Disaster on Holland America's ms Zuiderdam, April-May 2015



  

 


Disaster on the ms Zuiderdam

Specific information and more photos can be found on the following blog entries: 

17 April (I know it has been...), 
18 April (I am enjoying...), 
21 April  (Holland America sinks...), 
22 April (HAL tries to drown ...), 
29 April (I spent today...), 
30 April (Today in Ephesus...), 
2 May (Now that I have...), 
5 May (The Zuierdam continues...)      

Below is a copy of the letter I sent to HAL regarding all the problems on the Zuiderdam during the 22-day cruise: 

TO:           Holland America
FROM:     Dr. Lawrence F. Laban
DATE:     14 May 2015
RE:           Problems on ms Zuiderdam, 14 April-5 May 2015

As you are aware, my 22-day cruise on board the ms Zuiderdam was a complete disaster from beginning to end.   The ship, which had been in dry dock for repairs and reconstruction, was totally unfit to carry passengers.  I made the booking believing that I would be on a vacation cruise (this was my 14th Holland America cruise), but instead was forced to spend 22 days on a construction site.  Not only was I a victim of the specific problems indicated below, but I was in a continual state of stress and discomfort from the construction noise and closed areas on the ship for the entire 22 days.

Summary of Main Issues:

      I was not notified until after boarding that significant sections of the ship would be closed for the complete 22 days (including the Crow’s Nest and Explorations Lounge for a week, and large portions of the Observation Deck for the entire cruise).  Because there were no veranda cabins available when I booked the cruise, I had specifically discussed with [your agent] that I would accept a “blind” booking of an ocean view and would be using the decks for all the scenic portions of the cruise, which would allow me to take photos from both sides of the ship.  If I had been notified before I left North America on 12 April, I would have cancelled the trip.  Even had I been told in Rome, before boarding, I would have requested a refund and spent a relaxing three weeks in Italy and Greece (probably for less money than the cost of the cruise). How cowardly and dishonest of HAL to wait until passengers had boarded to let us know about the problems.  If HAL had notified passengers, I bet very few would have cancelled, and the company would have received kudos for being honest instead of all the complaints and grumbling I heard.  And there is ample evidence that staff on the ship knew of the incomplete state of affairs at least several days before the start of my cruise on 14 April.

      Front Office Staff—including those at the desk as well as managers who often hid in their offices—were untruthful about the situation involving upgraded cabins and were not at all helpful during the specific crisis (which they continued to address as an “inconvenience”) of the flooding of cabins at midnight on 22-23 April.

      I requested to be sent home from Venice at the halfway mark of the cruise.  Although [agent in Seattle] indicated that she would check on this (in fact it was her suggestion), I never heard a single word from anyone on board the ship regarding this option, but instead had to occupy three different cabins (involving moving all my things without suitcases) and spend time when I should have been on shore making sure that my property was safe.

The stress of being on a construction site (loud noise in the lounges on sea days; unpleasant odors from construction materials; piles of construction materials on various decks) for the entire cruise, made this the most unpleasant trip I have ever taken in my many years of both independent travel and cruising (17 cruises since 2007; 14 on Holland America).

Chronology of Serious Problems on ms Zuiderdam

14 April.     No one to meet me at Rome airport, even though I confirmed my transfer reservation with HAL personnel at the airport when I arrived on the 13th.  After waiting two hours in the arrival lobby where I was told HAL personnel would meet me, I was forced to take a last-minute car service at €140 (in addition to the $79 I prepaid HAL).  I was never reimbursed for this expense.

14 April.    Was not notified until after boarding that significant sections of the ship would be closed for the complete 22 days (deck sections I had specifically discussed with agent in Seattle).  If I had been notified before I left No. America on 12 April, I would have cancelled the trip.  How cowardly and dishonest of HAL to wait until passengers had boarded.

14 April.    Because I booked this trip only two weeks prior, I was aware that my cabin would be only ocean view rather than with a verandah.  That was fine, except when I entered the cabin, the TV was cracked across the entire screen and the safe had been locked by previous passenger.  So much for your inspecting rooms before boarding.

14 April.  At 10pm the toilet would not stop flushing or making horrible noises.  I was given the equally awful choice of using public facilities during the night--a health issue--or trying to sleep with the constant grinding of the toilet mechanism.

15 April.  No one comes to fix toilet until I aggressively approach front desk near noon.  Entire toilet had to be reconstructed (the lid was not installed properly even after the toilet was fixed and I had to hold it down with my hand or risk it failing to flush).

