Holland America Rip off

[joe]

Holland America worst cruise line. Beware they will take you money. land and sea cruise worst cruise I've been on. They took our money and every aspect of the cruise went wrong and they won't work with us. We lost 10,000 dollars. Don't book with Holland America you wl loose.

[Rae]

Making a statement with no data to explain what happened is unfair to the cruise line, and to future travelers.  

I'm sorry you feel you had a bad experience with Holland America.  We sail exclusively with HAL and have been on 9 cruises with them, including sailing to Alaska on the Eurodam 3 weeks ago, and we leave for a 21 day sailing in Nov. on the Rotterdam.  We have never had a bad experience with this cruise line, and the staff and crew are all amazing. 

What ship were you sailing on, and what went wrong?  

[Mike S]

I agree no data no complaint. We have been there and it was a good cruise. 

[DeanneB]

I do not think Holland America is exceptionally bad.  They are okay.  I had friends who went on Holland and they are are quite happy with the cruise.  Very elegant and classy cruise and itineraries.  You have to present more data on how you lost $10,000.  That is a lot of money, I am certainly curious about what went on your cruise.

[Todd 46]

We went to Alaska with Holland America. They were Covid obsessed requiring masks at all times. They had mask monitors at the entry of all venues. Everyone vaccinated and Negative Covid test. Yet our welcome gift was a mask. Never again.  We have sailed on three other cruise since Covid without masks.

[DeanneB]

I think the mask requirement for indoor events will soon be lifted.  This will not be permanent of course.

[PNW Cruiser]

On 10/25/2022 at 12:09 AM, Todd 46 said:

We went to Alaska with Holland America. They were Covid obsessed requiring masks at all times. They had mask monitors at the entry of all venues. Everyone vaccinated and Negative Covid test. Yet our welcome gift was a mask. Never again.  We have sailed on three other cruise since Covid without masks.

Apparently, you seem to be more of the "whatever happens, happens" type of person and health and safety issues of are of minor concern. However, if you had done your research, you would have known what to expect as it was posted on their website in multiple locations. Given that the majority of passengers on HAL ships are in the older age groups, and may be more susceptible to health issues (covid), having the mask protocol was the only safe way to cruise in the early part of the Alaska season. We sailed in September and there were no mask mandates or mask police, but if there had been, my health, and that of my fellow cruisers, is far more important than the inconvenience of wearing a mask.  

As it happens, an announcement today stated that Carnival Corp has now dropped all health protocols. 

[FJB]

2 hours ago, PNW Cruiser said:

Apparently, you seem to be more of the "whatever happens, happens" type of person and health and safety issues of are of minor concern. However, if you had done your research, you would have known what to expect as it was posted on their website in multiple locations. Given that the majority of passengers on HAL ships are in the older age groups, and may be more susceptible to health issues (covid), having the mask protocol was the only safe way to cruise in the early part of the Alaska season. We sailed in September and there were no mask mandates or mask police, but if there had been, my health, and that of my fellow cruisers, is far more important than the inconvenience of wearing a mask.  

As it happens, an announcement today stated that Carnival Corp has now dropped all health protocols. 

But masks that the majority of people wear don’t work. We’ve known that from the beginning. Well at least I have. 

[Emrys]

On 10/12/2022 at 1:51 PM, joe said:

Holland America worst cruise line. Beware they will take you money. land and sea cruise worst cruise I've been on. They took our money and every aspect of the cruise went wrong and they won't work with us. We lost 10,000 dollars. Don't book with Holland America you wl loose.

Hey @joe, maybe you could let us know what issues you came across and what happened?

[norma]

We've been on 3 HAL cruises and enjoyed each of them. The food is great. The dance performances outstanding. The classical quartet a joy to listen to.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@norma I'm so glad to hear about your positive experience with Holland America Line! Which ships have you cruise on? I always feel like each ship has it's own culture. I love it when the staff seems engaged to be a part of the cruise crew. For me, it always makes for the best cruise vacation.

[SeatownColin]

Something must have happened for you to vent here, but you said nothing about what happened, nor produce any data.

This post probably sounds better in its original Russian, when typed by a RusBot.

On 10/12/2022 at 5:51 AM, joe said:

Holland America worst cruise line. Beware they will take you money. land and sea cruise worst cruise I've been on. They took our money and every aspect of the cruise went wrong and they won't work with us. We lost 10,000 dollars. Don't book with Holland America you wl loose.

 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@SeatownColin I would appreciate more context here as well! 

@joe Would you be able to expand on some details of your experience? Were you able to complete your Holland America Line cruise? 

