holland/america sleepless on ms westerdam, Internet
I booked a cruise to the Caribbean with Holland/America. The first night as I was falling asleep to the rolling waves I was "jolted" wide awake. This continued through out the night. The next morning I asked a crew member what this was and if it was "normal". I was assured that it was choppy waters. The next night one of the jolts that came approximately every fifteen minutes knocked me from the bed to the floor.
I attended an authors workshop that morning and fell asleep during it. Later that day I complained to the Main desk. I was told, "once a cabin has been assigned to a passenger nothing can be done" and maybe I should try a glass of wine at bedtime. To make a long story short, the jolting continued throughout the cruise and the only time I could sleep was during the day in common areas of the ship.
I missed the writers workshop series for which I paid an additional $500.00 and $150.00 worth of shore excursions. This was the main complaint and certainly enough. However there's more. I arrived at the port at 11:00am as instructed for boarding and waited in a line of angry passengers for two and a half hours, because they would not let us board. I do not eat pork or beef and was assured when making my reservation that registering as a "vegan" was not necessary. The on deck BBQ that was offered had only one entree or protein at the buffet; whole suckling pigs.
The BBQ on half moon island consisted of hotdogs, hamburgers, potato chips, and canned watery beans. The food overall was mediocre at best. When I knew that I was too tired to go on my prebooked excursions, advised by HAL, I tried to cancel according to the restrictions on the vouchers. The Main desk told me these were not booked through HAL so HAL could not help me. However my credit card statement said the money paid went to HAL. I was also charged mini bars fees even though I never opened the mini bar. When I contacted HAL regarding these matters I was ignored.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
MP
United States of AmericaAll part of shipboard life
#3Consumer Comment
Wed, June 22, 2011
Although you don't mention where you sailed from, I find it unusual that any route to/from the Caribbean would have seas violent enough to knock you out of bed at all, let alone for several nights. Sometimes when sailing from New York there are mildly rough seas, but only the first night or so, and they wouldn't physically eject you from your bed - I find this to be an exaggeration. Still, although many people (myself included) enjoy the gentle rocking when falling asleep, if you do not, then pick up some Scopolamine patches from your doctor before sailing again. Ships move, it's the nature of the beast, and to be expected. As for being too tired to attend workshops or excursions, the same happens often to those who party at the late night bars. HAL isn't expected to reimburse them, as they made that choice. They are also not obliged to reimburse you - as long as the stabilizers were functioning, HAL did nothing wrong, and there is no reason to reimburse you. (They would have announced if the stabilizers were broken.)
You are also upset that you couldn't participate in the on-deck BBQ. As an optional activity, it is not required that they accommodate you here. Vegan food is available elsewhere on the ship. As a vegetarian myself, I have never expected to find vegetarian options at a limited-service event like to shipboard BBQ. My spouse gets whatever she wants from the BBQ, I get my food at the Lido, and we meet up. Telling them you are vegan would not have induced them to put vegan options at the BBQ.
Similarly, regard the private island, my own experience with such venues tells me that you should have looked harder, because I have never lacked food on the private island. And if I did, I'd catch the next tender back to the boat, eat, then come back to the beach. As a vegetarian, I have made a lifestyle choice that isn't the norm, and I don't expect them to cater to my every whim. Going back to the ship isn't hard.
As for waiting to board, you got there at the start of the time. You should have expected to wait, or arrived later. They have to clean the ship from the guests who disembarked an hour before you arrived. Waiting in line is standard if you're there early. Next time, show up later!
Karl
Clovis,New Mexico,
U.S.A.
Rough Water but it's a ship!
#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, March 10, 2011
Let's see. The major complaint was that the sea was rough so that you couldn't sleep and that you couldn't change staterooms. Since you chose to go on a ship rather than attend a seminar at a hotel it might be anticipated that the seas might be rough.
Another stateroom way down in the bowels of the ship might have alleviated the problem but those staterooms are the cheapest and smallest so that would generate another complaint. Even so during rough seas the ship rolls with the seas despite stabilizers.
Regardless of what you are told you must inform the line if you require special food.
Shore excursions are a total overpriced rip off regardless of who runs them. Buy a travel guide and get a cab.
Another complaint - the lack of gourmet food at the island. This is essentailly a "picnic" environment, If you travel to a nearby park and see what people are eating you will find that the main course is hotdogs and hamburgers. You could have stayed aboard ship and eaten so the complaint doesn't have much validity.
Next time stay ashore at a hotel. More choice of food, better beds, bigger rooms, easier check in, lack of crowds and drunks, no constant "announcements" unless the hotel is on fire, and the hotel doesn't roll. I don't "cruise" for those reasons.