located? We like the balcony for breakfast in the morning or a glass of wine while getting ready for the evening. Would a cabana be suitable for this?

No, they would not. They are not that private. They're on the lido deck (around the pool) and are designed just for relaxing. You could enjoy your wine, but not get ready for the evening.

[Saphire]

Hi there. We considered the VT cabin for our upcoming cruise. They look nice! It was very difficult to get information about how big the balconies would be. We also looked into the VF category. While some cabins don't have tubs, all those cabins have the steel railings. That's why they are priced less. You must bump up to the next category to have the plexiglass. So, the VF sounds like it would never have worked for you even if all VF cabins were available.

Sometimes I feel like I have more information than travel agents and the cruise line themselves. Thanks to these boards and the internet, it is easy to become more of an expert than the professionals. While I would be somewhat irritated, I think I would just pay the $200 for the upgrade, since you didn't want a comparable room with the steel railings anyway.

[jtl513]

No, they would not. They are not that private. They're on the lido deck (around the pool) and are designed just for relaxing. You could enjoy your wine, but not get ready for the evening.

Jim, Growler/Tim was talking about the 14 Retreat cabanas that are up on the Observation deck with the VT cabins ... but the answer would be the same: not the kind of place to enjoy a private breakfast. Pre-dinner wine, maybe. :)

[RevNeal]

I want to echo what others have said ... pay the $200 upgrade. It will be worth it, and will solve a lot of heartache.

 

Problems with Eurodam bookings seem to be a plague these days.

[rucruisn2]

Well, here's what we decided. After trying ALL day to get a return call from the TA, we got madder and madder and decided to cancel and rebook on Celebrity Solstice. I had made several calls to HAL and found customer service to be uninformed. Every time I asked a question about the VT balconies I got a different answer. The latest is it will be 38 sq ft. and have 2 bar stools. Sorry, I don't want to sit on a bar stool. The steel railings on some of the VF cabins are solid from the waist down, so no view there. Yuck. Maybe we'll try the Eurodam when it gets it's act together. Smooth sailing to all. Thanks for the help.

[sail7seas]

That'll teach 'em. ;)

 

Hope you have a great cruise.

 

 

**About the steel on the balconies, though.......we've sailed hundreds of nights in Suites on Maasdam and those suites all have a steel bottom with railing above. Has never ruined one second of our enjoyment of our veranda.

 

[Northshorecruisers]

Sorry that things didn't work out for you on HAL - hope you enjoy your Celebrity cruise.

If you tried all day to get a return call from your TA - I think I'd be booking my Celebrity cruise with someone else.

[Jade13]

Jim, Growler/Tim was talking about the 14 Retreat cabanas that are up on the Observation deck with the VT cabins ... but the answer would be the same: not the kind of place to enjoy a private breakfast. Pre-dinner wine, maybe. :)

 

 

What I don't understand is if I pay for a VT cabin and am close to the outside area of the Observation deck, I can't use that area as it's all private cabanas?

[Jade13]

Well, here's what we decided. After trying ALL day to get a return call from the TA, we got madder and madder and decided to cancel and rebook on Celebrity Solstice. I had made several calls to HAL and found customer service to be uninformed. Every time I asked a question about the VT balconies I got a different answer. The latest is it will be 38 sq ft. and have 2 bar stools. Sorry, I don't want to sit on a bar stool. The steel railings on some of the VF cabins are solid from the waist down, so no view there. Yuck. Maybe we'll try the Eurodam when it gets it's act together. Smooth sailing to all. Thanks for the help.

 

?????? The ship is still being built. Someone posted a picture of the VT cabin. The Verandah is small. That is why it is (or was) priced as an Outside....:rolleyes:

[jtl513]

What I don't understand is if I pay for a VT cabin and am close to the outside area of the Observation deck, I can't use that area as it's all private cabanas?

I don't think we know yet about the loungers in the center - whether they will "belong" to the cabanas or not.

 

The ship is still being built.

It's done! HAL takes ownership tomorrow, the 14th.

[rucruisn2]

Sorry that things didn't work out for you on HAL - hope you enjoy your Celebrity cruise.

If you tried all day to get a return call from your TA - I think I'd be booking my Celebrity cruise with someone else.

 

You know I booked with a different agent! I'm not done with the Eurodam agent. She wants to charge me $75.00 to cancel. That's another story I won't get into. We are actually going on a group cruise on the Solstice, so we got a great cabin location and good price. Were happy. By the way, I'm originally from MN. (St. Louis Park) Did the ice come off the lakes yet?

[Jade13]

You know I booked with a different agent! I'm not done with the Eurodam agent. She wants to charge me $75.00 to cancel. That's another story I won't get into. We are actually going on a group cruise on the Solstice, so we got a great cabin location and good price. Were happy. By the way, I'm originally from MN. (St. Louis Park) Did the ice come off the lakes yet?

 

I am pretty sure I know who you used. Is it an online TA that advertises on CC? How long did you have this booking and did you get the fee waived? They do not charge it if you cancel but book something else with them.

[bepsf]

I understand that the OP received misinformation from HAL and their TA - That's not good...

...but why didn't the OP simply do their homework and look at the deckplans?

 

It's obvious that the VT's have a tiny balcony compared to other staterooms, and it's obvious that VF's have steel railings and some have shower-only if one would bother to read and understand the notes on the deckplans.

 

So many of these types of issues would never occur if folks did a little research on their own.

[Northshorecruisers]

By the way, I'm originally from MN. (St. Louis Park) Did the ice come off the lakes yet?

Yes, the ice just came off!!!! :D So, now we're fighting the mosquitos!:eek:

[innlady1]

You know I booked with a different agent! I'm not done with the Eurodam agent. She wants to charge me $75.00 to cancel. That's another story I won't get into. We are actually going on a group cruise on the Solstice, so we got a great cabin location and good price. Were happy. By the way, I'm originally from MN. (St. Louis Park) Did the ice come off the lakes yet?

 

Glad to hear that (different agent). Enjoy the Solstice!

[rucruisn2]

I understand that the OP received misinformation from HAL and their TA - That's not good...

...but why didn't the OP simply do their homework and look at the deckplans?

 

It's obvious that the VT's have a tiny balcony compared to other staterooms, and it's obvious that VF's have steel railings and some have shower-only if one would bother to read and understand the notes on the deckplans.

 

So many of these types of issues would never occur if folks did a little research on their own.

 

Well, if it's so obvious on the size of the VT balconies, why doesn't HAL no the size??? Not all VF railings are solid steel, If you get a call from the TA asking you to choose a cabin when your in the car and don't have the ship brochure in front of you to see what cabin has what and the TA is an idiot, what do you want from me? Sorry I'm not such a cruise expert as you apparently are. Also, fyi... there are even differed deck plans out for the Eurodam showing different layouts. I have two brochures now that are different. I did my homework, but when the HAL customer serv. reps and the TA don't give me accurate information, that's why I posted on the boards.