I need to vent!

[cruz chic]

See my above post and please don't leap to any conclusions - especially one that indicates a Suite pax "took" your confirmed dining...

...

Could you kindly quote "my" post where I said you "took" my confirmed dining? I am upset about this and the way I have been treated by HAL. This is a long cruise and I am fortunate that I can afford both the time and money to do it my age. This is probably going to be a trip of a lifetime for me. I am very hurt that something I have spent so much money on is starting off with such a bad taste in my mouth. I'm sorry if you can't understand that.

[u4ea]

Could you kindly quote "my" post where I said you "took" my confirmed dining? I am upset about this and the way I have been treated by HAL. This is a long cruise and I am fortunate that I can afford both the time and money to do it my age. This is probably going to be a trip of a lifetime for me. I am very hurt that something I have spent so much money on is starting off with such a bad taste in my mouth. I'm sorry if you can't understand that.

 

Lorekauf,

You could still get a table full of folks that will tell you their ice cream is too cold.:eek:;):D It may still be "work" to get a good table, but you will have a much easier time to get what you want on the smaller s class ships.:cool: Think positive and it will work out.

Mark...

[cruz chic]

Lorekauf,

You could still get a table full of folks that will tell you their ice cream is too cold.:eek:;):D It may still be "work" to get a good table, but you will have a much easier time to get what you want on the smaller s class ships.:cool: Think positive and it will work out.

Mark...

Thanks for the positive reinforcement. It's been a rough road for a number of reasons for the last couple of months. Now that I'm on the home stretch I was hoping for some smooth sailing:D . I'm a pessimist by nature and I need to get past that. For my own good, I hope I can:eek: .

[ldog]

I sure hope that if you take all copies of all of your correspondence with your TA and HAL it will work out. I understand your concerns and it sucks that your time before your cruise that should be full of anticipation is filled with worries.

 

I hope it all works out for you.

[takemewithyou]

Lorekauf,

I don't know you, but I have read many of your posts and appreciate all of them. I just want to lend some words of support. It stinks that you have to go through this. I can hear the angst in your posts. I sympathize and hope it all works out for you in the end, so that you can relax and have fun anticipating your cruise - it is half the fun of cruising.

 

I also hope this doesn't happen to me in any of my 3 future cruises booked because I want fixed dining and have been promised it.

 

Good luck, and remember, the squeeky wheel does get the grease, even though it may not be in our nature to be that way at first! :o

[hammybee]

I understand that suite guests are guaranteed their choice of dining, however HAL should have some type of cutoff for that guarantee ... someone booking a suite 6 weeks out should not get preference over those who are non-suite and booked a year or more out. Further, if suite guests are given fixed, it should be just for the suite people ... not fair if HAL allows suite guests to coattail their non-suite friends and family into their dining guarantee.

 

A perk of sailing in a Deluxe Suite is Dining Priority, not a guarantee. I do not think anyone is guaranteed the style or preferred dining time.

 

I too have read reports, on this board, whereby Deluxe Suite passengers have used their priority status to enable non suite guests to obtain the same privledges.

 

Before Open Seating, nary a week would pass that there was not a post from someone who did not get their preferred fixed seating time. People were having their MDs fabricate notes to the point that HAL and other cruise lines would no longer give priority to those with medical requests to dine at a certain time.

 

If too many passengers want the same thing, at the same time, some are going to be disappointed, no matter what.

[airlink diva]

I'm sailing on Friday. When I booked my cruise, only the early dining was waitlisted and late dining open. I requested the late dining with any type of table.

When I received my cruise documents, I have fixed late dining. However, I read some threads where people had fixed dining in their documents, but when checking in, they were changed to open dining.

I will triple check my info at boarding time and hope no changes were made. I'm traveling solo and prefer the fixed dining and like so many others, I booked my cruise early to ensure this. I could be understanding if I book under a month or so, but a year out should help.

Happy sailing!!!

[rplc882]

Lorekauf,

I really hope it turns out for you but bringing this up brings stress as we are "CONFIRMED" for main upper in 2 weeks. Seems to me that HAL has taken the overbooking approach of the airlines, doesnt matter on first come first served, we booked out a year early. Seems that a little loyalty would go along way even though you you cant afford a suite. Alas, will just wait and see. By the way HELLO Tamara(Airlink Diva), enjoyed our cruise on the Maasdam last year and all your answers to our questions were on the mark.:)

[luxurysailer]

We booked our "round the Horn" cruise over a year in advance along with four traveling companions. Our TA is a personal friend and sometimes traveling companion. She booked all six of us at the same time and informed HAL that we were traveling together and wished to dine together. Our documents indicated that we had a confirmed table for six during early dining, which was what we requested. (By the way, this was pre-AYWD.) When we got to the pier, we were all given early dining; but my wife and I were placed at a different table. The maitre'd told us he would try to put us all at the same table but couldn't guarantee anything. He was able to accommodate us, but we spent an anxious few hours waiting to hear.

 

One's dining companions are extremely important. We may well have been placed at a table with delightful companions, but this is not something that I wish to leave to chance.

 

Had this not been changed, I wouldn't have cruised with HAL again. This type of faux pas is inexcusable. In fact I question whether it is actually a faux pas, which in my opinion is something that occurs accidentaly. This seems to me to be a matter of someone just not caring and doing what was most convenient for them.

[Williebill]

I have confidence that HAL has fixed your dining for you; start dreaming about your cruise again.

[Paulchili]

If too many passengers want the same thing, at the same time, some are going to be disappointed, no matter what.

 

That is true logistically - all passengers cannot be seated at the same time.

However, should it not be "first come, first serve" and once the preference is given it should not be taken away.