15 April.  Spoke with front office about getting new cabin--at that time I told her it was not about money and I would be willing to pay whatever supplement was required (even though my dissatisfaction was based on HAL’s failure to inform me about the state of the ship).  She said she would have to research the question and get back to me.  She did not get back to me for three days, and then only after I had talked with [her manager].  Needless to say, she offered not a word of apology.

18 April.  Met with [customer relations manager], who told me no cabins were available.  If this was true, how was I able to be moved into 5054, which clearly had been empty for days (there was a collection of “Today on Location” brochures on the bed, when the flooding catastrophe occurred on 22 April)?  More and more duplicitous behavior.

22-23 April.     At midnight I awake to revolting smell and 4" of water spreading throughout 1094 into the hallway.  The bathroom was the only dry place.  My suitcases under the bed--put there by HAL personnel--were totally ruined.  And who knows what unhealthy vapors emanated through my clothes and personal property.  I was told to move to 5054.  Notice the verb; I was not offered any help in moving anything out of the cabin.  Additionally, I had to walk down from Deck Five twice because my new keycard would not work (and since I was wearing only a bathrobe and slippers, it could not be the result of any electronic device I might have had).

23 April.  Had to remove my belongings from 1094 by cart, since I do not have any suitcases.  Spent most of the day sorting out my things which were simply strewn across the bed and floor in 5054, instead of enjoying time in Split.  At this moment I am still waiting for a response to my request to be placed in a permanent cabin--I don't want to keep moving around--or to be totally reimbursed with new airline tickets to leave the ship in Venice.  I am tired of living in chaos with my stuff spread out all over bed and floor.

24 April.  [Manager] informs me he has purchased replacement luggage and it will be delivered to 5054.  Spend afternoon in Venice; spend all evening packing.  Told I must be out of room as early as possible tomorrow; certainly by 8am.


25 April.  Toilet is not working in 5054 as I get ready to vacate.  By the time I can get into 7008--problems with key card--I am too tired and stressed to go ashore.  I won't leave until I am sure my cabin is ready and luggage delivered, and then there is just not enough time given that it takes at least 45 minutes to get to Ferrovia and that's just at the farthest point from St Mark's.  We have to be back on board at 2:30 although we are not scheduled to depart until 4pm.

25 April.  Toilets on deck 7--where I am now located--stop working for several hours during afternoon/evening.  I learn that Crow's Nest and Exploration Lounge have reopened, although I somehow "missed" the announcement and no written information was given.


Additional Issues 

I realize that cruise lines must change with the times and that passengers must adjust their expectations.  But there were many changes on the Zuiderdam (from all my previous cruises) that contradict the advertising claims and slogans of the company.  These may not be as dangerous and dishonest as the problems described above, but they indicate HAL’s failures in continuing its traditions.  I wonder, in fact, if the Company is fully aware of changes made on individual ships.

◦ No live music on decks during sail-aways or days at sea, merely a disc jockey with headphones.

◦ No cloth coverings on chairs during formal nights.  I was told by Asst Dining Room Manager that when new chairs were placed during dry-dock, no one thought about ordering new covers that would fit the chairs.

◦ On the last formal night forward elevators (all four of them) refused to stop at Deck 7 (where I was located), although they seemed to stop at every other floor (I couldn’t invent these things if I tried).

◦ Although I indicated on the first night of the cruise that I would like to have a bottle of Pellegrino at dinner each night, twice during the cruise I was told that the ship had run out of Pellegrino.

◦ Problems with laundry not following instructions regarding hangers/folding.  This may sound picky, but why do you give passengers a choice when the staff does not read the paperwork?

◦ You are probably tired of complaints about your wifi service, but you will continue to get them until you provide better service.  (If  you keep up with the industry you will know that many cruise lines are now offering free wifi on their ships).  I understand that it cannot be as fast as on shore (although I wonder why free dockside wifi on the pier is so much faster than the ship’s service, even when docked).  But having to pay almost 45 minutes worth of time before the system even tells me it isn’t working (on the first day of the cruise), so I can log off, is outrageous.  (A positive note:  at least you are now offering an unlimited time package, of which I was not aware when I first signed on, and thus spent twice the amount of money I should have--close to $400.).

◦ On the whole, [destinations specialist], was very helpful.  But she gave completely wrong information so confidently about using public bus service from Athens to Pireaus (even though the staff on the Prinsendam, docked next to us, were aware of the fact that the bus does not start running until the next day) When I later asked her about why she did not have current information, her response was, “well, you never know in Greece.”  It might have been helpful for her to express that caution before advising passengers so confidently.

◦ Tickets for pre-paid excursions were not delivered to my cabin.  After two day and several phone calls to the excursions desk, I had to retrieve them myself.