[Leisa Slensby]

I am trying to get a charge of 363.83 resolved. I was anticipating less than $180  When I gave my credit card at boarding I was told I would be charged $18 a day for tipping. I was on an 8 day cruise ordered 4 Perrier at $3 a piece. Did not use any additional services. I can not get through to a person or even an online account of what I’m being charged for. I registered on Holland America website as prompted by an outgoing message on their customer service line. Got a mariner number. It says I have no cruise history. I just cruised with them July 1-8 2023 on Zaandam 

Montreal to Boston 

Very  poor customer service once you are off their ship and they have your credit card to do as they please with. 
Very frustrated customer
Leisa Slensby 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Leisa Slensby Wow, this is very unfortunate. This sounds like a fraudulent cruise charge! Do you have a record of your previous booking number in your email? I would scan all cruise documentation you have, including a billing statement that displays the charge. I have yet to cruise with HAL, but I have cruised with several others and haven't had this issue before. Do you have to link your credit card during your cruise? I don't always link my credit card and just pay for the charges at the end of my cruise. I usually prefer it this way for security/monitoring of my onboard purchases. 

[FJB]

Gotta love these one hit wonder posts. There is always more to the story that we never hear. 

[3Sisters]

@FJB That's very true! Hopefully @Leisa Slensby gives us an update! It sounds like a very upsetting situation but an update would be nice. Fraudulent charges should be handled onboard before you get off the ship, after that you can't really go retroactive. The cruise lines aren't interested in handling matters of the past.

[PaulB]

I would be keen on hearing what happened on that cruise. 10k is a lot of money, and not to get the experience you wanted from all that is a shame. However was it the company at fault? Or was the expectation not as high as they would have liked?

[Cruising Caribbean]

Yes, I can't imagine this happening. This must have ruined the cruise experience. The cruise lines are very upfront and say they are not responsible for any cruise itinerary changes, particularly due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. Cruise companies are not eager to take responsibility for cruise changes unless it's super serious like the captain hitting the dock and damaging the ship. That actually happened recently. https://www.cruisehive.com/damaged-ruby-princess-to-depart-on-revised-itinerary/105913

Edited July 25, 2023 by Cruising Caribbean

[SMartin]

i have been cruising for 40 years and have experienced most of the cruise lines. I now travel with HAL exclusively because my experiences with them have always been wonderful. If you have an issue, get it resolved while on the ship. You can see your bill daily. Read up on what you are buying before making a payment including the deposit. Know that for all cruise lines, itineraries may change. Finally if you can't afford the daily rate, save up for another year until you can. Those people work hard and deserve the tips.

[3Sisters]

@SMartin Thanks for sharing your perspective! It's easy for negative experiences and comments to surface, but it's not always common to see positive outlooks. I love this advice. It is so much easier to resolve your issues onboard, even if you have to wait in a longer-than-usual customer service line. I always carry receipts with me of everything I prepurchased, and then I also opt out of linking my credit card, checking my daily statements onboard to ensure all of the expenditures are accurate. 

I also agree about saving and booking a cruise when you feel financially able. It's worth it to wait to book a cruise when you are going to comfortably afford it and not feel stressed about limiting yourself on your cruise vacation. Vacation is a time to relax and unwind, not to feel unable to enjoy the on-ship amenities because you weren't financially comfortable with it. I also find it necessary to comfortably tip extra. I tip generously, and I enjoy being able to do that. 

[PaulB]

That's true, we tend to read more.about the negative side of things. Hundreds of thousands could thoroughly enjoy their time and we wouldn't get to know about it. A minority have a bad time, and that's what we get to hear.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@SMartin I love the positive feedback on HAL. I have realized those that who cruise with Holland America Line really stick with the line and don't usually have many negative things to say. Not only is HAL historically popular amongst the more mature audience of cruisers, but it's also keeping up with the times as it just completed its shore power conversion for its final ship in its fleet. Now that's something worth celebrating! 

[LukeJ]

I for one wouldn't mind going on Holland America line. The ships look nice and the destinations they visit are amazing. I havent had the chance as of yet to go with them, but in time I certainly will. I don't tend to listen to the bad feedback as it could always be someone who is never happy with anything and do nothing but complain.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@LukeJ I'm right there with you! I haven't booked with Holland America Line yet, but I have been following them for quite some time and I would love to give it a try. The line is rolling out faster internet on many fleet members too. HAL seems pretty forward-thinking. I like that perspective; try focusing on the good. There is a reason the line is still thriving!