[pipedreams62]

[fireman845]

Lore.. Just want to wish you the best of luck!!! I hope it all works out for you!!!

[u4ea]

Just though I’d share my phone call info. I called guest relations, told them I got bumped to AYWD, that I was solo, and I booked through an internet TA 10 months ago, was confirmed with fixed, blah blah blah. They told me I have two options, first one is to contact my TA. I’m not going to bother, since it is a discount agency. Their prices are fantastic, but customer service is terrible. It’s OK, you get what you pay for, and I knew that going in.

Second option is to see the DR manager when I board. He said “sometimes” fixed people change to AYW, and “maybe” I could get my request. Oh well….:(

This subject has been hashed to death, but, as I’ve put (in vain) on my comment card. (same thing happed to me last cruise) “ I miss fixed dinning and don’t like being forced into AYWD.” I don’t mind eating alone or with new friends, or with different people, but I did eat dinner in the Lido over half the time, and never used to do that when having a great table of the same folks every night that you build friendships with over the cruise.:) Looks like majority rules, and it’s sad to see that go.:(

But c'est la vie, I won’t let the bastards get me down.;)I fully intend to have the time of my life. Thanks for letting me vent too.:cool:

Mark…

[Loreto]

E-mail your TA, requesting a copy of HAL's e-mail. Print it off, take it with you, and stop at the dining room as soon as you get on board to confirm your fixed time dining. In the meantime, believe that it is fixed to your satisfaction, and get back to dreaming about this upcoming trip!

 

So sorry this has happened to you, especially as a solo cruiser. As CowPrincess says, document everything and take it with you! Best wishes for the correct outcome..what you were originally assigned.

 

Karen

[cruz chic]

Lorekauf,

I don't know you, but I have read many of your posts and appreciate all of them. I just want to lend some words of support. It stinks that you have to go through this. I can hear the angst in your posts. I sympathize and hope it all works out for you in the end, so that you can relax and have fun anticipating your cruise - it is half the fun of cruising.

 

I also hope this doesn't happen to me in any of my 3 future cruises booked because I want fixed dining and have been promised it.

 

Good luck, and remember, the squeeky wheel does get the grease, even though it may not be in our nature to be that way at first! :o

Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate it.

[world~citizen]

I have no doubt that HAL is on VERY sound legal ground in this situation. It all goes back to the cruise contract that HAL and other lines commit us to. They were written by, it appears to me, people in and for another century. Read it sometime from the point of view of what you are really entitled to on your cruise vacation. I saw the word "squat" used in this thread.

 

Interestingly, anytime people suggest its time we put a concerted effort into getting that contract brought into this century, some of the very people lamenting the plight of the op in this thread flame the living aspirations out of the soul who dares the suggestion.

 

Well, you can trust on the good-will of HAL and other cruise lines to never use that contract in similar manner against you if you want to. I think we should try to get a better deal on paper.

 

Smooth sailing to you...

[cruz chic]

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the posters that have offered helpful suggestions and support. I have been in a course all day so I haven't had access to this great board. I have recieved HAL confirmation that I am in early traditional. BIG DEAL. I have also sent them a follow up email asking to please not let me down. To be respected is huge for me and I am not feeling that way right now in terms of my treatment. HAL may think...who cares. I don't think that HAL can afford to alienate passangers in this type of environment. I am going to try to get past this in the next few weeks for my own good and the support I have felt from many of you is huge. Thanks again.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I think it has to do with your cabin category. If your in a suite, no problem, if your in a low category, (which most solos are), they drop you like a bag of dirt.

…

 

WRONG!! -- we always book SA Delux suites and we do not always get what we want -- have had to fight a couple of times!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the posters that have offered helpful suggestions and support. I have been in a course all day so I haven't had access to this great board. I have recieved HAL confirmation that I am in early traditional. BIG DEAL. I have also sent them a follow up email asking to please not let me down. To be respected is huge for me and I am not feeling that way right now in terms of my treatment. HAL may think...who cares. I don't think that HAL can afford to alienate passangers in this type of environment. I am going to try to get past this in the next few weeks for my own good and the support I have felt from many of you is huge. Thanks again.

 

Run off extra copies of that e-mail and pass it out if you get to the ship and find that they haven't honored the e-mail and everything else.

Will be thinking about you!!

[cruz chic]

Run off extra copies of that e-mail and pass it out if you get to the ship and find that they haven't honored the e-mail and everything else.

 

Will be thinking about you!!

Thank you!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I just know that everything is going to work out for you!!!

[Homosassa]

I also find that a cruise I booked over a year out has been listed "confirmed Open" on my documents (I requested traditional).

 

I will see the DR manager when I board. If my party can not be changed to the traditional dining that we all requested at booking, my next stop will be to the purser's desk to remove my autotip as open dining can not possibly give us the service that we have come to expect in a ship's dining room - a wait staff that knows after the first night our preferences and food restrictions (one mushroom allergy, one diabetic, two coffee drinkers who want coffee from the moment they sit down, etc).

 

Yes, I know I can hassle with making a reservation every day for a table, but if I wanted to do that on vacation, I wouldn't be cruising.

 

Perhaps if all of us disgruntled passengers forced into open seating removed the tips, HAL might get the message.

 

My cabin steward and others will be well tipped as usual.

[u4ea]

WRONG!! -- we always book SA Delux suites and we do not always get what we want -- have had to fight a couple of times!!!

 

I apologized already!, see post number 50

SORRY! SORRY! SORRY!

Why such anger?

 

Mark..

[mamaofami]

Lorekauf...I hope this works out for you and that you wind up with the traditional dining and have a wonderful cruise. Will be thinking of you.